wild guide: walleye at dusk
FISHING IS ONE OF THE MOST POPUL AR SPORTS IN
CANADA . YOU CAN LOOK AT ANY BODY OF WATER
DURING THE SUMMER SEASON AND, IF THIS L AKE
OR RIVER IS LOCATED NEAR CIVILIZATION, THERE IS
A GOOD CHANCE OF SEEING FISHERMEN IN SEARCH
OF BEAUTIFUL CATCHES.
A
round 6 p.m. the number
of
fishermen
increases
significantly. Many anglers,
having finished their daily
activities, take advantage of
the last few hours of light to indulge their
passion. A few hours later, as soon as dusk
falls, the great majority of the fishermen
will leave the water to return to the fold.
IN A FISH’S SKIN
For a few moments, imagine yourself in
the skin of a fish. All day you hear noise and
you were disturbed by boats of all kinds.
Bathers may even have disturbed your little
universe. There are also fishermen who have
tried to thwart you by presenting you with
a myriad of lures. The evening is calm after
the storm. Some species of fish are relatively
acclimatized to these daytime disturbances
given the fishing pressure and the heaviness
of the human influence.
Walleye have large eyes that are very
sensitive to light. It is for this reason that
they will generally choose shaded areas
or turbid waters to dissipate rays of light.
That light sensitivity also makes them very
well equipped for night vision. If you were
a walleye, what would you do during the
day? Occasionally, you would feed when
the appetite really tugs you or when you are
strongly attracted by a lure. The rest of the
time, so as not to have to expose yourself to
the sun’s rays, you would certainly wait for
the sun to set. Well, that’s what the walleye
does! Most fishermen believe that walleye
bite well in the evening ... and it’s true! But
they bite even more at nightfall! At the arrival
of darkness, its habitat transforms into a true
paradise of tranquility. They become the
undisputed master of their domain.
Darkness causes certain phenomena for
the fish world. When the sun goes down, the
waters generally become much quieter. The
walleye can thus locate its prey much easier.
Dusk also brings an interesting camouflage
factor. Feeling much less identifiable, the
walleye will more comfortably take action.
The darkness also camouflages the other
species of fish, but the majority of them also
loses a great percentage of their visual acuity.
It should also be noted that at the end of
the day, a boost in insect outbreak occurs.
The arrival of this abundant food triggers
a great activity for all the individuals of the
food chain.
THE RIGHT FISHING PLACES
From one body of water to another,
conditions may change. Every lake and
river has its own peculiarities. They all
seem to be alike, but that is not the case. For
each new body of water, one must discover
the small subtle distinctions in order to
really know it. You’ll need to consider
things like water temperature, dissolved
oxygen supply, average depth, marine
relief, quality of tributaries, predators,
fishing pressure, etc. You will also have to
analyze these variables from one day to the
next in order to locate productive areas.
To night fishing for walleye, the essential
point to know is what it is eating. This will
have a great influence on the fishing areas
that you will have to exploit. If the main
food found on the water you are harvesting
is smelt or lake cisco, walleye will be more
difficult to locate in the evening. Most
of the time, these small fish choose to
roam near the surface in order to gorge
themselves with plankton. The walleye
have no choice but to follow them to the
middle of nowhere. They go where their
bellies lead them. There will, of course, be
areas that will be more productive than
Wild Guide
. Summer 2017
16