How to Catch Walleye
Choose your bait., Pick a lure., Get the best rod.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your bait.
Live bait is the best to use when catching walleyes.
The three basic types of live bait for this fish are minnows, leeches, and night crawlers.
Minnows are the most useful, but walleyes are attracted to all of them.
Which one you need at a particular time depends on the season.
For live bait, all you need is a hook.
Try a hook in sizes 1-4 to catch good sized walleye.
For spring, use minnows, especially the small redtail chubs and fathead variety.
For summer, fish with leeches and night crawlers.
For autumn, try minnows such as the large redtail chubs and small suckers. -
Step 2: Pick a lure.
You can also use a lure when fishing for walleye.
The live bait can be added to the hooks on the lures to entice the walleye to bite.
Lures, which are sometimes called jigs, vary in weight and color.
You should use different colors and weights depending on the time of year you plan to fish.
In spring, you should use a light lure around 1/8 oz.
They can be in bright colors such as red, chartreuse, yellow, or white.
White is considered the most appealing because of its brightness.
The bright colors will attract even non feeding walleye.
In late spring and summer, use heavier jigs.
If you are fishing shallower, use a 3/8 oz.
If you are fishing deeper, use a 1/4 oz weight.
The walleye like natural colors such as brown, silver, black, and white this time of year.
During the fall, jigs are not typically used because they get stuck when you troll the bottom of the river or lake.
Use live bait on a normal hook instead., The type of rod and reel you will need depends on the season and kind of lure you are using.
The weight of the jigs and kind of fishing you plan to do also help determine the kind of rod and reel you need.
Spinning rods and trolling reels are used most often when fishing for walleye.
The power and line capacity will also vary depending on the rod.
The power refers the the weight capabilities of the rod and is listed on the rod.
It can either be listed as a phrase such as light or as a number between 1-10.
Line capacity, described as test line rating, is the amount of weight that the line is rated for.
This can range from just a few pounds to over 50 pounds.
You can use two different kinds of 7 foot spinning rods for walleye fishing.
For early spring walleye fishing in shallow water, you need to look for a 7 foot rod with light power.
This needs to have 4-6 pound line.
You can use lures from 1/32 oz to 1/8 oz.
For later spring, summer, and fall walleye fishing, use a 7 foot rod with medium light to medium power.
It should have 8-12 pound line and can use lures that weigh 1/8 oz to 3/4 oz.
For trolling walleye, you can use a trolling reel.
These reels work on any medium power rod.
For general trolling, use a 7 foot, 6 inch rod with medium power and a heavy weight line. -
Step 3: Get the best rod.
Detailed Guide
Live bait is the best to use when catching walleyes.
The three basic types of live bait for this fish are minnows, leeches, and night crawlers.
Minnows are the most useful, but walleyes are attracted to all of them.
Which one you need at a particular time depends on the season.
For live bait, all you need is a hook.
Try a hook in sizes 1-4 to catch good sized walleye.
For spring, use minnows, especially the small redtail chubs and fathead variety.
For summer, fish with leeches and night crawlers.
For autumn, try minnows such as the large redtail chubs and small suckers.
You can also use a lure when fishing for walleye.
The live bait can be added to the hooks on the lures to entice the walleye to bite.
Lures, which are sometimes called jigs, vary in weight and color.
You should use different colors and weights depending on the time of year you plan to fish.
In spring, you should use a light lure around 1/8 oz.
They can be in bright colors such as red, chartreuse, yellow, or white.
White is considered the most appealing because of its brightness.
The bright colors will attract even non feeding walleye.
In late spring and summer, use heavier jigs.
If you are fishing shallower, use a 3/8 oz.
If you are fishing deeper, use a 1/4 oz weight.
The walleye like natural colors such as brown, silver, black, and white this time of year.
During the fall, jigs are not typically used because they get stuck when you troll the bottom of the river or lake.
Use live bait on a normal hook instead., The type of rod and reel you will need depends on the season and kind of lure you are using.
The weight of the jigs and kind of fishing you plan to do also help determine the kind of rod and reel you need.
Spinning rods and trolling reels are used most often when fishing for walleye.
The power and line capacity will also vary depending on the rod.
The power refers the the weight capabilities of the rod and is listed on the rod.
It can either be listed as a phrase such as light or as a number between 1-10.
Line capacity, described as test line rating, is the amount of weight that the line is rated for.
This can range from just a few pounds to over 50 pounds.
You can use two different kinds of 7 foot spinning rods for walleye fishing.
For early spring walleye fishing in shallow water, you need to look for a 7 foot rod with light power.
This needs to have 4-6 pound line.
You can use lures from 1/32 oz to 1/8 oz.
For later spring, summer, and fall walleye fishing, use a 7 foot rod with medium light to medium power.
It should have 8-12 pound line and can use lures that weigh 1/8 oz to 3/4 oz.
For trolling walleye, you can use a trolling reel.
These reels work on any medium power rod.
For general trolling, use a 7 foot, 6 inch rod with medium power and a heavy weight line.
About the Author
Carol Parker
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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