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Vertical Jigging For Walleye
No other artificial walleye lure will catch walleyes as consistently as a lead head jig designed specifically for the walleye. There are definite, very simple reasons the walleye jig is so universal. Walleye spend the majority of there time on the bottom of what ever type of water they are located in.
A walleye jig is truly a diverse artificial bait and can be fished in a multiple of different ways for different type of water and seasonal situations.You can cast from and anchored or drifting boat, jig vertically for walleye while drifting with the wind or current, or troll slowly while bumping the jig along the bottom. Also you can fish a walleye jig tipped with live bait or plain, it depends how the walleye are biting that day.
Jigging Vertically For Walleye Tips And Techniques
You want to use a walleye fishing jig that is heavy enough to keep your line vertical when the jig hits the bottom. The jig needs to bounce gently off the bottom as you move in either situation.You will need to let your drift or troll gently bounce your walleye jig along the bottom contour. It is very important that you adjust your line length to adjust for depth changes. If the bottom get shallower, reel in line and if the bottom gets deeper let more line out. It is very important your line stay vertical at all times, Walleye are very light biters and you need to be able to identify any slight change in line movement if you want to catch fish. When I talk about line movement change, i am referring to any change that is different from the normal line movement that occurs from the bounce off the bottom, this movement will have a identifiable pattern. You are looking for movement goes against the patten. Any subtle change give your line a jerk, it may be a walleye.
Vertical jigging for walleye is much better technique to use in deeper water.I wouldn't recommend casting for walleye in deeper water if the fish are located on or near the bottom.The reason for this is when you are vertical jigging you can bounce your walleye jig much higher off the bottom and give it more action then casting. The extra action just may be the reason you will trigger more walleye strikes, especially in murky low clarity water.
Probably the key reason vertical jigging in deep water works so well is "the feel" of the walleye hit. When your line is vertical it is much easier to feel a walleye strike.When you are vertical jigging you use less line and there is no slack.
Vertical jigging for walleye is very effective when fishing in rivers or lakes. In a lake , jig vertically while letting the wind push your boat over hidden structure. Make sure if you are in a river that you drift with the current. You may half to slow your drift enough so your walleye fishing jig bounces nicely off the bottom. |
