What does a walleye do once hooked, and how should I play it?
It bulldogs. A hooked walleye bores down toward bottom with dogged head shakes and heavy circles; it does not jump, make long runs, or bury itself in cover. The dangerous moments are at the top: the fish wakes up when it sees the boat and makes one more head-shaking dive, and a walleye shaking its head on the surface is how crankbait trebles get thrown. So keep steady pressure, hold its head under water, and net it head-first instead of lifting it. Trolled fish are often pinned by light-wire trebles in skin, not bone — a softer rod and a smooth drag keep those hooks from pulling out. The canine teeth grip but rarely cut line, so no wire is needed — just check the leader for fraying. Leave the other lines down: one hooked fish often fires up the group.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about How it strikes
- What does a walleye bite actually feel like?
- Why do walleye keep biting my minnow in half — and what is a stinger hook?
- How should I work a jig for walleye — snap it or drag it?
- How fast should I troll for walleye?
- Circle hook or octopus hook for live-bait walleye rigs?
- Do walleye follow a lure and hit at the boat or right under the ice hole?
Same topic, other species
- What does a crappie do once hooked, and why do so many come off near the boat? — Crappie
- How should hook-set timing differ between soft plastics and treble-hook baits? — Largemouth Bass
- Why do serious muskie anglers obsess over hooks? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- How does a yellow perch fight once hooked, and how do I land the jumbos? — Yellow Perch
- How do I handle the head-shake without losing the fish? — Northern Pike
- Should I set the hook differently on a smallmouth? — Smallmouth Bass
- How do trout fight, and why do so many come off at the net? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)