Why does the walleye's whole year run earlier than the bass's?

Because the thermostat is set lower at every stage. Walleye spawn at 6–10 °C (43–50 °F), essentially at ice-out, while largemouth wait for 15–18 °C (59–64 °F) — so the walleye is recovering from spawn while bass are still staging. Peak metabolism arrives at 18–22 °C (64–72 °F) instead of the bass's mid-20s °C (upper 70s °F), so the walleye's best feeding seasons are spring and fall rather than early summer. And the shutdown never really comes: coolwater fish keep feeding under ice that puts largemouth into torpor. Shift every bass-calendar intuition three-to-six weeks earlier in spring and later in fall, and you have a rough walleye calendar.

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