wild guide : summer walleye basics
BAIT Bottom bouncing is targeting active feeding walleye that are willing to chase down a bait . However , walleye can be in one of three feeding patterns . Active , meaning feeding aggressively . Neutral , meaning they could take it of leave it and negative , not feeding at all . If I pick up two or three walleye in an area , unless the bites are coming one after another , I will stop bouncing and begin jigging . I ’ m a jig fisherman at heart and after finding the walleye during the summer months , I ’ ve had my best luck presenting a vertical jig . Slowing down and jigging the area not only allows me to catch the active feeding walleye by presenting a slower presentation , I can pickup neutral feeding walleye as well .
I start by baiting my jig with a frozen minnow , live leech , or a soft plastic replica of either . I ’ ve heard it said , “ When jigging for walleye lighter is better ”. However , that is not always true . There are a few factors that will determine what weight of jig-head to be used such as depth , how rough the water is , the structure being fished , bait being used , and most importantly , what the walleye want . With all the jig and bait options and different fishing conditions , it can get confusing on what jig and bait to use at any given time . But let ’ s look at ways to simplify jig and bait options that will help you get more summer walleye hookups .
The four most commonly used jig weights for walleye are 1 / 16 , 1 / 8 , 3 / 8 , and 1 / 2oz jig-heads . While the 1 / 16oz is the least used of the four , it ’ s my favourite jig to use in the spring during post spawn conditions in shallow water . After the spawn , female walleye will move to the closest deep water ranging from 12 to 16 feet to rest .
They will often sit motionless on the bottom recovering from the stresses of the spawn but they will take an easy meal such as a frozen minnow or a soft plastic on a 1 / 16oz or 1 / 8oz jig that is sitting on the bottom motionless or barely moving . During any jig presentation at any time of the year , it ’ s important to maintain a tight line between your jig and your reel so you can feel the subtle bite of a walleye .
My favourite conditions to use 3 / 8 or 1 / 2oz jig is during the summer months when I ’ m fishing rough water , deep water ( 20-feet or deeper ), fishing larger baits , or when walleye are feeding aggressively .
When fishing rough water a heavier jig such as 1 / 2oz , allows me to feel and maintain bottom contact as the waves bounce the boat around . The angler will have to move his / her rod accordingly to counteract the waves so the jig is not being thrown around on the bottom . When fishing deep water , the 1 / 2oz jig not only allows you to feel the bottom it allows your presentation to get to the bottom fast and stay vertical .
With the exception of fishing a leech , I never jig walleye without tying on a stinger hook . Years of experience have taught me that with the aid of a stinger hook I have increased my walleye hookups by 80-percent . It ’ s not uncommon for subtle biting walleye to bite half your bait missing the hook . I don ’ t know a walleye angler that hasn ’ t set the hook and miss the fish and when they bring their jig to the surface , half their bait is missing . By tying on a stinger hook and embedding the stinger hook further down the bait , you will stick the short striking walleye .
9 Wild Guide . Summer 2017