Shiners, Fathead Minnows, Crappie Minnows, or No Bait - Walleyes

[WalleyeSlayer21]

What do you normally use? Shiners, Fathead Minnows, Crappie Minnows, or No Bait,... When your jiging and you have a UV buckshot spoon on. and What about when you have a Dead stick going too.

[MattL]

I like half a fathead on jigging spoons. I usually use shiners on setlines if I can get ahold of them, otherwise fatheads. If I'm looking for big walleyes exclusively I will normally use a larger shiner, chub, or sucker.

[kfk]

It's rare when no bait will outfish bait. Personally, I like using a lot of bait on my hooks. I'll use several whole fatheads or several fatheads and a shiner, or a head and a whole fathead or shiner. My theory is that a head provides scent and a live minnow or shiner will provide the movement that attracts walleyes from a greater distance than scent alone. As an example, last weekend at Lake of the Woods, the best bait combination for me was two whole fatheads on the treble hook below a red buckshot. Often, jigging your buckshot or whatever you're jigging will draw the walleyes in and then they'll hit your dead rod.

On some occasions they prefer smaller baits like a head only or one minnow also.

There is no right or wrong answer to your question and you have to experiment every time out and throughout the day if the bite slows for you.

Another thing to do is try different jigging cadences, bounce it off the bottom occasionally, hold it completely still at times, and try holding it at different heights above the bottom. Once you get enough experience, you'll start recognizing the mood of the fish and you'll have a better idea of how to catch them. Good Luck!

[otterman91105]

I will use a shinner or fathead when using a bobber and just the head of a fathead when jigging for walleyes.