If you love fishing for walleye, then Brainerd, Minnesota is the place to be. The walleye is one of the most sought after species that angler fish for today and there are plenty to be found in this area. In fact, you can find a large number of walleyes in the lakes of Brainerd. Here are some techniques and hot tips for Brainerd walleye fishing that will help you get the most out of all your fishing trips.



To catch a walleye you have to make sure the bait is very close to them and that it is moving slowly. Walleye normally don't bother to chase after their meals and they move even slower in the colder months. Therefore, using jigs and bobber rigs are the best gear to get the job done. The recommended jigs are the light colored ones such as white and yellow and the ones that weigh between 1/16 and 1/4 ounces, they just seen to work the best when fishing in Brainerd Minnesota. The walleye in this area tend to prefer live bait so you will find that minnows, night crawlers and leeches work very well.

However, you can also have some good luck with spinner baits, crankbaits, plastic worms and grubs. Keep in mind that when spawning season arrives the walleye are a lot more active and aggressive so other methods can work great during this time of year. Spawning starts when the water reaches a temperature somewhere around 47 degrees, which occurs just after the "ice out" begins. This is the time of year they are hungry so fishing with spoons can get you some fantastic results. In clear water the spoons have a flashing effect that gets the attention of the walleye. The spoons that have sound will also attract their attention and draw them to your line.

During spawning you can find them migrating away from the lake and swimming towards feeder streams. They will also be found in shoals, gravel ledges, submerged logs and similar items and around shallow bars that are located near the deep water that has clean bottoms. You will get the best results when fishing shallow to medium depths. The more you know about the area the easier it will be for you to locate the walleye during this time of year and when spawning is over.

Right after the spawning the male walleyes will begin to do some serious feeding while the females wait a couple weeks before they begin. This is an excellent time for Brainerd walleye fishing that can produce some exciting results. In the summer months they will in the shallow water in the early morning and late evening but if fishing during the day you need to search deeper and around structures to find them. Using bait that resembles crawfish is an excellent choice because the walleye are attracted to crawfish and you will get some great results.

When fishing for walleyes during the fall you will need to use crankbaits, spoons and jigs because these will work the best and they can be found in shallow to medium depths, mostly during the evening and morning hours. During the winter the walleyes respond best to spoons, jigs and plastic worms and they move very slowly so you must compensate for this. You will need to search for them in deep structures during the day and at medium depths in the early mornings.

Even though the walleyes are night feeders this doesn't mean that you can't fish for them during the day as well. This is especially true in areas where the water is dark and murky. You can also catch them suspended over ledges and drop offs so don't limit yourself to just bottom fishing for this species. Even though it is true they are bottom feeders, many walleyes are caught in shallow to medium depths as well.