Walleye & Vegetation
We saw last week that walleye tend to be more active in low-light conditions. This week, I want to add into the mix another factor to consider when fishing: vegetation. The presence or absence of weeds will have an impact on the behaviour of both walleye and their prey. So we should use different strategies and techniques depending on where the walleye are hiding and what their prey are doing on a particular day.
In open water, prey will school to protect themselves. Once they have an opportunity to hide in some weeds, however, they'll take it and become more isolated. In open water, the predator-prey relationship is like a war: the little prey have to band together, making themselves more visible, to fight the bigger enemy. In vegetation, the predator-prey relationship is more like a game of hide-and-seek: prey scatter and find cover in order to be less visible. The common sense explanation for this is supported by the scientific one: "with increasing structural complexity (ie in vegetation or other cover), fish predators suffer diminished visual contact along with reduced mobility as vegetation acts as a deterrent to predator movement...predators are less effective as habitat complexity increases" (1). Basically, it's harder for walleye to catch their prey in vegetation- and so they modify their behaviour accordingly.
So how exactly do walleye act when they're hiding in weeds? Well, when they're sitting in vegetation, they feed in vegetation. But because it's more difficult for them to catch their prey, they don't tend to chase their meals. Whereas in open water walleye strike more often, probably due to more prey sightings and encounters, in vegetation walleye switch from an "active search mode to a slower sit and wait strategy, often sitting at the edge of vegetation" (1). When fishing for walleye in vegetation, then, it's important to focus on the edges of weedbeds or other 'pockets' where these predators can ambush their prey.
So remember- walleye are looking for easy meals when they're in the weeds. Give them what they want- throw down a jig or a worm, and if you're fishing with a crankbait, slow down your retrieve. And use your electronics to find the pockets or edges where the fish are hiding.
(1) Lisa M. Einfalt, Edward J. Grace & David H. Wahl, "Effects of simulated light intensity, habitat complexity and forage type on predator-prey interactions in walleye Sander vitreus" (2012) 21 Ecology of Freshwater Fish.
Related Posts:
Bay of Quinte Walleye Fishing
Walleye & Light
In open water, prey will school to protect themselves. Once they have an opportunity to hide in some weeds, however, they'll take it and become more isolated. In open water, the predator-prey relationship is like a war: the little prey have to band together, making themselves more visible, to fight the bigger enemy. In vegetation, the predator-prey relationship is more like a game of hide-and-seek: prey scatter and find cover in order to be less visible. The common sense explanation for this is supported by the scientific one: "with increasing structural complexity (ie in vegetation or other cover), fish predators suffer diminished visual contact along with reduced mobility as vegetation acts as a deterrent to predator movement...predators are less effective as habitat complexity increases" (1). Basically, it's harder for walleye to catch their prey in vegetation- and so they modify their behaviour accordingly.
So remember- walleye are looking for easy meals when they're in the weeds. Give them what they want- throw down a jig or a worm, and if you're fishing with a crankbait, slow down your retrieve. And use your electronics to find the pockets or edges where the fish are hiding.
(1) Lisa M. Einfalt, Edward J. Grace & David H. Wahl, "Effects of simulated light intensity, habitat complexity and forage type on predator-prey interactions in walleye Sander vitreus" (2012) 21 Ecology of Freshwater Fish.
Related Posts:
Bay of Quinte Walleye Fishing
Walleye & Light
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