Walleye fishing require understanding how lures reach specific depths. Walleye stays at specific depths in the water to catch there prey. If the lure does not reach the specific depth where the walleye are locate, you wont be able to catch the walleye.
There are several factor that determine the depth to which a lure travels. These factors include boat speed, rod position, water temperature, weights, and the type of fishing line you use. Boat speed are one of the primary factors that determine the depth at which a lure travels.
Get Your Lure to the Right Depth for Walleye
When you increase the boat speed to two and a half miles per hour, the lure will lift shallow by ten to fifteen percent. However, if you decrease the boat speed to one point five miles per hour, the lure will travel deeper into the water. Many walleye fishermen often forget that boat speed will change the depth at which their lure travels.
However, boat speed is one of the constant variable that determine lure depth. Another factor that will affect the depth at which a lure travels is rod position. If the rod tip is pointed down, the lure will travel two to four feet deeper in the water.
If the rod tip is pointed up, the lure will travel shallow in the water. Additionally, the length of the fishing rod will also impact the depth of a lure. Using an eight foot rod will allow the lure to travel deeper in the water than using a six foot rod.
These two factor allow fishermen to adjust the depth at which their lure travels without having to change the type of line or weight attached to the lure. The third factor that will impact the depth at which a lure will travel is water temperature. In the early spring, walleye are located in shallow water between three and eight feet deep, as the water temperature range between forty-five and fifty-five degrees.
In the summer, walleye travel deeper into the water to avoid the warm water. In the fall, walleye live between twenty and thirty-five feet deep in the water. During the winter, walleye live at depths of thirty feet or more in the water.
Water temperature is a factor that will dictate where the walleye are, hence why fishermen must adjust the depth at which they cast there lines based off the water temperature. Another factor that will impact the depth of a lure is the use of weight. Using snap weights will allow the fishermen to adjust the depth at which the lure travels.
Additionally, the use of a snap weight will allow the lure to maintain it’s natural movement in the water. Using a one ounce snap weight will add a few feet of depth for the lure. However, using an eight ounce snap weight will allow the lure to reach much greater depth.
Another type of weight is lead core line. The lead core line will sink at a certain rate based on the number of color section included in the line. For example, using one color section of lead core line will cause the lure to sink five to seven feet.
However, using ten color section will allow the lead core line to sink fifty feet. The type of fishing line that fishermen use will also dictate the depth at which the lure travels. Using monofilament line introduce some stretch to the line.
This will allow the lure to remain at a certain baseline depth. Using braided line will allow the lure to travel ten to twenty percent shallow in the water different than if using monofilament line. Fluorocarbon line will allow the lure to travel deeper into the water than if using monofilament line.
Hence, fishermen must select the proper type of fishing line based on the depth at which the walleye live. To catch walleye, fishermen can use a variety of methods to ensure that the lure reaches the depth in which the walleye live. For instance, using a mid-sized lure with a one ounce snap weight will allow the line to travel to a depth of fifteen feet.
Alternatively, using an extra long bill lure will allow the line to travel to a depth of thirty feet without having to use any weight. Fishermen should of test these setups before beginning to fish for walleye. If a fisherman ignores boat speed, rod position, line type, and weights, the lure will not reach the depths of the walleye.
However, if a fisherman manage these variables correctly, they can ensure that the lure reaches the specific depth required to catch walleye.