How to Catch Walleye Fish in the Indiana River
The walleye is native to Indiana waters. However, Indiana's Department of Natural Resources stocks walleyes each year within the Indiana River. The consistent stocking makes the Indiana River a prime spot for big walleye. When fishing in the Indiana River, active walleye anglers should consider the time of the year, night fishing and the use of a three-hook swivel rig to catch walleye.
Things You'll Need
- Jigs red, yellow, orange 1/32 ounce or 1/16 ounce.
- Glow dark bobber
- Rod bell
- Three-way hook swivel rig
Instructions
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Fishing the Seasons
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1
Move to deep water when fishing in the summer. Hot weather causes walleye to go deep during the day. When temperatures are cooler, in the morning, afternoon and night, walleye cruise the shallows. The walleye likes to take advantage of darkness to gobble up unaware minnows and baitfish.
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2
Utilize trolling techniques in the fall. In the fall, walleye congregate close to shore and are around areas with sandy bottoms. In addition, you can find walleyes in the large weeds or around rocks, which are nearby areas of sand.
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3
Drop jigs in winter. The cold water of winter makes walleyes less active. The fish will move to deep water and virtually rest on the bottom. They will go little out of the way to chase down fish, so you must get the bait within walleyes' general vicinity to attract their attention.
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Work the shallows during spring. Walleyes desire sand bottoms and strong current to reproduce, which assist in oxygenating walleye eggs. Anglers should cast lures onto the sandy bottoms and slowly retrieve. As the spawning time approaches, walleye will aggressively strike almost any lure thrown their way.
Fish at Night
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Employ several techniques to attract walleye at night. Walleye are notorious nocturnal feeders and cruise the edges of shore for baitfish. Use a glow-in-the-dark floating bobber and a small split-shot to weight the hook. Cast 10 feet from shore and let the line drift. With their keen eyesight, walleyes can spot baits as far as 20 feet away.
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Place a rod bell on the tip of your rod. Rod bells ring whenever a fish tugs on your fishing line.
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Hold your fishing rod in your hand, so that you can determine when a walleye strikes your bait. If you grow tired or prefer not to hold the rod, place the rod in a fishing stand next to a lantern. Watch the rod, and when it starts shaking, grab hold and set the hook.
Use a Three-Way Swivel Rig
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Employ the use of a three-way swivel rig when fishing bait off the bottom. This style rig is design to get your bait as close as possible to the bottom. A three-way swivel rig is useful in summer as well as winter. In both seasons, walleyes cling to bottom of the river and wait for passing fish.
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Fashion a worm or minnow harness. Attach a size 8 hook, then a couple of beads, a size 00 Colorado blade, then a couple more smaller beads. Use 1/8-ounce brass beads on some of them too for a little weight. Place the beads about 2 to 3 inches from the bottom of the hook. This harness works well when fished with a flat head minnow or a whole night crawler.
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10
Tie a one-foot steel leader to the line. Adding a leader to the line will ensure that the walleyes' sharp teeth do not slice through the line and allow the fish to get away.
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Tips & Warnings
Indiana walleyes are normally around 12 to 15 inches and weigh 2 to 5 pounds. Female walleyes are considerably bigger in size and weigh more than males.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images
