Do “old school” walleye fishing techniques still work in the modern FFS era?

When it comes to fishing, there’s always a new lure or technique to try. For the past couple of years, I’ve been reading about “urchin” baits. Urchins are multi-tentacled baits that look odd, but a friend told me that he had been using an urchin bait called a Tumbleweed with outstanding success.

During my early career fishing walleyes, I was taught a couple “truths” regarding fish location. First, walleyes were bottom-orientated fish so it’s best to fish near bottom. Second, walleyes are often found along structural elements like points, turns, or weedlines, so those are the “go to” areas.