Tips to Reel in Trophy Shore Walleyes
By: Steve Ryan
Seawalls, break walls and pier heads are excellent locations to locate giant walleyes. (Photo courtesy of In-Fisherman.com)
Pursuing trophy shore walleyes presents a unique set of challenges and rewards. On the one hand, you can't get to most of the fishable water available to boat anglers, but you can access areas where fishing from a boat is difficult or impossible. Fishing these less accessible locations can pay huge dividends for shore anglers.
Finding shore access for giant walleyes is less difficult than you'd expect. Some of my favorite spots include small-river spillways, big rivers and Great Lakes seawalls. In each location, certain tactics work best, based on the season and activity level of fish.
Spillways and Tailraces
Spillways across walleye country are fish magnets throughout much of the year. These overflows from lakes and reservoirs offer resident walleyes a year-round supply of cool, bait-rich, oxygenated water. Even in the middle of summer when walleyes have moved to deep water in the lake, there are opportunities for trophy fish at spillways.
With current, turbid water, and a deep scour hole below most spillways, walleyes may feed throughout the day. For lure selection, think big and snag-resistant as plenty of debris collects below spillways. Use large-profile lures that emit plenty of vibration to get noticed in this low-visibility environment.
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