JoeW
08-21-2010, 10:53 AM
If I were fishing walleyes and had lost all my lures/baits except two- I'd still catch fish, as long as one of the two was a Rat-L-Trap, and the other a "wobble jig"! In most cases here in NY and in Ontario on fishing trips- if the walleye aren't hitting one of these, they won't be hitting anything else either!
Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps are the best of the lipless, flat sided crankbaits. Unique combination of rattles that you can actually hear as you reel it closer to the boat or shore! Fished fast or slow, they will run anywhere to 12 feet deep. One trick I like to use is to pause the reeling, let the lure sink, then lift it by raising the rod tip, let it drop, lift, etc--- jigging it. This works more often than not. For walleyes, I prefer 1/4 to 5/8 oz. Favorite color-- without doubt, is blue/chrome.
"Wobble Jigs" go by many different names- swimming jigs, sliders, etc. They all feather a broad, flat lead head that makes the jig "wobble" back and forth as it sinks. Much better than simple round head jigs, I think. These are my "go-to" lures if the fish are deeper than 12 or 14 feet, or if they aren't in an active mood. They come painted, but I buy them bulk unpainted and a bargain price, and have never noticed a difference. Fish them with a minnow or worm, or any plastic trailer. Very important- it's a jig!- fish it on the bottom. Actually let it lay on the bottom, for several seconds, before lifting it up a few feet, then letting it swim back down. Yea, you'll lose a few to snags, but I always figure if you're fishing walleyes and not losing a few jigs- you're not fishing deep enough! 3/8 to 5/8 oz. are best for me.
These two techniques account for 90% of my walleye around here. I hope they work for you! Best---- JoeW ;)
Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps are the best of the lipless, flat sided crankbaits. Unique combination of rattles that you can actually hear as you reel it closer to the boat or shore! Fished fast or slow, they will run anywhere to 12 feet deep. One trick I like to use is to pause the reeling, let the lure sink, then lift it by raising the rod tip, let it drop, lift, etc--- jigging it. This works more often than not. For walleyes, I prefer 1/4 to 5/8 oz. Favorite color-- without doubt, is blue/chrome.
"Wobble Jigs" go by many different names- swimming jigs, sliders, etc. They all feather a broad, flat lead head that makes the jig "wobble" back and forth as it sinks. Much better than simple round head jigs, I think. These are my "go-to" lures if the fish are deeper than 12 or 14 feet, or if they aren't in an active mood. They come painted, but I buy them bulk unpainted and a bargain price, and have never noticed a difference. Fish them with a minnow or worm, or any plastic trailer. Very important- it's a jig!- fish it on the bottom. Actually let it lay on the bottom, for several seconds, before lifting it up a few feet, then letting it swim back down. Yea, you'll lose a few to snags, but I always figure if you're fishing walleyes and not losing a few jigs- you're not fishing deep enough! 3/8 to 5/8 oz. are best for me.
These two techniques account for 90% of my walleye around here. I hope they work for you! Best---- JoeW ;)