Best Baits and Lures for Columbia River Winter Walleye

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The Columbia River is one of the premier Walleye fisheries in North America. They can be targeted year round but are highly localized and often sluggish in the cold water temps in the winter. One of the best ways to target them in daylight hours is to jig and/or blade bait for them. Certain lures and baits will produce depending on conditions which are always changing. In this video I cover my favorite lures and baits and talk about techniques for both while putting a good pile of Columbia River gold in the kayak.
Tackle featured in this video:
- Berkley Lightning Med Rod 7' - amzn.to/3jFBEva
- RUNCL Titan II Spinning Reel - amzn.to/3H0ucDO
- 10 lb PowerPro line - amzn.to/3CkKrdk
- VMC Mooneye 1/2 oz Jigs - amzn.to/3jCEIby
- Blade bait 1 oz: amzn.to/3sAV3Ck
- Yum Walleye Grub: amzn.to/371Axmd
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[@gravel_guppies4620]

Thank you, I watched 2 of your Walleye vids and caught my first ever Wally. Tight lines

[@davidanderson8258]

Thank you so much for all the help! I've been fishing Roosevelt and below McNary. Slow learning curve, and I appreciate every nugget of your knowledge!!!

[@mikeobrien2203]

I like your videos on Walleye. I live in MN and have fished them a lot. This year I am coming out to fish the Columbia! Wish me luck!

[@elbrus65]

Thank you brother! Appreciate new colors on the spilt milt logo...great video as always!

[@Follower_of_The_Word]

In February I focus on gravel points in 3-6’ of water with a compact jig and piece of crawler in the evening. Exclusively on upper Columbia River.

[@spiltmilt]

I’ve fished them at night and you can easily see them on shallow gravel bars. In the daytime though those fish are deep

[@Eth2one]

Kietech swim baits have been doing so great for me on the Columbia river for me 👍

[@clydedunithan7855]

Really appreciate your content and delivery. Your biologist point of view is well taken. You have helped me catch more kokanee and walleye. Hope to meet you some day.

[@blakeboling8099]

Great to see you’re back from your California getaway Tyler! And Almost at 20,000 subscribers oh yeah!

[@jasoncouch9825]

Thank you for the instructions buddy! I've been timid to fish a jig or blade but am going to do it

[@mdepeel1]

Thanks for a great video Tyler! Taking my boy out for walleye this weekend here in Tri-Cities 👍

[@spiltmilt]

Awesome good luck!

[@dallasroberts6146]

Awesome content, you got me into ice fishing and chasing species i never bothered with before. I want to learn all i can, I'd love to see content on where to find fish seasonally or in relation to flows. Or even some more on how you use your electronics when chasing walleye.

[@spiltmilt]

Got some content coming your way today at 3

[@johnspecht7449]

Great show again. I know you are a fishing channel, but I would love to see how you clean and cook Walleyes, if you don’t mind. I have heard from so many people that they are an excellent eating fish.

[@spiltmilt]

They are among the best eating fish out there.

[@bartribotta1118]

Nice place, not sure if you heard of these type of hooks but they are called slow death hooks, great for trolling crawlers..also I got on of your hoodies, very nice thanks waiting to see your vid on kokes across west coast..

[@spiltmilt]

Thanks for your support and yes I am big fan of the super slow death hooks.

[@coyakbrian3411]

Just got my kayaking boots in this week. Just so happens they look like the same NRS ones you have on. Hoping to have in yak on the water in a couple of weeks. Still ice fishing

[@dougivan100]

You must be home now 😂great vid

[@stingray4540]

Caught my first steelhead today. Realized I was wearing a “Spilt Milt” hat while he was literally spilling milt all over the place.

[@daveengstrom9250]

You got some nice walleyes. But then, I have never met a walleye I didn't like.

[@anonymouse7074]

Hoping to get my first walleye this year. Not an easy fish to catch on this massive lake

[@daveengstrom9250]

Find them on your fish finder BEFORE you start fishing. Then stay on the bottom. Do like this guy but jig with more of a snap.

[@anonymouse7074]

@@daveengstrom9250 yeah, but that's if they exist in the general location your fishing. They migrate, and I read they will be in the Spokane river arm for the next few months

[@spiltmilt]

Dave you can't see them on the fish finder here. They lay tight to the bottom. I never mark these fish, no one does.

[@Patrick-rj9oi]

Do you freeze your extra fish? Are there different ways freezing different species? Or is it the same for all fish? Thank you for your videos.

[@spiltmilt]

I do freeze fish. For most I fillet, pat dry with a paper towel, and vacuum seal.

[@dustinrhodes1091]

They fight a little different than the amberjacks I was just catching😂

[@townsend96]

It would be so cool if you could see your sonar on the bottom right of the screen.

[@spiltmilt]

It would be cooler if fishfinders allowed you to record your screen data. It’s really a pain to try and sync and power multiple cameras on a kayak

[@daveengstrom9250]

Blades work best on Spring but you have to really rip them faster than you did on this video. Its a reaction bite. Once you find them they will react to it. If you find them up on a flat, they are there to eat. Anything will catch them.

[@spiltmilt]

I find over aggressive jigging with blade baits doesn't produce as well for me on the big river. Works great at Lake Roosevelt in slackwater.

[@mikecurtis9932]

I find walleye fishing to be quite hard! What would be your top few tips for beginners with a small boat and outboard? I do like to troll as well, but I don't have lead core. Is jigging like your doing here more effective? Everyone I talk to says you have to get down to the fish because they are almost always located on the bottom.

[@spiltmilt]

Being near the bottom is key. Jigging or using bottom walkers is my recommendation. Check out my bottomwalker video here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faWmfqmJbbahfLc

[@mikecurtis9932]

@spiltmilt I will, Thank You!

[@verdeanpetersen8350]

When I use plastic I still add a one inch piece of crawler.

[@HaftardsGuideService]

So my question for you is how far up the Columbia do I gotta go to hook some walleye. And I assume that you can only really fish em on low to no wind days. I live on the lower Columbia

[@spiltmilt]

In the summer they can be caught on the Multnomah Channel. Closest reliable place up stream is Miller Island at the mouth of the Deschutes

[@Super1Matt1]

Can a mechanical flasher show the same as A-Scope on the Helix? As in, if a fish is coming from the side or bottom?

[@spiltmilt]

They are fundamentally the same thing.

[@josephbass3606]

Hey Tyler what size of line are you using and the size of that Berkeley rod?

[@spiltmilt]

10 lb braid

[@pdxfisher1]

Do you have a rule of thumb for jig head weight vs depth you are fishing or do you just use one size?

[@spiltmilt]

Great question. I generally use 3/4 to 1 oz jigs for anything over 30'. Under 20-30' I'll use 1/2 oz. I rarely find walleye shallower than that but will use 3/8 oz for shallower.

[@pdxfisher1]

@@spiltmilt Thanks and great video!

[@shabadubadu]

How do you know when it’s a good time period to catch? Current or time of day? And what part of the Columbia do you fish in the winter?

[@spiltmilt]

I don't always know. I generally avoid mornings after full moon nights. There is no consistent morning bite its more driven by current which changes all the time depending on the dams. I fish all over for Walleye from Umatilla to Lake Roosevelt.

[@2021boomer]

@@spiltmilt Have you ever done well at Vantage. I have tried a few times and only did sort of ok once. People talk about Vantage as having very few fish. Wondering what your thoughts are on this area. Oh and love the VIDS, I just found you and cant wait to get the kayak out and going.

[@jonlobello7151]

Nice mess of fish. As I said earlier it looks like I'm going to have to switch walleye tactics when I move out there.

[@gilbertmorris2814]

We’re on the Columbia River are you

[@chinncannon]

Do you ever use a liquid/gel scent like pro-cure on plastics?

[@spiltmilt]

Not often

[@conk8636]

Great content sir, was wondering if you targeted eyes down in the Kalama Longview area.They don’t seem to dig the brackish tide water. Release the females folks,Keep it sustainable.

[@Thinkingaboutfishing]

Do you ever use bottom walkers in the winter time or is it not effective?

[@spiltmilt]

They are very effective in winter just keep those troll speeds around 1 mph or less.

[@Thinkingaboutfishing]

@@spiltmilt thanks 🙏🏼

[@TinyTrout]

What happened to your level six dry suit??? I was thinking about getting one.

[@spiltmilt]

The latex was bothering the skin around my neck a lot so I switched to the Mustang which has a more comfortable neck seal.

[@TinyTrout]

Thanks

[@nicholasstadler425]

Do you have any tips for a first time walleye fisherman?

[@spiltmilt]

It would depend on where you are fish and when. There is no magic bullet when it comes to Walleye

[@spencerb891]

What section of the river is good for walleye?

[@spiltmilt]

There are many from the mouth of the Deschutes, Umatilla, below most of the dams, Rufus Woods, and Lake Roosevelt

[@spencerb891]

@@spiltmilt nice thank you!

[@augustmathews650]

How many were showing up On you finder?

[@spiltmilt]

Zero. They sit tight to the bottom among the cobble. I almost never mark them.

[@augustmathews650]

Wow, that’s cool

[@frederickjuneau7874]

How many kayaks do you have 🧐

[@spiltmilt]

3, 2 Salties and an AutoPilot

[@frederickjuneau7874]

@@spiltmilt Quality comment here

[@AuSableAngler]

Where are you getting nightcrawlers this time of year?

[@spiltmilt]

All our local gas stations carry them

[@doublelunger1978]

Great content. Is there a way to block out the breathing? I don't mean to criticize but it's a bit distracting.

[@spiltmilt]

It's tough too far away and you can't hear me. This is an older video and I've since changed the mic location and its helped.

[@spiltmilt]

Also losing 40 lbs has really helped. LOL

[@doublelunger1978]

Great job losing 40#! I'm a salmon guy in the Bonneville pool and need to get dialed into the walleye. Appreciate the tips!

[@vitpav777]

Hey thank you for the Ukrainian flag 🇺🇦 on your logo (if that’s what it means). I appreciate it. NO TO WAR.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes I support peace and Ukrainian sovereignty.

[@vitpav777]

Much respect to you sir. Great fishing videos 👌

[@stingray4540]

Well, at least you’re back in the PNW, even if you are targeting garbage warm water species…😏

[@conk8636]

Here’s to hoping more folks find eyes to be garbage.

[@sov19871987]

Have you fished rhere st night?