Walleye, one of the most sought after game fish in Saskatchewan. The word walleye brings up images of gold and green with a white tip, coming out of the quiet waters of a clear blue Canadian lake, with a loon sounding off in the distance. The second image is of a shore lunch with this mild and tasty fish, especially when caught and cooked up fresh.  The walleye is plentiful and found in lakes, rivers and streams across Saskatchewan and offers an exciting time catching them.

Walleye are also creatures of habit, once you know when and where they are in a specific spot or time, you can easily land several. In the spring, when walleye are spawning, and at night, these fish will head towards shallow areas, around rocks, fallen timber, sunken islands, slow current, backs of islands, choppy water near deep drop offs or along weed beds or along wind, swept shores. But walleye do not just allow an angler to reel them in without a fight. When they are feeding they may strike aggressively but most of the time they just suck in the lure and if you are not quick enough they can spit the lure back out faster than you think and if you have a dull hook you can loose your prize right at the boat or even before you get to fight them.  So what is the best way to catch these watery inhabitants. I personally recommend jigging for walleye as it is one of the most effective methods no matter what water body you are on.

There are several different types of jigging and each method is successful. Below are some of the ways with a brief explanation of each.

Vertical Jigging:

This method is best used if you are fishing over the edge of the boat straight down. Usually this is used once you have found the fish concentrated on specific structure or location.  This is a very good system, I use a slatter or bare jig tipped with minnows. I also use a plastic grub body on a 1/4oz jig tipped with beef heart or leech. Big thing is you want to use a longer hook shank, this is harder for fish to spit out before you set the hook and the smaller the better, easier for them to suck in. Remember if fishing in deep water around 30 feet you can not release these fish, reason usually fish from this deep the air sac bursts inside them from the pressure and the fish will die.

Pitching or Casting:

This method you can use, either from a boat or from shore. As the name implies you cast or pitch your jig out from the boat or shore into the water body. You want to let the lure sink to the bottom then slowly retrieve it. While reeling in the line you want to jerk or twitch it in about 6 inch pulls. This imitates a wounded or dying bait fish on the bottom giving last attempts to swim. Remember fish eat smaller fish, so the closer you can imitate that smaller fish the more likely you will catch the bigger one.

Trolling:

When on unfamiliar water or when fish just are not where you found them before, trolling is a good method to find walleye or feeding fish. A boat gives you mobility and flexibility to find that area where the fish are. Troll slowly, walleye are a close to bottom feeder most of the time so the closer you are to bottom the better.  To get your jig down use a heavier jig, use a weight about 6 inches in front of lure, or use a bottom bouncer rig.

TIP: On hot summer days, or when the sun is bright, walleye will head for deeper waters or for weed beds, cooler and overcast, find fish in open water, windy days or slight chop find fish along the blown shore where the waves break. Baitfish will get swept along or follow these drifts and some are disoriented or wounded by the pounding waves. Fish eat fish rule.

Drifting:

This is a modified version of trolling just that your boat is drifting with the wind pushing it no motor running. I like this technique especially if the wind is going along a nice long shoreline. I position boat about 15 feet from shore and let the wind move you down the length of the shore, then when get to end or very deep water start boat and head back to the beginning again.

Bottom Bouncing:

This method requires the use of a weighted bottom bouncing rig.  Most consist of a weighted wire rig and usually a floater jig or worm harness.  The wire keeps the the hook a specific height from bottom which the heavier weight gets you down to. Most use a ¾ or 1 oz weight.  But I have used and seen upto 3 oz weighted rigs. This rig works great in open water with sandy or pebbled bottoms but can get tangled up in weeds, timber and large rock bottoms.

Whatever jigging for walleye method you want to use, remember to keep your line tight at all times or use braided non stretch line. Remember, walleye don’t usually strike aggressively, preferring to inhale or suck in their food, if your line is too loose, you may not be able to feel a walleye strike.  Always keep your hooks sharp a dull hook is harder to set and either one is the main reason anglers miss a potential strike or loose fish right at the boat.

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