Casting For Walleyes – Tips And Techniques

Many anglers consider walleye fishing to be a game of trolling. When the concept of backtrolling was perfected, expert and novice fisherman alike felt they the ideal technique for presenting a bait to walleyes.

As effective as backtrolling is, there are still times when casting a bait is the best way to trick a limit of "marble eyes."

Casting works best for walleyes in several situations.

When you have the fish pinpointed, a casting presentation can be the best way to keep your bait in the fish’s strike zone.

If the fish are on the very tip of a rock point, casting will allow you to put the bait right where the fish are on every cast. Trolling for these same fish would mean pulling the lure through the school and then turning around and going back through the fish. The turning process takes time and takes the lure out of the productive fishing zone.

You could troll until the fish were found, then hover directly overhead. In shallow water, though, a boat hovering directly over fish will quickly spook them, whereas an anchored boat 30 feet away creates no problem.

When casting a shallow area, anchor upwind and avoid getting too close to the area to be fished. After thoroughly casting to that area, let out more anchor rope and drift father into the suspected fish-holding area and tie the anchor rope off. Work this new area, let out more anchor rope, and slide farther onto the structure.

By moving in this manner, you won’t need to start the motor every time a move is necessary. You get to the new anchoring position quickly and quietly.

A casting presentation also allows more experimentation. If three anglers are fishing from the same boat, one can throw a Fireball jig, one can try a Shad Rap, while the remaining fisherman can use a slip-bobber. It’s impractical and nearly impossible to use all three lure types while the boat is moving.

Casting a bait is also very effective when the walleyes move into the middle of cabbage weeds. A trolling run through the weeds would only result in snags. By casting a jig or split-shot rig into the weeds, you can avoid most snags and catch fish. You’ll still get some hang-ups, but they will be greatly reduced.

One method casting I have found to be very effective is flippin’ and pitching a lure. I use a Cabela’s graphite rod with a fast tip, one that provides enough backbone yet gives me a spring to launch my lures.

Here is how it is done. I grab the line just above the lure and pull back on the line until I have loaded the rod. Then I engage the reel so it free spools and I flip the lure with a underhand motion to a hole in the weed cover. This method is accurate and gets my lure into the hole without picking up unnecessary weed growth.

Bass fisherman have been using this technique for years, and walleye fisherman are finally catching on.

This is not to suggest that I’m about to give up trolling; it is still my method of choice the majority of the time I’m on the water. But casting is a very effective way to present a bait to walleyes in the right situations.

To become a versatile walleye fisherman, you need to adapt to changing conditions. Knowing when to cast and when to troll is an important part of fishing and will help you catch walleyes even when the guides are getting skunked.

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