Freshwater fishermen and women love a good challenge and walleye is one of the many challenges they can face if they choose to try their hand fishing in the state of Wyoming. Mysterious creatures, these type of fish loves to hide out in the sandy or rocky bottom of whatever body of water they happen to be in. They love the cold water, yet tolerate the warmer temperatures when summer and fall in the state set in. A tender, flaky, white meat fish, walleyes are supposedly the best tasting of all the fresh water fishes.
Walleyes, while being somewhat elusive, like to eat anything and everything that moves and catches its attention that won't eat them first. If they are living in the deeper water of Wyoming, they set themselves up as the hunter and get the unsuspecting hunted as it floats or swims by. They are quick enough to be virtually undetected unless its summer time when they seem to gravitate towards the waters surface. If you're looking for the perfect time to catch these tasty beauties then you want to go out between sundown and midnight.
Wyoming in and of itself is a beautiful state filled with plenty of places to go walleye fishing. Walleye fishing, in addition to some other species, is going to be extremely here and when attempting to define true hot spots which a few are listed at the bottom it's very easy to say that bodies of water throughout the state are walleye hot spots because almost every single one of them has a walleye or two in them. When you stop and look at the numbers, the state of Wyoming has right around 300,000 acres or water. That amount comprises 4,200 lakes. There is an additional 27,000 miles of rivers. If fishers cannot find a walleye in Wyoming, they may need to determine what they are doing wrong.
Walleyes like anywhere there is vegetation, which makes lakes and reservoirs prime fishing spots. They hide in the weeds at the bottom in order to sneak up on their own food as its swimming past. They also like the calm waters of these areas instead of the consistent movement of the rivers. That's not to say fishers won't find them in the rivers because they will. Anyone trying to catch one stands a better chance in the calmer waters. Fishers will find their catch patrolling the larges sandy flat areas of these bodies of water.
Spawning season for Wyoming walleye is in May and this is when they change their habits a little bit. During the end of this time of year, male walleyes can be found closer to the surface. They are feeding after all of the other fish have moved on. Fishers can easily capitalize on this fact by using a live bait rig weighted for the appropriate water clarity and depth. Walleye will go for lines baited with small, live organisms or minnows. Once it catches their eye, all the fisherman needs to do is start reeling in the line.
Lowrance Fishing Hot Spots
South Dakota walleye fishing, as well as in North Dakota, is a bit difficult at first because there are certain hotspots where you'll find these deepwater predators, while many other areas will seem to be completely uninhabited by the fish. Knowing how to target them and where they will be during a giving season will make your South Dakota walleye fishing trip a lot more fun and fruitful.
First of all, know that, in the dead of winter, walleye will prefer to feed around sundown, so this will give you an idea of when you want to be at the lake with your bait in the water for feeding time. This time of day causes the temperatures to drop considerably, and walleye have a penchant for cold waters. Especially if you are an ice fisherman, you'll find that this time of year and this time of day bring the utmost excitement to your life, knowing that your best opportunity to reel in a monster is at hand.
In South Dakota, walleye fishing is best found on smaller waters and natural lakes, such as Devils Lake. Get out to this location just after the lake freezes for the best opportunity. However, you can certainly find walleye here throughout the winter, with some sized up to nine pounds and more, large for the species any way you look at it. Beside being sure to get to the lakes at the right time, you should be aware that a good bait presentation can make all the difference in the world. Some of the top anglers in South Dakota will use a lure without any bait and jig it. However, minnow seem to provide the best approach, using the head just off the bottom of the lake.
One trick to finding your catches is to stay at one hole, looking for the aggressive fish, using the dead stick method. This means keeping the bait completely still and waiting for the walleye to bite after staring it down. In this case, you might want to tip a lure with either a full minnow or a minnow head, using something like a small slip-bobber with a plain gold hook. Other anglers take the opposite approach to fishing, opening and fishing many holes. The biggest problem with this method is that it's like playing sports, and the physical aspect of it can wear you down quickly. It can also be frustrating if you drill several holes with absolutely no luck.
The advantage of dead sticking is that there is little or no struggle to reel in the walleye. What happens is this: the fish eyes the bait for a time, then snaps and swallows it. The walleye will slowly go back down towards his resting place, and you'll see your rod start to dip, letting you know you have a bite. At this time, you can reel and hook the specimen and bring him in.
