Walleye Rigs

[GreyGoose]

Just wondering what type of lure/bait you walleye guys prefer to use when the fish are up shallow, especially insde the weedline. The best I can come up with is to use a slip-bobber or vertical jigging. Both seem to minimise the amount of snags. But these methods don't allow you to cover water very qwickly. Anything better? And what type of weeds should I target? Is there one that is better than the other? Any help would be much appriciated.

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God Bless America
Please Practice Catch and Release

[Fisher Dave]

Small husky Jerks, standard floating rapala's, and shad raps (shallow or deep depending on depth and retrieve) are my go-to lures for walleyes on the inside, or on top of weed stubble.

A night crawler/leech on a 1/16 oz jig can be deadly also .. but much slower.

[rms]

Try jigs tipped with crawlers or leeches. Look for holes or pockets in the weeds and pitch the jig into the hole and let it sit 15 -20 seconds then twitch it and let it sit some more. There are some good weedless jigs available. Or try working the outside edge. Slip bobbers also work in weed pockets (holes).

[rms]

Try jigs tipped with crawlers or leeches. Look for holes or pockets in the weeds and pitch the jig into the hole and let it sit 15 -20 seconds then twitch it and let it sit some more. There are some good weedless jigs available. Or try working the outside edge. Slip bobbers also work in weed pockets (holes). To cover water quickly you can try spinners with a split shot pinched on the line just heavy enough so you can run over the tops of the weeds. Or use a bottom bouncer spinner rig and try to follow the outside edge of the weedline.

[Tonka Boy]

I'm with Fisher Dave on this one. The only thing I'd add would be to upsize your raps as the season progresses. By fall I'm using 5-7" baits.

Those no-snag jigs seem to work well also. If you go a little heavier often your jigs will break through the cover. Pitching jigs seems to outproduce verticle jigs in shallow water.

Low light conditions are a plus also...

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Tonka Boy

[Guest]

When using a jig with a crawler/leech, how should the bait be hooked? Through the head, tail, in between or balled up. I know that if I'm trolling, I hook it through the head. If I'm using a slip bobber, then I hook it through the middle of the body. Thanks for the help.

[Fisher Dave]

Crawlers I usually only use a half (considering its a big crawler)or a whole smaller crawler and thread it on the jighead where it looks as *natural* as possible. A leech, just hook it once in the sucker.

As stated in other post, it does work better to use a heavier jig if fishing IN the heavier cover (thick weeds). I try to stay as light as possble when not fishing the *Jungle* and have far better results staying light because it forces you to fish considerably slower and the slow fall can be deadly... and in all reality, the inside weedline is not very deep usually, where a heavy jig is not needed.

[GreyGoose]

Thanks for all of your help. One more question though, How do I keep all them mutha#@!&*$ sunfish from assulting my bait? Maybe floating raps is the only way to stop the harrassment.

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God Bless America
Please Practice Catch and Release

[Guest]

Try using spinnerbaits. Yes the ones for Bass! They work great for weed Walleyes.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Dano2]

No kidden? I may have to try that one.

[Guest]

GreyGoose, I feel your pain. I have the same problem and am getting quite mad over it also. Using jumbo leeches doesnt work, I tried that. It just gives the sunfish more to eat when they rob ya. The thing i have been doin is trollin raps on a bottom bouncer real slow or putting on a fake leech and neither is as good as the real thing but it atleast gets ya by the sunfish. Otherwise id also like to know what to do.

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Fish ON!

[can it be luck?]

All this "angry" talk reminds me of a story. While I was fishing a metropolitan lake I overheard a member of an "Anger Management" class that was there on a group outing say, "You know", "I like to have my fish the same way I like my women",......"Battered and lightly assaulted".

[Tonka Boy]

Grey Coose,

Jumbo leeches will help cut down on those bait theifs. If you opt to go with crawlers it is hard to get around it. My suggestion is to break out the crawlers after dark.

Another option is to use plastic worms made for walleyes...or twister tails.

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Tonka Boy

[Northlander]

Light jigs and live bait or twisters. The Bunjie leeches work well too. Also small beetle spins.

[Ranckenstuff]

I like 1/16th ounce whistler jig. Man they hit those hard like a bass almost, when shallow. Casting jigs have caught me more walleyes than any other setup hands down.

[LuckyFish]

When fishing weeds with a jig I use a foxee jig tipped with a minnow. This keeps the sunnies away but I have picked up northerns and bass doing this.
Lucky