Need help from walleye fisherman

[nate18]

I was wondering if anyone could let me know the "must haves" as far as walleye spoons, jigs, rapala's, etc. I have already ordered go devil spoons 4, 8, 16oz and Angel eye jrs. This will be my first year really concentrating on walley fishing and i need all the help i can get. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Take care and good fishing,

Nate

[Sportland_Bait]

Hi Nate, you are headed in the right direction. It really doesn't take a lot to get started. Go devils are great, some of my other favorites are JB Tackle's Varmits and Rattling Varmits. Northland makes some nice jigging spoons called a forage minnow spoons. JRs Tackle has a full line of jigging spoons that work very well. For most conditions 1/8oz and 1/4oz will work. I'd also get a few 1/16oz and a few 3/8oz, I don't use them that often but once in a while they are critical. I also like to carry some extra #8 or #10 treble hooks. Sometimes those walleyes will straighten and screw up the hooks on jigging spoons. I've also caught a ton of fish on Custom jigs Demons. A #4 demon works well when the fish become a little finicky. Rapala has a new jigging shad that should work well. Personally I prefer smaller jigging raps. Grab a few slip floats, plain hooks, and split shot along with the jigs and you should be set.

Jason Erlandson

[MinnetonkaRealtor]

I'm a dedicated user of Northland's Buckshot Rattle spoon. I just started using a jigging spoon last winter and couldn't believe my success compared with the typical minnow under bobber setup. I still fish minnow under bobber in my 2nd hole, but won't ever go back to 2 holes of bobbers. My ratio must've been at least 4 or 5 to 1 (jigging to bobber).

[Matt Johnson]

Jigging spoons are a must have in my opinion, and I can see you are already on the right track. I like JR's Tackle Flashers and Crushers, both have proven themselves to be deadly on the walleyes for me last winter. The Flasher spoon has a blade on each side that really "flashes" and vibrates when jigged through the water. It acts as both an attract and trigger bait. Both the 1/8oz and 1/4oz Flashers are good choices. The Crusher spoon is a little more lightweight and has a very unique action on the drop. It really drives those walleyes crazy and its a spoon that fishes "bigger" than it really is.

You are also going to want your swimming lures too. Nils Master makes a couple nice swimming lures that work great on walleyes. The beauty about swimming lures is that you can effectively fish them without any sort of added bait. Another deadly tool for winter walleyes.

I would also have an assortment of jigs. Flyer jigs, airplane jigs, regular ball-head jigs, teardrops, etc. Don't be afraid to downsize and fish crappie presentations on walleyes from time to time. A size 8 Custom Jigs and Spins Ratso has done quite well on walleyes in recent years.

A lot of options out there to choose from...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Bob Horn]

Nate, if you are going to be fishing in Illinois then I would down size. For some reason the fish around here seem to like smaller offerings. Where are you planning on fishing? We can hook up sometime if you want.

[korn_fish]

Buckshot rattle and JB Varmits/Glow Devils (rattle and non). Also I have had success using the Cicada on occasion.

I haven't had the success ratio of 4 to 1 like someone else mentioned when fishing them along side bobber and shiner/fathead, but I do notice that I get more fish in the area while jigging which has lead to more hits on the bobber set-up.

I haven't perfected the "finishing touch" with the jigging which is one reason that the eyes I catch on the jig usually only appears on the Vex a split second before they attack it. If they are finicky and move in slowly and appear on the vex for more than 10 seconds, they usually move away on me. I haven't figured out the final enticing moves yet to get them on the jig when they are finicky, they usually move off after a few seconds watching the jig. However, many times when they do move off, my bobber/tip up will be hit within a minute or two Maybe when I learn how to do the final enticing my ratio will be more of a 4 to 1.

My ratio is more of a 1 to 4 (jig to tip-up/bobber) but when comparing 1 jigging line and one bobber/tip-up vs 2 bobber/tip up sets, the ratio is probably closer to 3 eyes with the jigging to 1 eye with the bobber/tip-ups. And that is when I consider myself a novice with the jig.

If you use the swimming lures, make sure you use a swivel and a leader. Even the spoons create some twist if jigged aggresivly.

[nate18]

bhorn,

thanks for the tips, i am new to the chicago area and was looking at fishing the fox chain of lakes area. but any info on other lakes would be a bonus. my e-mail is [email protected]. i would love to get together and do some fishing. let me know how i can get a hold of you. thanks again,

nate

[Bob Horn]

Nate, just send me an email to [email protected]. Love to help out.