Anglers seek out walleyes because they are a real challenge and Iowa is a great place to fish for this species. They are a smart fish that is hard to catch but this makes fishing fun and exciting. Walleyes have large wide eyes that reflect light. This makes it possible for them see very well in dark conditions and it makes it more difficult to catch them.
You have to prepare your gear correctly and stay out of sight of this fish if you want to be productive. If they see you, your fishing line or the hook sticking out of the bait, they won’t strike. You’ll need to plan your fishing trips so you’ll know what you’re going to try next if something doesn’t work the way you expect it too.
This way, you’ll always have a backup plan and you should be able to find something that will get this fish to strike. Always take a variety of lures with you even when you plan to fish with live bait. You never know what they’ll be in the mood for and this way, you can switch around if they’re being picky.
Walleyes will also steal your bait away and you’ll never even know they were there. This can get very frustrating at times. However, it’s this challenge that makes fishing for them so much fun. You have to be alert, have some strategies in place and put forth a real effort when fishing for this species.
Here are 4 fishing techniques to try on Iowa walleyes:
1. Trolling for walleyes is the best technique to use when they have moved out to the deeper parts of the water. This will help you find them faster and learn which baits they’re attracted to at the same time.
2. Jigging is quiet so it won’t scare the fish away and it allows you to use colorful jigs that attract this fish, enticing them to strike.
3. Drift fishing is an excellent technique that makes it easy to get the bait to the bottom where the walleyes often stay and the current drifts the bait through the strike zone in a natural way that will encourage the fish to strike.
4. Casting allows you to get the bait around structures such as rocks, brush and submerged logs while keeping your distance so you won’t scare the walleyes away.
These 4 techniques are all good choices when fishing for walleyes in Iowa. They get results and that’s exactly what you need when seeking out this species.
Here are a few more tips that can help to enhance your next fishing trip:
* When fishing for walleyes you need to make sure you have the right gear. Choose a lightweight fishing rod, a reel with a good drag system and test line in the four to six pound range. Use small tackle that will fit into its mouth. This will help you detect a strike better and prevent them from seeing your gear.
* Go fishing in the late evening and fish until around midnight. This is when they will be the most aggressive so it’s an excellent time to go fishing. However, this species does seem to feed often and you can entice them to strike even when thye’re not hungry. For this reason, you can also fish on days when the wind makes the water choppy blocking the rays of the sun, on cloudy days and in the early morning.
* Electronics can make your fishing trips more productive by making it easier to find the location of the fish. They will be suspended different depths throughout the water and this depth will change daily to match the water temperature and food supply. You’ll have to find the right depth each time you go fishing and electronics can make a difference.
* Choose your colors wisely when picking out lures. Walleyes can see the colors very well and if they don’t seem natural for the area, they won’t strike at it. As a rule, use bright and florescent colors when fishing in dark waters and dark colors when fishing in clear water but experimenting will help you find the best colors to use. When using live bait, choose minnows or worms. These usually get the attention of walleyes rather quickly.
Using these tips will help to make all of your fishing trips in Iowa more productive. Reeling in as many fish as you can is what adds the excitement to this sport especially when you’re reeling in the elusive walleyes. Of course, there will be times when the fish just won’t bite no matter what you do, but the times when they do will more than makes up for the times they don’t.
Iowa is a beautiful state with many exciting things to do including fishing. Walleye fishing is a great way to spend your free time and it gives you a chance to get outside in the fresh air. Start planning your Iowa fishing trip today.