The Walleye (also known as the pickerel, dore or jackfish) is among the most popular of all game fish. These members of the perch family are famous for their unpredictability in the sense that they act crazy for a few days and then disappear without a trace the next time. Also, if the walleye decides to stop taking the bait, no amount of enticement can tempt it to bite.

Walleye’s Distinctive Characteristics and Behavior

A distinctive characteristic of walleyes are their marble-like eyes. Their eyes have a reflective pigment which gives the fish a walleyed look, hence their name. Because of this pigmentation in their eyes, the walleye can see clearly in dim light. This gives these successful predators an advantage over their most common prey, the yellow perch which lacks effective eyesight in dark places or at night. The feature also means that walleyes feed mostly at night.

On another note, this freshwater fish cannot tolerate very bright lights, and they have difficulty swimming in open spaces during the daytime, especially at noon. For this reason, walleyes swim deep during daytime, up to 40 feet below the water surface just to avoid the glare of the sun.

More Facts

Another interesting fact about the walleye is their lack of blue and yellow cells in their eyes. Although not totally blind, these fish see the world in shades of red and green. Therefore, lures that are colored orange, red or green are more effective than baits of other shades.