Walleye Fishermen, Killer Live Bait Rigging Technique!

Walleye Fishermen, Killer Live Bait Rigging Technique!

Walleyes, Creatures of Habit
On Wisconsin's northern reservoirs in early May, the water temperatures typically range between 55 and 65 degrees. This is the time where the walleyes have usually already started working their way back down stream and are foraging in a hearty way following their spring spawning ritual. You will find that in most of these systems, there is still an abundance of wood left over from trees, stumps and dead falls still dotting the bottom along the old river channels and around the original lake basins from when they were dammed up several decades ago. It is these nasty stumps, snags and sticks though, while being such a huge pain to us anglers, are the very key to some of the best walleye fishing you can find.

These reservoirs can be intimidating at first just because of their sheer size. But as the water warms up, the fish will migrate away from their spawning grounds, typically following along the old river channels. Because walleyes like to stick close to brush piles and wood, the old stumps and snags on these adjacent deeper flats are a pretty good bet to fish. Fishing away from these areas, while reducing the likelihood of getting snagged, will not provide the fun fast action that these great tasting fish have to offer.

Rigging Your Jig & Minnow for Walleye

Hooking the minnows through the lips with a jig and then trailing it behind the boat with the wind is not the answer. The simple secret to this killer technique is to take the barbed end of the lead head jig hook and place it into the minnow's open mouth, then push it forward into the minnow's throat and pop it out its belly. You then turn the lead head jig and insert the barbed tip back into the minnow just up under the spine so that the hook is imbedded into the fish's backbone just under the skin and the head of the jig is now sitting in the minnow's mouth making it practically weedless.
This walleye fishing trick is so simple and one that works so well, that it will seem effortless to fish through the snags once you begin to use this method. The only equipment will you need to fish for walleyes with this method are several 1/8th ounce lead head jigs, mostly black and white ones which seem to work best, some clippers, eyelet punch and a pair of pliers. You will also want a good graphite rod of over six feet in length that can cast jigs in the 1/8th to ?�A� ounce range and handle line weight from 6 to 12 lb. This type of fishing rod will increase your cast ability and give you a much better bottom feel.

Lastly you need to be able to find where the walleyes are hiding. For this, you will want to use your depth finder. Look for the deeper stumpy flats in about 12 to 15 feet of water along the river channels. You can drift over these while making sure to cast with the wind. This will allow you to make longer casts and place the bait out in front of you where the boat still hasn't crossed yet, spooking the fish in its path. By casting with the wind and reeling your baits back to the boat you will dramatically reduce your snags. And be able to feel the walleyes pick up your baits much more readily.
When walleye fishing in bigger wind, and you are drifting too fast, make sure to employ a drift sock. Using one of these will allow you to slow your drift and allow you fish over the walleye hot spots for longer periods of time.

By using this method of hooking a jig and minnow combination you should hopefully with a little practice increase your ability to consistently catch more and larger fish while lessening the time you spend tying knots and searching for fish.