I’m a newbie to Walleye fishing and don’t want to look like an idiot in front of my friends. Can you provide a little general information to get me by?

Absolutely.  Having a little basic information about the species you’re trying to catch is always a good idea.  One of the most sought after fish in the United States, the Walleye is excellent on the table and provides enough of a challenge to fishermen that it will remain a popular game fish for quite some time. Walleye are often found in diverse locations and it’s behaviors may change somewhat to reflect it’s adaptation to a certain area.  While there are scientists who would argue that river-living Walleye and lake-living Walleyes could represent a subspecies, it’s enough to say that you’ll find them in both.  While very young Walleye will feast on plankton, they eventually move on to small insects and then larger fish.  Minnows seem to be their preference in most areas.  Walleyes grow quickly and mature Walleyes have to feed constantly to sustain their size.  In most cases, when fishing for Walleye, the larger the bait, the larger the catch.  That being said, minnows remain the most popular bait and most artificial lures are fashioned to resemble the minnow.  In some cases, however, leeches and night crawlers work just as well.  The most important thing to know about the Walleye, however, is that he’s a lazy fish and won’t normally chase bait for any length of time or distance.