How to Catch a Walleye in White River, Arkansas
- 1). Research the area of the White River you want to fish in for walleye. Walleye like cool, clear water and rivers with sand or gravel bottoms. Good walleye fishing areas will have both quiet pools and riffles. Additionally walleye do not like to be in bright sunlight.
- 2). Hire a fishing guide familiar with the White River. Fishing guides often have invaluable knowledge of a waterway, which will save you the time of having to wander blindly, trying to find the perfect spot.
- 3). Ask personnel at bait and tackle shops for advice on areas of the White River they feel are good for walleye fishing. However, be prepared to get half information or no information as fishermen, fearing their favorite spot will get overfished, are usually reluctant to share such knowledge.
- 4). Check fishing reports for an area you are interested in fishing to see if walleye are being caught. Lakes, tackle shops and guides will often list fishing reports on their websites for their area for the convenience of their customers and also to attract fishermen to their location.
- 5). Choose your bait. Walleye love minnows, but they also like worms, small crayfish and various insects. Minnow lures work good in the White River riffles.
If you are using minnows, hook it through the lips, from the bottom up and add some split shot weights 12 inches or so up the line. Cast your line slightly upstream and across from you and allow the minnow and split show to sink near the bottom. Slowly reel in, pausing every now and then. A walleye hit will not be the sudden dramatic strike like that of a bass, but rather a sudden feeling of weight on your line.
If you are using lures, walleye usually hit them when they are reeled in with a slow and steady action. Sometimes, causing the lure to jerk like a dying fish by reeling, pausing, waiting and then reeling again will attract a walleye to hit your lure. - 6). Fish the White River headwaters and tailwaters around the end of February through March when the walleyes are beginning to spawn and head out from the lakes to the rivers.
- 7). Fish on a cloudy day or at night. Walleye do not like bright sunlight.
- 8). Know the limits for walleye in your area. The state limit is six but may differ, depending on the region of Arkansas you are fishing in.
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