Photo by Gerald Almy.

Walleye fanatics can argue about the intricacies of the perfect jig or the qualities that go into the ultimate leech. But over the 30-plus years that I’ve spent chasing this marble-eyed quarry, I’ve found that things really don’t have to get that complicated.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with that fanaticism and obsession with the minute details of the sport. But if you are a bit more relaxed about your fishing, I have five basic systems for you that will produce bountiful catches throughout the year. And they’ll work on a variety of walleye waters -- from sprawling flowages to small neglected rivers, from manmade impoundments to vast natural lakes.

Learn to use three or four of them, and keep the required gear and tackle on hand; then, experiment on any given day on the water with a few of them. Chances are one or more of these proven strategies will produce-if not enough to limit out, at least enough to provide the main ingredient for a delicious fish fry.

First a bit of biological background is in order. This information will help you understand the walleye’s behavior and feeding patterns and locate and catch it at various times of the year.

Walleyes eat plankton and tiny zoöplankton when they are first born, followed soon by insects. Before they even reach the size of a pencil, though, this quarry is turning to smaller fish as its main prey. Once it starts that, minnows form the bulk of its diet through the rest of the walleye’s life.

Early in the year, they swim into tributaries in lakes and move upstream in rivers to spawn. This occurs when the water temperatures range from 44 to 48 degrees. Key in on that temperature range if you’re looking for spawning walleyes.

After the fish spawn, they drift back into deep pools in rivers and move back downstream from tributaries into lakes. From this point on, some of the best walleye fishing will occur on drizzly or overcast days. I’ve even had great fishing when it’s raining hard, but heed the warnings and don’t stay out if thunderstorms are occurring.

Walleyes are light-sensitive fish and they’re wary of being in the shallows under a bright midday sun. Often, though, you can catch them even then by fishing deeper, where the light doesn’t penetrate as much.

Fall often sees a pickup in walleye activity as waters cool and shorter days and frosty nights arrive. The fish may move back shallow again then while chasing forage.

Learning a thing or two about where walleyes like to hang out is also helpful. Look for the fish in bays and river mouths, around points, reefs, humps, bars and sunken islands. Yes, they do often simply roam in open waters, but walleyes also at times orient to boulders, logs, rock walls, islands and weedbeds. Dropoffs at river channel edges can be good. Inlets and outlets of lakes with current are also top spots.