Somebody help me catch a walleye!

[TubeDude]

Thanks, Tubedude.

Looks like a major change rather than a tweak is in order

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A few years ago, we had a major late season run off and I saw a lot of walleye being caught there. AF, I mean. I thought after the rain yesterday It might be similar conditions.

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Thanks, Tubedude.

Looks like a major change rather than a tweak is in order

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A few years ago, we had a major late season run off and I saw a lot of walleye being caught there. AF, I mean. I thought after the rain yesterday It might be similar conditions.

That also makes me wonder why the perch  species don't feed during their spawn. Or at least attack things.  In your write up on the Willard Bay perch you noted that spring is not a good time to fish for them.

Different bedding behavior from sunfish I presume.

No hard and fast rules. Fish spawning and feeding cycles are influenced by water temperatures, hours of daylight, atmospheric anomalies, wind, etc.  Best you can do is try to guess when they will be active and go fishing.  Be properly grateful for the good days and absorb the bad days as part of paying your dues to be called a fisherman. 

But yes...there are some differences in other panfish/sunfish.  Perch and walleyes are in a completely different family than bluegills, crappies, bass, etc.  The former are notorious for being closed-mouthed during the spawn...and then for a while afterward.  But when the water warms above about 60...after the spawn...they get very active and are much easier to catch.  Sunfish like bluegills on the other hand, continue to bite even during the spawn.  But they usually do not spawn until water temps are a bit above 60.  In fact, some of the fastest fishing of the year for sunfish is during the spawn...when they gather in their nesting areas.  That is a great time to get "reaction bites" by presenting a lure right in their nests.  Very protective females, but the males are pretty aggressive too.