The Mysterious Walleye
by Don Allphin
March 27, 2005
Walleyes are perhaps the most mysterious game fish that haunt our local waters, and understanding when, where, and how to catch them is a life-long challenge for many anglers. Few Utahns understand walleyes as well as my good friend Jerry Schlief, so let’s get inside the head of this walleye expert and see what we can learn.
“Utah Lake has a great walleye population,” says Schlief, “and catching them shouldn’t be too tough if you know what you’re doing. The question to ask is what are the walleye eating day in and day out? Well, that’s pretty obvious in Utah Lake – white bass. If you can imitate a white bass you will eventually catch a walleye.”
Schlief uses a white or chartreuse grub to imitate white bass. Whether the brand name is Mister Twister, Yamamoto, Kinami, or some other name, a curly tail grub and a 1/8- to ¼-ounce open hook jig head is all you need. Then, just find a rocky point or a transition area between rocks, sand, and reeds. “The retrieve is the key to catching walleye,” continues Schlief. “There are two main retrieves that work to attract aggressive fish. The first is a slow, steady retrieve keeping the bait around a foot off the bottom. The second is a stop-and-go retrieve in which you let your bait flutter down to the bottom several times during the cast in order to entice a strike.”
Schlief teaches seminars across the state and focuses on teaching anglers how to catch aggressively feeding fish. “I like to tell those in my seminars to target the fish that are suspended a foot or so above the bottom, they’re the ones to target. Walleyes rarely feed right on the bottom. Sometimes, when the going gets tough, I’ll use a slip sinker in front of a swivel with around 18 to 24 inches of leader and a number 6 Gamakatsu hook. Then I’ll nose hook a night crawler and allow it to float up a foot from the bottom. When the walleyes grab the bait, I feed them line until I’m sure they’ve eaten the bait.”
If you want to learn more about catching some ghostly walleyes, the fourteenth annual Utah walleye Seminar at Utah Lake State Park will be held on April 13, 2005 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Walleye experts from around the state including representatives from the DWR will talk tactics, techniques, and timetables for catching walleyes year round.
For more information about this seminar and other ways to learn how to catch walleyes, contact the DWR at 801-491-5678.
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