Get a topo map of the water you’re fishing, if possible, and then use a depthfinder to seek out prime areas to try. As a rule, sandy, rock or gravel bottoms are preferred to soft mud.

If there’s a breeze blowing, hit the windward side of points, reefs and coves. That’s where the fish will be hanging out, waiting for baitfish to be pushed toward them.

With these bits of biological knowledge and walleye hangouts in mind, you’re set to begin your walleye search with one of the five tactics described below. Using one or a combination of them has proved effective for me on a variety of waters for three decades and counting.

TROLLING WITH CRANKBAITS
If a lake is one that’s new to you or you’ve simply never figured out a good walleye pattern, this is a great tactic to start with. The method is almost universally effective because it keeps your lure down in the water in the productive strike zone for long periods. The only time it’s not there is if you’re checking it to make sure there’s no debris on the lure or reeling in a fish! Study a topo if available and watch the depthfinder to pinpoint both good structure and also bait and game fish. You can work a contour line or the edge of reefs, points or dropoffs and constantly have your lure down where fish see it.

For many lakes, simply trolling a crankbait on 8- to 12-pound line is the way to go. Choose your lure according to the depth of water you’re probing. Silver, blue, black, gold, chartreuse and bright orange are top colors and a variety of shapes can be productive from fat to skinny.

If walleyes are in shallow water and are particularly spooky, use a side-planer board to carry your plug away from the noise and shadow of the boat. These also let you cover a wider swath with some of the offerings pulled behind the boat, others to the side.

Also consider using downriggers. These are especially useful when fish are suspended. Downriggers keep your lure at exactly the depth you choose. When a walleye strikes, the line pops free from its release and you fight the fish unencumbered on light tackle.

If fish aren’t spooky you can run the lure 20 to 50 feet behind the cannonball. If they’re wary and skittish, attach it 75 to 120 feet back.

Occasionally walleyes are tentative biters and don’t snap releases well. If that proves to be a problem, switch to thin rubber bands. Simply half-hitch one end on the downrigger cable or a snap swivel just up from the ball and attach the other end to the line. The fish will likely snap the thin rubber band easily. But if it doesn’t, you’ll likely see the rod throbbing and bouncing and can lift it out of the holder and snap it yourself.

Be sure to calculate the additional dive of the plug into the depth you set on the downrigger to make the lure run precisely where fish are showing on the recorder. Try a variety of brands and sizes of crankbaits in the various colors listed earlier. Use fat ones as well as thin-minnow type plugs.

CASTING JIGS
If you want a proven walleye tactic to turn to, this is it. There isn’t a lure made that mimics live fish better in the hands of a skilled angler than a jig crawling, darting and slinking through the water. I particularly like to turn to them on flowing waters, but they’re great on lakes as well.