No other artificial lure will
catch walleyes as consistently as a lead-head jig. A jig is a natural choice for walleyes
because it is easy to keep on the bottom where the fish spend most of their time. Among the most versatile of artificial lures, jigs can be fished in
many different ways. You can cast from an anchored or drifting boat, jig vertically while
drifting with the wind or current, or troll slowly while bumping the jig along the bottom.
And, you can fish a jig plain when walleyes are biting, or tip it with live bait when
fishing is slow.
Casting
The most widely used jig-fishing
technique, casting works well in shallow water. When walleyes are in the shallows,
drifting or trolling over them, or even anchoring nearby, will probably spook them. But
you will not disturb them if you anchor at a distance and cast.
To work a shallow reef, for instance, anchor in deep water
so the wind pushes you into position for casting the desired area of the reef. If nothing
bites in a few minutes, pull up the anchor and re-position in a different spot. Continue
moving until you find the fish. Anchoring and casting also works well for fishing eddies,
pools and pockets in rivers.
When walleyes are scattered along a
breakline, let your
boat drift just off the break and cast into the shallows. Use your electric motor or
outboard to keep the boat drifting parallel to the breakline. If you catch a walleye, toss
a marker and work the spot more thoroughly.
To catch walleyes suspended off bottom, count your jig down
to a different depth after each cast, then begin your retrieve. When you get a strike,
repeat the count on the next cast.
Vertical Jigging
Use a jig heavy enough
that you can keep your line nearly vertical. Bounce the jig along the bottom while
drifting with the wind or current, continually adjusting your line length as the depth
changes. Keep your bail open and hold the line with your index finger so you can easily
let out a little more line when the water gets deeper. When it gets shallower, reel in the
slack so the jig does not drag.
When walleyes are in deep water, vertical jigging generally
works better than casting. Because of the greater line angle, you can hop the jig higher
and give it more action. The extra action often triggers walleyes to strike, especially in
low-clarity water.
Another advantage of jigging vertically: you can feel
strikes more easily. Because you are using a minimum of line, stretch does not diminish
the feel of a strike as much as it would with longer line.
Vertical jigging is effective in lakes or rivers. In a
lake, jig vertically while letting the wind push your boat over likely structure. In a
river, let the boat drift with the current, keeping it at a likely depth.
Jig Trolling
This technique combines
vertical jigging with backtrolling. Lower your jig to bottom, then troll slowly in reverse
while following a breakline or exploring a reef. Twitch the jig to hop it off bottom, then
lower it back with a taut line. Continually adjust your line length as you would when
jigging vertically.
The key to success in jig trolling is to move very slowly.
If you troll too fast, your jig will lose contact with the bottom. And because you will
have to let out more line, strikes will be harder to detect. For slower speed and better
boat control, always troll against the wind.
With any of these techniques, the way you work your
jig depends on the season and the mood of the walleyes. In spring and fall, when the water
is cool, small hops generally work better than big ones. But in summer, larger hops often
catch more fish. In late fall and winter, walleyes sometimes prefer a jig dragged slowly
on the bottom, with no hopping action. Because the walleyes' mood can change from day to
day, it pays to vary your retrieve until you find the action that works best.
Jig fishing demands intense
concentration and a sensitive touch. When a walleye grabs a jig, what you feel ranges from
a sharp tap to merely a gradual tightening of the line. An active fish inhales a jig by
sucking in water and expelling it through the gills. This type of strike produces the
sharp tap sensation. When a walleye is not actively feeding, it simply swims up and closes
its mouth over the jig, causing the line to tighten.
Beginning jig fishermen fail to set the hook on a high percentage of their strikes. They
expect to feel a sharp tug, as they would if using a crankbait or a spinner. But a walleye
usually grabs a jig as it sinks, not as it moves forward. So if you wait for a shrp tug
before setting the hook, you will seldom catch a walleye on a jig.
The best policy is to set the hook whenever you feel
anything unusual. If you hop the jig off bottom, but it does not sink like you would
expect, a walleye has probably grabbed it. What seems like excess drag from a weed may
turn out to be a walleye. And a slight peck that feels like a perch bite could be the
trophy of a lifetime.
The secret to detecting subtle strikes is to keep your line
taut while the jig is sinking. If you twitch your rod-tip, then drop it back rapidly as
the jig sinks, slack witll form and you will not feel the strike. Instead, lower the jig
with tension on the line, as if you were setting it gently on bottom.
You will detect more strikes if you carefully watch your
line and rod tip. Many times, you will see a strike that you cannot feel. If you see the
line twitch where it enters the water, or if the line moves slightly to the side, set the
hook.
One of the big problems in jig fishing is noticing strikes
on a windy day. The wind forms a belly in your line and buffets your rod tip, so a slight
twitch often goes unnoticed. To keep the problem to a minimum, hold your rod tip low. The
size of the belly will be much smaller, and the rod tip will not whip around as much.
Selecting the proper rod is vital to successful jig
fishing. Most experts prefer a sensitive graphite or boron spinning rod to detect delicate
strikes. A rod about 5 1/2 feet long with a light tip and stiff butt is a good all-around
choice. The light tip responds to a subtle tap, yet the powerful butt enables you to sink
the hook with a slight snap of the wrists.
Line is also important
Limp, premium-grade monofilament
from 6 to 8 pound test works well in most situations. Stiffer or heavier line comes off
your reel in coils, so it is almost impossible to keep your line tight. Many anglers
prefer fluorescent mono for jig fishing because it is easy to see. But in clear water,
fluorescent line will result in fewer strikes. You can see your line better if you wear
polarized glasses.
Attach your line to a jig with some type of clinch knot or
with a loop knot. A loop knot lets the jig pivot around freely at the attachment eye,
maximizing the action. Do not use a heavy snap, a snap-swivel or a steel leader. They add
weight and are more visible than plain mono.
One of the most common mistakes in jig fishing for
walleyes is using a jig that is too heavy. A light jig sinks more slowly, so walleyes have
more time to grab it. As a rule, use the lightest jig you can keep on the bottom. In most
cases, you will need about 1/8 ounce for every 10 feet of depth. You will need a heavier
jig to stay on bottom when fishing in wind or current..
Check your minnow for teeth marks or ripped skin if you had
a strike but failed to hook the fish. Damaged skin on the rear half of the minnow means
that walleyes are striking short and that you should tie on a stinger.
Attach a stinger to a (1) hair or feather jig by tying the
mono to the bend of the hook; to a (2) plastic-bodied jig by tying the mono to the eye of
the jig. This method lets you change the body without removing the stinger
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