need help wife and i beginner walleye fishermen

[pat123]

where is the best place to fish for walleye right now in the rivers or main lake and how deep

[waterpossum]

Stick baits in the dam area close to dark or after dark. Rivers should be turning on any time now. Most will be caught close to dark.  If we have one of those low light nasty days they will bite all day.

[dan hufferd]

I fish Stockton for walleye as much as possible, January and February have been my toughest months. I was actually waiting to see who replied to your post.

Waterpossum has given you the answer everyone has given me. 

Later on, after the spawn I can help, but right now I am learning too. The people on this forum have been very good to me.

Good luck !

 

[MOPanfisher]

Waterpossum, we call that "Jack Weather".  Sometimes rain gear and insulated underwear.

[pat123]

thanks for the info me and my wife started fishing for walleye right after last years spawn we caught them on flicker shad just trying to learn all the techniques and when to use them went out today and trolled all over the lake not any luck hopefully they will be turning on soon thanks again guys

[rps]

pat123

I am not a Stockton lake guy. Nor am I a guru, especially for January and February of any year.

Search and find my articles on trolling for walleye and worm rigging for walleye on this forum. Those are starting points.

[slab slinger]

I cut my teeth on walleye fishing the Little Sac River with my uncle. He is the only guy that has taught me about river eyes so don't know if it's the best info but it has been working for me for years. We would start around Valentine's day and fish till the whites we're at full spawn. He claimed only male eyes were in the river at this point females already headed back to the lake. 

We would float 215 bridge to Orleans bridge first. Targeting score holes on outside river bends and heads of riffles. Walleye like current breaks and ambush structure such as rocks and logs but dont over look current seams as structure also. We fished mainly road runners and bucktails tipped with minnows throw netted out of the river. Passing up the non productive water and really fishing out the  key areas was our main focus. I'm no expert on river eyes or walleye in general but I do catch them following this in the river. 

Lake spawners I do best in March along the face of the dam and long gravel points. I throw jerk baits and swimming minnows. The best fishing I've found is the last hour of light and the first hour of dark. It's no secret the walleye stack on the dam face to spawn. Just follow the crowds and join in. Most walleye guys are tight lipped and don't share any good info so I hope this helps out. 

 

[pat123]

i appreciate the info for sure its alot different than crappie thats for sure alot different bait to throw at different times of the year but we'll get it down we have only been fishing for bout 4 years only crappie but last may we started walleye fishing trolling crankbaits caught them every time just not alot of keepers havent been up by the dam but i will be up there next month for sure thanks again

[pat123]

do you troll the jerk baits and swimming minnows or just throw them and which jerk baits are best

 

[slab slinger]

When jerk bait fishing make a cast toward the bank or where ever then give it 2 or 3 long jerks to get it down. Then you have to find the cadence the fish want depending on how agressive they are that day. I always start slow. I mean SLOW I'll get it down with a couple hard jerks then let it suspend for up to a minute then I twitch it a couple times and pause... twitch pause... and so on. Most bites will be ocolorsn the pause so be ready. Fish it all the way to the boat alot of strikes will come when your ready to reel up and re cast. Just start slow and find the cadence. 

Jerk baits....there's so many choices today and so many opinions on the best but for me it's the old stand by Smithwick rouge. I do like the lucky strike RC stick as well. My fav colors are clown, bone white, table rock shad and Tennessee shad. 

Swimming minnows... Just cast and retreave slow. Very the depth or retreave. Sometimes hop the bottom.