By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks, if you’re like me, the weather is more to your liking this month and it’s not just us, the fish are liking it better too. This is the month that kicks off the great wintertime walleye bite on Fontana. The walleye may be as deep as 100 foot or as shallow as 30 foot, as me and my friend Kevin and I, learned one year. We had been catching in about 70 foot depth range for over 3 weeks and for some reason, on this trip, all the fish we saw were around 30 to 40 feet deep. We were almost sure it was white bass or spotted bass, and Kevin is strictly a walleye angler this time of year. As for me now, on the other hand, I might be a little trashy but I decided I didn’t care what they were. Since the walleye weren’t biting, I was going to put the downrigger on my side shallow and catch whatever we were marking. As soon as I made the change, I got a hit and in a few minutes, was high polling a nice walleye into the boat. Kevin immediately pulled up to 40 foot and was hooked up almost instantly. After finding the right depth, it only took a short time till we had caught our limit of nice walleye.
One of my biggest faults, and probably other angler’s as well, is thinking we know exactly what depth a certain species will be in and not trying when the fish finder shows them in a different range. I like trolling, so if you see me at this time of year that’s probably how I will be fishing for them, but vertical jigging is also a great way to catch a good limit. For jigging, I prefer icejigs and spoons; make sure to bring several color patterns, as walleye can be very color selective. I have also caught walleye dropping a live minnow in them at this time. As far as trolling lures, I start off with a variety till I see what they are hitting best and what colors. I usually start off with Alabama rigs, repalas, spoons and crankbaits. Size and color usually change trip to trip. Pay close attention to size when you catch a fish as some days you have to run small lures. Trolling speed is very important and a few tenths of a mile per hour will make a big difference. I usually run shallower lures for bass while I troll but if the walleye are schooled tight, I don’t run a wide spread so I can turn faster and get back on them. Always watch for breaking fish. If they break on the surface in the same place for long, there will be walleye under them, deeper, catching the shad as they dive and scatter from the bass. Water temps are going be cold, so be careful and always wear a life preserver. Stay safe and enjoy the bite. If you would like to learn how to catch some cold water Fontana walleye, give me a call at 828-488-9711 an I would be glad to take you out on the water.
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com)