Dingy water tricks for walleye

From gin-clear lakes to turbid rivers, all walleye anglers deal with murky to dirty water at times. Here are some things to consider and tactics to try when your favourite waters get churned up. Don’t fear the dingy First things first, don't jump to conclusions when faced with turbid water. Descriptions like "dingy" or "dirty" are subjective and are best considered in the context of the water system. For instance, murky water in a clear, zebra-mussel infested lake is going to look very different from chocolate-milk mud lines from agricultural runoff in a river like the Ottawa. While "dirty" conditions may be intimidating if you're used to clear lakes, the truth is murky areas can make up for good walleye action. This happened last summer while I was fishing a clear lake in bright sun. Cabbage beds, points, and deep structure didn’t produce fish. My luck changed, though, when I started casting a swimbait through a murky patch of water surrounding an island and rock reefs. The walleye were aggressive and clobbered the thumping plastic. A week later on another lake, I smashed walleye snap-jigging a mid-depth flat dotted with clumps of cabbage. Wind was blowing down the lake, churning up the soft bottom and turning the typically clear water a soupy green. Like the previous week, clear-water sections of the lake didn’t produce fish. The lesson for walleye anglers: don’t be stingy, fish where it’s dingy. Turbidity is only one factor Scott Walcott of Picton and owner/operator of Bay of Quinte Charters has shared with me how he trolls mud lines in spring for walleye. On the surface (pun intended), it makes sense that a mud line's added turbidity limits light penetration, which gives walleye a predatory edge over baitfish. There's more to it, though. As spring mud lines are due to runoff, they typically introduce warmer water to the waterbody. This attracts baitfish and walleye alike. More, increases in tributary output also change current flow. This may cause baitfish to shift locations and become more vulnerable to predators. Wave-and-wind-created current has a similar effect. It's why tributary outflows and wave-hit structures are classic walleye spots. Proven lures Plastics: As far as plastics go, a paddle tail is a good pick. The tail produces vibration and displaces a lot of water. Twister tail grubs can be good if walleye are fussy. Worm harnesses: Walcott, myself, and many other anglers