Walleye fishing help needed!

Post by **prcab** » Mon May 29, 2006 7:08 am

Hey guys I'm new to this board and it looks great! I'm from NJ (don't hold that against me!) and have been fishing the St Lawrence out of Gananoque for the last three years with my wife and three girls. We have been doing great with the bass but would like to try walleye fishing this year since we are bringing our own boat. Any suggestions on where and how to fish during the week of July 17th would be great. We are catch and release people with the exception that we do keep enough fish for one meal every year on vacation. Thanks for any help you can give me with this. Oh by the way, we stay at Harmers if this helps. Thanks again!

Post by **Bobber** » Mon May 29, 2006 7:21 am

Hey PRCAB,

Welcome to Fish-Hawk.Net. I haven't fished for walleye down those parts, so I'm not sure what kind of body of water you'd be in, but here in Ontario we look for a couple of things. Underwater humps, edges, bait fish on the sonar, and current. Once we find something that has any number of these attributes, we'll use a jig and minnow, bottom bouncer, or some worm harnesses of some sorts and just jig for the most part. If you can find areas with holes, position yourself so that you can jig on the edge of that hole, all around it and in the middle. Go right to the bottom and even bang your little jig on the rocks as you are jigging. Walleye don't hit very hard, so make sure you're in tune with your line all the time. You'll feel a little tick, then set the hook. In my experience, you'll either have a walleye, or bottom.

You'll know pretty quick after you've finished your hook set.

Now I'm not any kind of authority on Walleye fishing, but this is what has worked for me. I started really targetting walleye last year and have worked several different methods, trying to find the one that works best. I think I'm getting better, but there are far more experienced walleye anglers right here on the board. I'm sure you'll get a few other responses.

Cheers,

Post by **Wallyboss** » Mon May 29, 2006 8:11 am

Like Bobber said , if the walleyes are just off bottom you can usually target them with a bottom bouncer and worm harness, if they are suspended you will have to use crankbaits to go after them as long as you know how deep your crankbaits go.

http://fish-hawk.net/hawktalk/viewtopic.php?t=1233
http://fish-hawk.net/hawktalk/viewtopic.php?t=1216

Check this link, from Fish-Hawk.net, for bottom bouncing??

WB aka Dan

Post by **Bass assassin** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:42 am

Hey Bobber and Wallyboss,
If you have a hump and current would you target the front side of the hump or the back side (refering to the direction the current is running).
Thanks!
BA

Post by **Wallyboss** » Mon May 29, 2006 11:01 am

I would control drift the hump to keep a vertical line with a live bait tipped jig of any color as long as it's yellow.

Drifting makes it possible to fish all sides of the hump.

Post by **steve-hamilton** » Mon May 29, 2006 11:23 am

i would try and work the back end of the current, as the walleye will drop down in the dips where the current breaks, using the current as a bait factory....

if they are extra agressive, they'll be swimming around the breaks and dips, looking for food, but in my experience (fishing fast water on the grand river), the walleye will be on the breakes or on the back side of humps, where the current breaks....

nothing beats (for me) a 3" grub and a worm (2" piece or so) hanging off the hook.

Post by **Bobber** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:58 pm

Bass assassin wrote:Hey Bobber and Wallyboss,
If you have a hump and current would you target the front side of the hump or the back side (refering to the direction the current is running).
Thanks!
BA

I target all sides until I find where they're hanging out. Sometimes I'm lucky, other times I'm not. Finding a needle in a haystack is what a friend of mine refers to it as.

Post by **prcab** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:58 pm

Thanks for the info guys! Now for the tough questions.....How is walleye fishing around Gananoque? Last year with a rental boat with no lights made it impossible to go out in the evening. This year with my own boat and electronics it will be a different story! Not that I would want any of you to provide any of your seceret spots but.........if you have fished this area and can provide some info on where to start it will help me save a great deal of time and get on fish quicker! Plus if any of you ever get really crazy( and I mean really crazy) and venture to NJ I would be happy to provide you with the same info. Time to run, the stripers are in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **bottom feeder** » Tue May 30, 2006 6:26 am

Welcome to the site
We also have others from N.J. on this site aand quite a few Americans.
I dont know that area but you will get hooked up by someone that does.
Norm

Post by **Suddsy** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:38 pm

Welcome to the site.

I have had my luck for Walleye in the St. Lawrence river fishing just west of the Thousand Islands Bridge. I can tell you what has worked for me in the past and hopefully it will work for you. Ifyou are familiar with the area around the Thosand Islands Bridge you will know that there is a very strong current in the area West of the bridge. Fish in the evening up to and slightly after dark. Anchor just off the edge of the current in areas close to the shorelines around the islands immediately west of the bridge and the mainland around the provincial park. If you can position youself behind a point near the edge of the current you will get your best results. Cast into the current with Rapalas and let the lure travel with the current for a slight distance andthen begin your retrieve. This will force your rapala out to the the edge of the current and allow you to bring it along this edge all the way back to your boat. Make sure to work the Rapala with a variable speed retrieve. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your stay in Canada.