Good numbers of walleye will move into the shallows again in the evenings to feed on bait fish. You can very easily catch walleye in deep water in the evening, but most anglers take advantage of the good shallow water bite. You should be able to find walleye in 2 to 12 feet of water near their deep water hangouts. Points, rocky shorelines, weed lines and reefs are all great places to fish in the evening. You can fish with live bait and have a lot of success, but crankbaits can be outstanding if you find a school of walleye moving into the shallows to feed. It is possible to catch 5 fish in as many casts when the bite is on.
Fish the Points
These may be hit or miss, but if you find the right point where the walleye are feeding, you can catch a bunch of fish in a very short amount of time. Many fish will push up onto these points just before dark and you may catch fish anywhere from a few feet of water down to 30 feet.
Fish the Shallows
A lot of walleye move very shallow just before dark to find an easy meal. This happens in the summer also even when water temperatures are hot. These fish aren’t staying in the shallows long. They are just moving in to find a quick meal then heading back out. Find the right spot and you’re in for some exciting fishing.
Use Lures and Cast
By using lures, you can cover some of the shallower water spots easier which will help you get your baits in front of as many feeding walleye as possible. While it may be tough to out fish live baits for walleye on a consistent basis, this is one of those times where you can definitely catch more fish and more quality walleye by casting ring worms, grubs or crankbaits and covering water. This will be more like bass fishing for that peak hour just before dark.
Sit on a School of Walleye
Some of those schools of walleye that you found in deeper water that weren’t feeding during the day will usually start feeding as the sun is getting close to setting. If you can find those deep water fish, the evening would be a good time to park the boat above them and vertical jig with live bait. This is the time of day when you may be able to catch a bunch of those schooling fish. When they go on a feeding spree, it can be one after another for a short amount of time. The bite may be good for just a few minutes up to an hour or more. The key is to be on those fish when the bite gets going.
Fish for a Big Walleye
For many anglers, they catch their biggest fish in the evening just before dark. There is something about this time of day that brings out the big fish and they may let their guard down just long enough to be fooled by your presentation. If you’re looking for a big fish, this is a great time to upsize your lures or throw a bigger minnow to target those big fish that are on the prowl.
