Day time walleyes

New member here.
Insane to me the way you guys catch walleyes during the day in midwest. I live in vermont and bust my butt along with alot of guys getting day walleyes on lake champlain and its usually just smaller fish or no fish its like the giants dissapear unless its spring jigging in rivers but thats childs play.
I can drive 4 hours to lake ontario new york and get them like u guys do in the videos during the day but none of these tactics work at home.

I basically fish only at night now from sun down to 2am is fire I can get big fish(8-11lbs) by casting 5 inch stick bait rapalas, smithwicks bay rats and bandits in cuts and on reefs

Crawler harnesses dont work during day here either u cant get 4 feet behind boat without having a perch or pumpkin seed on.

Any thoughts on why my lake is so hard to fish When the sun is up?
Ive tried everything and never get fish over 6lbs during the day

Only time we get good fish 8lbs and up during is salmon fishing and get a random big one in,deep water. I understand I might have just answered my question but its dosnt make sense to me that all the big fish are just out cruising open water scattered with no consistancy?

What time of year? I have found if you are getting little fish move.

Everytime of year even ice fishing none of us get big fish during the day

And moving dosnt matter i can fish southern end of lake or northern end of lake that alone is a 100mile difference with same results.

Like I said in post I can drive 4 hrs to a different,body of water and get them during the day

Its the body of water it seems only productive at night for bigfish and I’m trying to put together why.

Some bodies of water are just like that. I’d scout open water adjacent to some sort of structure with electronics. There are some threads on here if you search of guys having success doing that. The big predatory fish chase bait fish in the open basins.

That might be the ticket or it might just be a night bite.

Matt Moen wrote:

Some bodies of water are just like that. I’d scout open water adjacent to some sort of structure with electronics. There are some threads on here if you search of guys having success doing that. The big predatory fish chase bait fish in the open basins.

That might be the ticket or it might just be a night bite.

Deepwater bait? smelt, cisco, white fish. If so graph the bait balls and troll around by the bait you see, might have to use planner boards to get away from the boat, real clear water can make fish skittish

catmando wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Moen wrote:</div>
Some bodies of water are just like that. I’d scout open water adjacent to some sort of structure with electronics. There are some threads on here if you search of guys having success doing that. The big predatory fish chase bait fish in the open basins.

That might be the ticket or it might just be a night bite.

Deepwater bait? smelt, cisco, white fish. If so graph the bait balls and troll around by the bait you see, might have to use planner boards to get away from the boat, real clear water can make fish skittish

Exactly this. You can graph bait and in many instances see the predator fish underneath. Run your baits just over the big marks.

Run and gun kinda technique but it works in certain bodies of water.

I know thats my best bet but what I dont get is why is it like this in the spring and fall as well when there not cruising deep water?

Idk its just funny that I can go to otherlakes and get it done during the day

Lol it really drives me,nuts not being,able to figure out the lake ive fished my whole life

I have nights where I get 15 fish 7-10lbs go there the next morning sun up nowhere to be found

I appreciate the quick responses and advice
Thanks guys

the lake your fishing , sounds like Heaven, I wouldnt worry two much.

Walleyes prefer darker waters. Their eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. Maybe your lake has clear water and the big ones are napping during the day when the sun is out.

Rock lizard wrote:

I basically fish only at night now from sun down to 2am is fire I can get big fish(8-11lbs) by casting 5 inch stick bait rapalas, smithwicks bay rats and bandits in cuts and on reefs

Getting that big of a fish sounds like a dream come true!
Even here in MN, there are some large/popular lakes that are very well known to have a night bite and no day bite, and others that are known to have a day bite and no night bite. Some of the general pattern does seem to be that clear lakes lack the day bite.

Rock lizard wrote:

I have nights where I get 15 fish 7-10lbs go there the next morning sun up nowhere to be found

A 7lb walleye is a 26” – 27” fish. The walleye in your area must get big if that is a small one. I wish I could have 15 fish nights of fish that size. I don’t think it is you. That lake might not have a day bite for the walleye.

Good size walleye for sure
I won a tournament this summer took 1st 2nd and third place with a 10.63 a 10.49 and a 9.9 all night again no day bites.
Placed 3rd in the spring derby with a 10.4 a 12.66 won it
Placed 5th in another summer derbt with a 8.9lb a 11.64 won it
No bad for some north east boys lol

All night time our fish are getting jacked up on alwives since they have invaded the lake and seem to be getting bigger and bigger.

But dont get me wrong most nights ur getting skunked and finding,no fish! Thats why I wanna figure out the daytime stuff long night with no fish get rough

But I think ur all pretty much on it about lake being clear and it might just be they dont like the sun in this body of water

Find where the alewives are schooled during the day the predators won’t be far.

gimruis wrote:

Walleyes prefer darker waters. Their eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. Maybe your lake has clear water and the big ones are napping during the day when the sun is out.

James once told me this was a myth. Walleye can see at night and have a huge advantage, but they don’t mind light at all. The feed at night or in low light because it is easier for them to catch prey.

Most of my bigger walleye come in 2-4′ of water

DaveB wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Walleyes prefer darker waters. Their eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. Maybe your lake has clear water and the big ones are napping during the day when the sun is out.

James once told me this was a myth. Walleye can see at night and have a huge advantage, but they don’t mind light at all. The feed at night or in low light because it is easier.

Most of my bigger walleye come in 2-4′ of water

I maybe indicated that inaccurately. Sunlight may not bother them, you could be right. But their advantage comes in the dark or in low light so that is presumably when they feed most.

I would guess the tv fisher folk target lakes with a day bite because its easier to shoot.

Also if your lake is deeper. Look around the thermocline.

Finally!!!
Someone who can spell skittish!!!!
I’m new to shore / pier fishing in the st Clair River, Michigan, and have not had a bite since September of 2019.
I was off for 3 months due to a new knee, but still…
I use plastics, spinners, minnows and worms.
Nothing.
Poop.
I want a walleye dinner!

I would do more research on the bait/food and how to patter those alewives. I don’t know much about alewives but we do have shiner runs here in MN and Shad in our rivers that drive these walleyes. During spring and fall this bait/food makes yearly movements. The shiners come back into shore to spawn and run the rivers. This alone totally changes the bite in the fall.

Same with the big muskies and the cisco spawn. This pulls big open water fish into specific areas. This is just an small example of why you are seeing seasonal movements beside the spawn with those walleyes out there.

My best guess is that you are catching fish while the Alewives are using the structure you are fishing. These alewives might be the ones that are light sensitive and the walleyes follow or set up on your spots to ambush them.

If they disappear during the day hours there is a chance they are not feeding at all during the day. My guess is they do not go far if they were just there the evening before. They most likely are just sliding off the structure or out of the bays you are fishing. More aggressive techniques can trigger those fish to go. Jigging raps or snap jigging plastics. You have to find them first but reaction bites will get fish that are not feeding.

Walleyes have tails, not mortgages; so they’re prone to move.
That’s why we have outboards instead of rubber boots.

Striking out is simply part of the equation in figuring them out.
Sounds like quite the fun puzzle!!!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Walleyes have tails, not mortgages; so they’re prone to move.
That’s why we have outboards instead of rubber boots.

That’s great stuff there!