Jig Trolling to Catch Walleyes

News & Tips: Jig Trolling to Catch Walleyes

When walleyes are scattered, like over a mid-depth flat, for instance, but are not in an aggressive-enough mood to be caught with trolling methods such as crankbaits or spinner rigs, jig trolling can be a deadly technique.

This style of fishing can be accomplished by working from the bow of the boat and moving along slowly with the electric motor while bouncing a jig along the bottom. Fishing it at about a 45-degree angle behind the boat can trigger walleyes when nothing else can. In this scenario, go with a round head, long-shank hook like a Bass Pro Shops XPS Walleye Jig, because the long shank creates a “cam” action when pulled vertically, as in a vertical hook-set, increasing the percentages of getting “hooked up.”

A shorter shank hook would be more easily pulled out of the walleyes grasp during the same hook-set. Since the object is to keep the jig on the bottom as you slowly troll along, a heavier jig will be used than when fishing the other presentations. A typical range would be 1/4-ounce to 1/2-ounce, with 3/8 being the “bread-and-butter” jig.

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Written by Gary Parsons