Matching the Hatch: Targeting Inland Michigan Walleyes By Matching What They Eat
When it comes to walleye fishing, you might be a little surprised to learn what walleyes in some lakes feed on. A lot of times you can tell what a fish eats from examining the contents of its stomach after cleaning it or by looking at what’s left in your livewell. And the walleye’s forage base will often shift throughout the season based on what’s happening in a specific body of water.
We have learned a lot about Leelanau walleyes over the past decade and have noticed some very unique things are this fishery that has a huge impact on our success. Here is a short list of some of our findings:
A recent DNR study determined that South Lake Leelanau walleye have one of the slowest growth rates in the state of Michigan. Why? My theory is that walleyes in South Lake Leelanau spend a lot of time feeding on mayfly larvae (wigglers) throughout most of the open water season. You find the vast majority of your walleyes stomach’s full of wigglers. How does this affect our presentations? We think the Charlie Brewer 3” Slider grub (www.sliderfishing.com) on a lighter weight OFL jighead (www.oldfartlures.com) (1/8oz) imitates a wiggler more closely than any other plastic on the market.
The crawfish. Walleyes love crawfish and you will find them feeding on crawfish when the water temp is 60 degrees and warmer. We have done really well with jerkbaits that are red or orange in color and we think a lot of the reason is because walleyes are feeding on crawfish. If you want info on our favorite secret bait, send me a comment and I will let you in on the deets!
Perch. No doubt perch are a focus of the walleyes diet. You definitely see a shift where fish don’t have perch/minnows in them to all of a sudden they start to forage on them.
Smaller size minnows. Size of offering can be a significant factor in success as well. We have had times where smaller plastics work better than bigger plastics. Some seasons 1.5” Charlie Brewer sliders are king. Other times 2.75” Fluke style baits out produce bigger plastics.
The more time you spend learning what fish feed on, the more success you will have catching them. Love to have you share what you’ve learned about walleyes and what they eat with us - leave a comment!