How To Pick Walleye Fishing Rigs

Walleye are popular freshwater fish that are prized by avid fishermen around the world. Not only walleye are great action game fish, they are also the best tasting fish in North America. At peak season around late spring and early summer walleye can be ferocious feeders and will practically hit most baits and rigs. However, there are times when walleye can be tricky to catch and picking the right walleye fishing rigs or lures can increase your chance of landing your trophy fish.

Jigging for walleye is another productive technique. When combined with a live bait such as a minnow or a plastic grub, it makes a deadly lure for walleye fishing. Jigging can be done by trolling, pitching and vertical drop. When trolling for walleye, use heavy jig with weight range from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz. Pitching with a jig requires lighter weight and vertical drop can be as light as 1/8 oz jigs. Colors will depend on the conditions of the waters. In general, use bright colored jigs such as orange, yellow or green when fishing in murky water or cloudy days and natural colored jigs such as silver or black for clear water and sunny days.

One of the most productive rigs to use for walleye fishing is the Lindy rigs. It is a simple set up consisting of a small hook attached to a monofilament leader. A swivel is tied to the leader and the main line. The main line is threaded through a slip sinker. Lindy rigs allow the line to flow freely while the sinker is anchored, this also let fish strike the bait without feeling any pressure from the sinker. The rig is ideal for fishing near the bottom of lakes, rivers and stream. The live representation of natural bait is what make this rigs so deadly with walleye, pike and bass. You can use minnow, worm or leech

Crankbaits are excellent lures and have proven great results for walleye. Crankbaits come in many sizes, shapes and colors, when fishing for walleye it is ideal to choose a crankbait that is long and slender to imitate the shape of a minnow which is the baitfish that walleye like to prey on. Crankbait mimic the action of a wounded baitfish and create rattling sound when retrieved. This is useful in murky water where walleye can hear this noise and will come to investigate. The color of the crankbait will also depends on the fishing conditions. Use natural colors of natural baitfish such as minnow or perch in clear water and loud colors such as a firetiger in murky water.

Walleye fishing is fun and with the proper rigs you can produce great results. It is also a great way to spend your time outdoors.