On most bodies of water August can be one of the most difficult and intimidating times of the year to catch walleye.  I imagine most anglers would agree to this, even though studies show it’s one of the busiest feeding times of the year for walleye.  We have to wonder what we are doing wrong.  In this article I’ll explain what I’ve done wrong myself in the past, along with a couple of mid-summer fishing tactics that will put walleye in your boat on a more regular basis.
There have been times where I’ve located schools of walleye with my electronics that seem to stretch for a hundred yards or more, only to turn around with a Lindy rig tipped with live bait and have a less than positive reaction.  In my younger days I may have worked these “inactive” fish for hours only to catch a couple and chalk the night up to a slow bite.  Sound familiar?

Well once we hit mid-July the fish may be feeding heavier, but keep in mind you have more competition too.  The lake is full of bait of various types (most commonly 2-3” perch).  The fish are used to targeting these perch and roaming to find them.  So it’s only natural for them to want something that mimics their natural forage. That’s where pulling a perch-colored spinner or crank bait, like a #5 Perch Lindy Shadling, at 1.5-2.5mph fit the bill perfectly.   Live bait can still always be an option, but if the walleye are being picky… pick up the speed!

The next step is to locate the “right” fish.  Keep an eye on your electronics for bait pods.  They look like suspended round weed clumps on your screen.  These pods can be literally anywhere, but I usually have my best luck locating bait and fish near the deep weeds.  I prefer to find bait pods that are very dense with a couple fish mixed in. This generally means fish are feeding on them and they try to get as tight as possible as a defense.  You’ll want to note the depth of the bait and fish to ensure you’re pulling your lures directly past them.  Also note the locations of the bait and any place you catch fish.  That way, as the day goes on, you can usually develop a pattern or a certain area that is producing for you.

The Alexandria lakes area is special in the fact that so many of the lakes are heavily stocked with walleye by various organizations.  It’s very common to go out and catch numerous young walleye 12”-13”.  The young fish are usually the most common and most aggressive, that’s why they show up more often than the nicer eating size (14”-19”).  I’ve found the mid-summer bite is more about numbers than a specific location.  If you catch a bunch of small fish you will usually end up with a nice mess of eater size walleye for supper too!

The presentations I mentioned above may sound complex to some, but in reality they are a couple of the easiest ways to catch quality fish for the novice angler.  These techniques will work until the water temps start to drop and we switch over to the fall patterns in late September.  So, the next time you’re on the water in mid to late summer use speed to locate and trigger more walleye into biting your line.

As you can see by the pics, anyone loves fishing in Alexandria!