Follow along in this blog post as I share with you my top five fishing lures for catching walleye this summer. Although the colours may change from lake to lake and season to season, the lures listed below have proven to be the most consistent for me when looking to attract the attention of walleye.
1. Jig Head with Minnow
The most success I've had while walleye fishing is when I’m using a green or orange jig head lure with a minnow as bait; However, there are plenty of other colours to choose from if you aren’t having much luck. Personally, I’ve found that the most effective way to fish this lure is to find a drop off in the water and drop anchor over top of it. Once you are set, bounce the bait on the bottom or give it a jiggle a couple
feet from the floor. The jigs design allows you to get crafty as an angler. Fish and maneuver the bait in different ways until you find what works best for your current environment.
One of my favourite strategies is to use the lure on a windy day and utilize the waves to your advantage. Waves allow for the lure to bounce on the bottom and move naturally towards the shore, causing jig to look more realistic to the walleye. This strategy is great when exploring new areas due to the fact that it makes it easier to cover ground and figure out where the pockets of walleye might be.
When setting up this lure, I like to put the hook in through the eye and out the body so that it won’t fall off or be easily taken by a fish.
2. Rattlin’ Rapala Lure
When you go to Rapala’s website, you won’t find these under the walleye section, but that does NOT mean that they can't get the job done. I personally use the 2’ or 2 ¾ “ body length to avoid feeling too much rattle, without losing casting distance. This allows me to continue maintain the feel of a fish hitting the lure.
My three go-to patterns for these lures are the blue shed, fire tiger, and the red fire crawdad. If I’m struggling at a new lake or I’m just not having any luck, I have found that this lure tends to help out for the better. It truly amazes me how much of a difference carrying this Rapala around in my bag can have on a day on the water.
Typically, I will either troll or cast with this lure when searching for walleye. The normal plan of attack that I've found success with is trolling until I catch one. After a fish has been landed, I then shift into to patrolling that specific area with a few casts. When luck runs out, I repeat the cycle.
*Rattlin' Rapala Lure
3. Pickerel Rig Minnows/Leeches
Some days just call for kickin' back and relaxin' with a beer in your hand without the concern of having to jig a rod. Days like these call for a pickerel rig! Using a pickerel rig is one of the easiest ways to catch a walleye, however, the lure doesn’t always provide you with as much action in the water compared to other alternatives.
These rigs have two single hooks with a weight attached to the bottom. By utilizing the weight at the end of the rig, you are able to cast it out from boat or the shore with ease. Often times following a cast, I to hold the rod with just enough tension that I can feel the lure laying on the lake bed. This allows me to feel even the slightest nibble of the bait.
If I am starting out the day with this lure, I will put a minnow on the first hook and a leech on the second in order to figure out which type of bait the fish are biting. Once I am confident in a specific choice, I switch to that bait for both hooks. Since there are two separate hooks and and baits on the same line, these rigs allow for double headers, aka some intense battles to enjoy alongside that cold beer!
4. Rap-V Blade:
The Rap-V Blades work similarly to the Rattlin’ Rapalas. They are very similar in how they rattle, but their appearance is slightly different in both shape and size. Preferably, my favourite styles to throw in the shopping cart are the blue ghost, fire tiger, and yellow perch.
One thing that I really like about this rig is the fact that there are two holes to tie from which allows for different swim depths when trolling, casting, and retrieving. The main reason why I've decided to separate the Rap-V from the Rattlin’ Rapalas is due to the fact that when the Rap-V is used as a vertical jig, excessive vibration is sent back from the lure.
While I do tend to have better luck with Rattlin’ Rapalas and with jigging, the Rap-V’s are versatile and can prove to be more effective in certain situations. This lure remains to be seen as a great tool to have in your tackle box if you wish to add more variety to your day on the water.
*Rap-V Blade Lure
5. Jig Head with Tail
Coming in last on my list, but not certainly not least would be the classic jig head with a plastic tail. For me, this has lure has proven its worth in the arsenal and serves as one of my favorite lures to fish on the water. Though I have caught many fish with this lure, it's hard to compare its consistency with the other lures. This is my reason for ranking accordingly.
Due to a bait shortage in many areas, it can be hard to find minnows, leeches, and worms; However, there is no need for concern as this lure is a great option for catching walleye without the use of bait. Typically, I will follow the same strategies used for the jig head with a minnow, either jiggling it a couple feet off the bottom or bouncing it off the bottom to stir up the mud a bit.
When it comes to colour, the two types of jig heads I like to use are a black jig head with a white tail to mimic a minnow, or with a variation in the head color accompanied with a white tail to mimic a leech. These lures also come in a two-tail style that I have found to work just as well as the single tail. Either style comes down to personal preference.
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