Walleye anglers are coming off a decade of fascination with electronics and big-water pursuit. The ‘90s were dominated by explosive growth in open-water trolling techniques, GPS navigation, and increasing use of artificial lures. Shades of heresy. In a sport rooted in finesse, livebait and patience, mobility and versatility have risen to, some think, extreme levels. Quiet contemplation has, in many cases, been displaced by a high-tech attack mentality.

This isn’t necessarily bad. After all, fishing is a unique sport that can be all things to all anglers. Those who wish to pursue the contemplative aspects certainly can do so at their leisure. Those who dive into full-fledged tournament competition, on the opposite end of the spectrum, tend to take equipment, tactics, travel, and related expenses to extremes. In between lies a cornucopia of intensity levels and preferences, any of which can be pursued to one’s own desires. Something for everyone.

The inherent danger in glorifying the high-tech big-bucks approach, however, is that anglers begin thinking they must have a $40,000 fully-rigged boat and $10,000 in tackle just to catch a silly walleye. Not so. Even in the new millennium, a walleye can still be caught from the bank on a pole and livebait. True, all the bells, whistles, and toys make you more mobile and effective, but they do not guarantee success. Sometimes, simple tactics and equipment excel.

In effect, we must not intimidate new anglers from joining the sport by exuding an overabundance of techno-fueled testosterone. Not when they can be lured in, like walleyes, with a lively, simple-to-understand leech, crawler, or minnow. They are the future generations of our angling heritage and must be encouraged to participate, rather than be scared off in bewilderment.

Thus, even though many new and exciting razzle-dazzle tactics are available to walleye fishermen, let’s not forget the old standbys. Finesse never goes out of style. Livebait rigging, jigging, and light-line techniques always will be the backbone of walleye fishing. The basics must be mastered before advanced tactics can be applied. A towering masterpiece of complexity can’t be built without first establishing a strong foundation in essentials.

Because most walleye tactics are rooted in trolling, boat control and presentation are integrally tied together. We call it the walleye two-step: first you position the boat, and the boat positions the lure or bait. Sure, casting is involved, at times, though the boat must be placed close enough to be able to effectively reach the right spots. While many anglers become overly enthusiastic over secret lures or magic baits, in order to catch walleyes, precision boat control must be applied in conjunction with an effective technique. That’s one of the main themes of this issue. We discuss tackle and tactics, but in each case, we also emphasize that you won’t catch fish without productive boat-control maneuvers. Case closed.

Even so, life goes on, and things change. The old grudgingly gives way to the new. Fortunately, anglers have largely accepted that they now have the skills and ability to overharvest most walleye waters. Selective harvest, catch and release, and progressive management have become watchwords of the new century. Simple state-wide or province-wide regulations aren’t always adequate anymore. More waters must be regulated on a local level to effectively manage the population—many small vulnerable waters, for sure, but even legendary big lakes.

For example, Lake Erie, perhaps the world’s greatest walleye fishery, is changing. Thirty years ago it was proclaimed a dead sea. Reducing netting harvest and improving water quality caused a spectacular rebirth in the walleye population. A decade ago it was dominated by massive numbers of huge fish. Today, the population is shifting toward a more normal balance of sizes and year classes, though still with the potential for huge fish. Ohio has suggested reducing harvest from 10 to 4 walleyes daily, based on projected population dynamics. Even in Erie, big-fish numbers aren’t unlimited. But with progressive regulations, they can remain in large numbers.

Lake Oahe in the Dakotas is another example. In the mid-90s it supported plentiful large walleyes, many reaching 7 or 8 pounds. Reservoirs, however, tend to cycle, based on water levels and forage populations. Today, the lake is dominated by huge numbers of smaller fish. South Dakota, therefore, recently changed the daily limit from 4 to 14—with only one over 18 inches—to encourage the harvest of small fish while attempting to protect the remnant population of larger fish. Less than a decade ago, local anglers complained when the limit was dropped to 4, based on current conditions and the foreseeable future. Now it has risen again. Nothing remains the same.

Nor should that be expected. Nature is not static. Neither is man’s innovative nature. We’ll forever be coming up with new and interesting ways to pursue and catch walleyes. As we do, however, remember that finesse, like fashion, never goes out of style. Certain aspects may vary in popularity, but they always seem to come around again, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.