Jigs are a very versatile lure for walleye fishing. They can be fished horizontally and vertically from a boat. As well, they can be fished from shore. Jigs are inexpensive and are available in numerous shapes and countless colors. They can be tipped with live or artificial baits.
Horizontal Jig Fishing
Slowly trolling along and dragging a jig behind the boat over a feeding flat is a great way to locate and catch walleye. When fishing jigs horizontally, I like to troll or drift at speeds between .2 and .5 miles per hour. Once I get the boat to trolling speed, I will drop a jig tipped with a leech, minnow or night crawler over board and let out line until the jig hits bottom. Once the jig is on the bottom, I will let out anther 10 feet of fishing line.
As I troll along, I will periodically give my fishing rod a quick upwards flick to make the jig lift off the lake bottom and slowly tumble back to the bottom. It is often shortly after one of these small jerks, that I will feel a slight resistance on my fishing line indicating a walleye has picked up my jig.
While aggressive hits and strikes can happen, most bites will feel like a sudden tap or a slight resistance. On other occasions, walleye will pick up a jig and swim along with it in their mouth in the same direction the boat is headed. Therefore, the moment I feel any resistance or lose touch with my jig, I will set the hook.
As I catch fish while trolling, I will mark way points on my Humminbird Helix to create a trolling path. As the outing unfolds, I will follow these way points over and over. If the bite slows, I will follow a similar but slightly different trolling path. When fishing in the mornings and mid-day, I will adjust my trolling path into deeper water as fish will often slide deeper as the day unfolds. If fishing late afternoons, I will shift my trolling patterns into shallow water as I find late day walleye often move into shallower water as the sun starts to get lower on the horizon.
When dragging jigs, I like to use a 6 ½ foot medium to medium light fishing rod topped off with a spinning reel spooled with 8 pound fluorocarbon line. I like to use fluorocarbon line in these situations as it is extremely sensitive, has very little line stretch for quick hook sets and is very durable against underwater obstacles such as rocks and timber.
Casting Jigs
Casting jigs is another form of horizontal jig fishing. This style of jig fishing can be done while fishing from a boat or while standing on shore. The beauty of casting is that you can cover lots of water while fishing from the same spot by simply by fan fasting your offering 180 degrees in front of where you are standing.
When casting jigs, wait to let them hit the bottom of the lake before retrieving them. On some days, a steady smooth retrieve will trigger strikes whereas on other days a sporadic lift, drop and reel in the slack retrieve will produce fish. Keep experimenting with your retrieval style until you find the magic motion.
During the early spring casting jigs from a boat into shallow water can prove productive. In fact, there have been days where I have caught walleye by casting jigs almost onto shore and then having the fish hit moments after the jig is twitched back towards the boat. If fishing from shore early in the year, don’t give up on your retrieve until the jig is basically at your feet.
Casting jigs from a boat is often a good way to fish for pressured fish as you don’t have to position the boat on top of the fish. Rather you cast a jig over the fish and pull it back towards them. Speaking of pulling jigs towards fish, one of my favourite casting situations is to cast a jig over a sand bar and then retrieving it up and over the sand bar to walleye waiting for bait fish and aquatic creatures to swim over the top side of the sand bar.
Vertical Jig Fishing
Vertical jig fishing requires you keep your fishing line straight up and down as you fish. This style of fishing can be done while being anchored or while slowly drifting. The key to success is holding your line tight so you can feel your jig and detect even the lightest of bites.
While vertical jigging, I like to use the spot lock feature on my Minnkota Terrova Trolling Motor to hold my boat over structure such as rock piles, weed lines and the edges of steep drop offs. Once anchored up, I will drop my jig down and let it hit bottom. Once it hits bottom, I will lower my rod tip to the surface of the water and reel in the slack line until I feel the weight of my jig. Doing so, allows me to know exactly where the lake bottom is just by looking at my fishing walleye rod.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that often less is best when it comes to vertical jigging. Sure, there are days when the fish will come in and smash jigs as they are ripped upwards or tumble towards the bottom. However, I generally have my best results when I slowly lift and drop my jig in a controlled fashion. When I lift my jig from the bottom, I will move it upwards slowly and hold it suspended within a foot of the bottom for a short time period. So as to not be predictable, I will vary that suspended time for periods ranging from 5 to 30 seconds. Then I will slowly lower the jig on a tight line to hit bottom and repeat the series of actions until a fish bites. Most strikes occur while my lure is suspended, but some bites will come as I slowly lift the jig from the lake bottom. Therefore, if I feel any resistance when lifting my jig, I will set my hook.
When fishing vertically, I like to use a 6 foot medium to medium heavy fishing rod topped off with a spinning reel spooled with 6 pound fluorocarbon line. I find jigging with a fishing rod with a stiff tip and fluorocarbon line is extremely sensitive and allows me to feel more bites than if I was fishing with a lighter action rod and monofilament line.
Jig Styles
Round jigs have perfectly round heads. They are designed to cut through the water with ease. Due to their round shape, they sink quickly but with very little motion or flutter. Round jigs are well suited to casting and horizontal fishing and are ideal for both live and artificial baits.
Walleye or egg head jigs are similar to round head jigs, except they are slightly oval shaped with a tapered front end. The tapered design allows this jig to fall faster than a round head jig helping to get the presentation down to the lake bottom in quick fashion. Walleye jigs are a good choice when fishing vertically and work great with live baits and frozen minnows.
Stand up jigs feature a flat bottom. They stand up when they hit the lake bottom and the shank of the hook sticks up about 45 degrees. This feature makes these jigs suitable to fishing over rocks and around timber as the raised hook tip is less inclined to become snagged. These jigs are great for casting situations and being dragged while trolling while tipped with artificial baits.
Bullet head tube jigs are designed to slip into rubber tube bait bodies. They look very similar to a round nose rifle bullet with an eyelet on the top and a hook sticking out the back. These jigs are perfect for jigging vertically.
Attractor Jigs – Many of the jig head styles discussed above are also available with some type of rattle, propeller or blade which is attached directly to the jig head or on the shank of the hook. The purpose of these additional pieces of hardware is to create more flash, action and sounds as the jig drops or is retrieved to trigger active fish to strike and draw in fish from a distance. They work equally well with live or artificial baits.
Swimming jigs are designed with the eyelet at the very front of the jig head. These jigs are often called 60-degree eyetie jigs as these jigs are built on a hook eyelet with a 60-degree bend. Swimbait jigs are designed for casting with artificial baits and most feature a pointed nose to cut through the water and a bait collar to help hold rubber swim bodies in place.
Long Shank vs Short Shank Jigs
Short shank jigs work great when fishing with smaller sized baits. As the fish grab the smaller baits, they also inhale the hook. Leeches hooked through the sucker on short shank hooks will wiggle naturally to attract hungry fish and not get all tangled up while being dragged along or being retrieved. Short shank hooks are also an ideal choice when nose hooking live minnows or using half a piece of a frozen minnow.
Long shank hooks are best suited for fishing larger baits, such as paddle tail baits, night crawlers and larger minnows. These bigger baits can be threaded onto the shank of the hook to help hide it, while still maintaining their fish attracting actions. One trick when hooking frozen minnows on a long shank hook is to run the hook through the minnows’ eyes. Then turn the hook 180 degrees and slide the minnow up the shank of the hook. As a final step, thread the hook back through the minnow’s body.
One thing I have noticed when fishing vertically, is that I get more solid hook sets when fishing vertically with long shank hooks. The reason for this is that when I pull up vertically to set the hook, the fish often has more hook shank in their mouth and the hook catches on the roof of the mouth as it’s pulled upwards. Whereas when fishing with a short shank hook, the hook sometimes misses the fish’s mouth or sets poorly in the fish’s lips often causing them to get off before being netted.
Tie Direct
When jig fishing it’s best to tie the jig directly to your fishing line. There is no need for a leader as the teeth on a walleye will not cut the line, as they do not line up like the teeth on a northern pike. The elimination of a wire leader or snap swivel helps make your set up more sensitive. Also, when tying your line directly to your jig, you are able to manipulate the position of the knot to better improve presentation such as on an angle when casting and retrieving the jig or on the top to make a jig hang vertical when suspended.
Stinger Hooks
Sometimes walleye will bite short or we are just a little slow on the draw to set the hook. Whatever the case, we miss those fish and grumble about it. To increase hook sets, try using a stinger hook in conjunction with your jig.
There is much debate as to whether the stinger hook should be inserted into a bait or left hanging loosely. My general train of thought is when using short shank jigs or fishing jigs vertically to let the stinger hook hang loosely and to insert the stinger hook into the bait when fishing with long shank jigs or dragging the jig on or near the lake bottom.
What Size Jig?
Factors such as wind, current and trolling/retrieval speed can have an impact on what size of jig head to use. When vertically fishing and trolling with jigs, you want to use the lightest weight jig you possibly can to ensure you can feel your jig at all times which helps to ensure you feel even the lightest of strikes. As a general guideline under ideal conditions where there is no wind or current 1/16 – 1/8 oz jigs are perfect for depths 10 feet or less, 1/8 – 1/4 oz jig work well in water between 10 and 20 feet and 1/4 – 3/4 oz jigs work well in 20 – 30 feet of water. As wind, current or trolling/retrieval speed increases the size of the jig being used will need to be upsized.
If casting jigs, it is recommended to use a jig size that has enough weight to allow you to cast your jig and bait a few feet beyond where you anticipate the fish to be. In most cases, a jig in 3/8 to 3/4 ounce size will typically be your go to weight. The only thing you can do is experiment with jig sizes until you get the proper casting distance you want. If casting in windy conditions, you will need to up size your jig size.
