Oneida Lake Walleye
Why Walleye?
It is no secret that Oneida Lake in Upstate New York is one of the best walleye fisheries in the state. Upstate New York may not hold the largest in size, but there sure is a healthy and abundant population. We like to say in Upstate New York, “The Best Eating Sized Walleye Live Here!” And if you have ever eaten Walleye, you know it is one of the best tasting fish known to man!
When to go?
May - October (We will be doing limited trip in November.)
Fishing Methods Used for Walleye
Jigging:
Jigging is a great way to have a hands on fishing experience and can be extremely deadly. The typical baits we will use are bucktail jigs, blade baits and jigging raps. All of these are great because they stay down at the bottom of the lake where the feeding walleyes hangout. We normally “drift” while jigging which lets us cover water. Occasionally we will use the trolling motor to anchor near active schools of fish. This can be a tricky method to get the hang of at first, but I’ll walk you through it as it’s one of the most exciting ways to catch walleye!
Casting Stickbaits:
Certain times of the year casting stickbaits in the shallows can be an absolute rush. We like to do this when it begins to get dark as the walleye come up into the shallows. If you want some action, casting stickbaits is beyond exciting because it is some of the most aggressive hits out of the whole season.
Trolling:
Trolling is often underrated but absolutely deadly. It gives you such an advantage because it allows us to cover lots of water. Not only do we get to move around large areas of water, but it allows us to test different lures, depths and colors to see what is working for that particular time and area. Trolling is a quick way to fill a live well and once we find what they like that time of the day, get ready because we can really get into them!
The Oneida Lake Walleye Boat.
The boat we will be using for Oneida Lake Walleye Trips is a 2014 Crestliner Super Hawk 1850. It has a Minn Kota trolling motor and a Lowrance HDS 9 Live both purchased and installed in 2021. This allows us to really get a good look at the activity under water and can put us in the right spot quickly so we spend more time catching fish and less time looking for them!