Best Technique for Beginning Walleye Anglers

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Few fish frustrate new anglers as much as Walleye. While Walleye are very aggressive they are also at times picky about presentation and so effective at light biting that many fish are missed. One of the best techniques for beginning Walleye anglers to use is blade baits. Blade baits are one of the most forgiving approaches to Walleye fishing in that they can be aggressively fished at a variety of cadences and often result in good hookups even on light biting fish.
Some of my favorite blade baits:
- Heddon Sonar: amzn.to/3KM2xLJ
- Acme V-rod: amzn.to/3zNMmau
- Norisada: www.axtackle.com/ProductDetai...
Recommended Setup:
- Berkley Lightning Med Rod 7': amzn.to/3jFBEva
- RUNCL Ancohuma 3000: amzn.to/3yEeZa7
- PowerPro 8 or 10 lb braid: amzn.to/3TjN4UA
- Seaguar 8 lb Fluoro: amzn.to/3gd2Jah
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[@philfox5839]

I spent this morning watching all of your Walleye videos to make sure I've got the right gear and understand where to search for these guys and this afternoon you put out this guy. Impeccable timing.

[@michaelmcclenon6663]

Wow incredible someone that shows technical fishing and teaching. With a learning disability I respect the simple and in detail video this is

[@dalewilliams6440]

Thank you for your tips

[@macsmith2092]

As always, thanks for sharing. Great video.

[@craigambroson2482]

There you go again. Another teaching treat. Looks like a great new technique for an old angler to try as well. Thanks for sharing.

[@kodiyakangler]

Another great and helpful video. Thanks for the continued education

[@reapergrim76]

Great stuff! 👍

[@rich_v]

I've been targeting walleye for the last few years without any success. I was finally able to hook up on a nice eater sized one last fall while i was bass fishing lol. The walleye smashed my topwater popper and i thought it was a really nice bass but then i knew it wasnt because of they way it fought. Now i wanna get one while actually targeting walleyes.

[@ryanseratt9123]

I'll have to try that. We have been trolling for Walleyes but haven't had the consistent success that we would like.

[@tri_nofeet]

I just ordered some Blades lol

[@mikecurtis9932]

Do you have a preference in which of the three holes on the lure you attach your line clip to?

[@spiltmilt]

Middle

[@rjduresky]

I remain agnostic about the impact of color on fish deeper than ... say 30 feet. Water clarity here in the PNW is way different from the murky waters of the midwest. Also, I've watched several Walleye Honks tell me these blade baits work, and I have tried them. I've seen them work exactly one time in 40+ hours of fishing effort. All that aside, thanks for another timely, great video.

[@spiltmilt]

So blade baits don’t work and color doesn’t matter 😂

[@rjduresky]

@@spiltmilt Let me be more precise: They don't work for me. I'm certain they work for you, we have video evidence, after all. The color issue is a different issue. Sample sizes are so small, conditions constantly changing. I've heard many a fisherman tell me, at night, a certain color of Bandit is working. I know Walleye have superior low-light vision, but chosing one color over another in heavy current in non-existent light, seems ridiculous. I've seen color matter a LOT of Smallmouth Bass in less than 30 feet.

[@spiltmilt]

Color certainly matters. I don't know how many times I've been dragging bottom walkers and one lure is getting all the fish. I switch the other rod to the same color and boom its on.

[@user-yb7fc5yz8w]

Where is the best spot to fish above the chief joseph dam

[@spiltmilt]

From Seaton's Grove to about 1 mile or so downstream of the net pens is the best Walleye water.

[@hitstick567]

Do you think you could make a video showing how and what these deep water walleye look like on the graph? I fish for them down here in Georgia in our deep mountain lakes. It’s not uncommon for them to sit 50-100ft deep especially in the summer. It would be nice to see some screenshots off the humminbird

[@spiltmilt]

You quite literally can't see anything on the graph.

[@hitstick567]

@@spiltmilt I see I guess it comes down to knowing the areas they are likely to stack up in. I really appreciate your videos man. Down here at the southern end of their range, nobody fishes for them so the learning curve is HIGH. But a lot of the things I’ve learned from you have given me some great success in the past few months that I’ve been targeting them. Keep it coming!

[@johnsands578]

You ID male quickly. Was it just by smaller size?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes. More cigar shaped and not rotund enough in the belly to be a female this time of year

[@billyharville7721]

What are u seeing on your graph when you determine where to start jigging. Great video

[@spiltmilt]

Quite literally nothing. I rely on past experience and camera scouting to identify holding zones.

[@rp123]

Thank you!!! Where is it?

[@TinyTrout]

How do we fish for sockeye in the lower columbia? And what dose the set up look like

[@spiltmilt]

Plunking small pink or red spin-n-glo's with coon shrimp close to shore is how its done.

[@brandenbockness69]

Sweet videos! Walleye are frustrating to say the least! I have tried a few times and failed miserably. What kind of bottom structure are you targeting? Are they out deeper in early spring or does it just vary? I’m not giving up yet!

[@spiltmilt]

Depth varies widely from 20-100' depending on the day. This video covers habitat really well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp_IlquVqchsndk

[@noyopacific]

I started targeting walleye when I got a cabin in Minnesota. I fished 3-4 times a week watching other people catch fish for most of two summers before I caught my first one. One of the other guys who fished the spot finally took pity on me and invited me out in his boat to show me some tricks. I catch them fairly regularly now. Last summer I got several limits, lots of good sized fish and a few big ones too. I've never seen the technique he showed me on KZbin. If I were going to try and explain it in adequate detail it would take several pages. Basically, I use 8 lb mono, the smallest teardrop sliding weights I can get above a swivel with 5' long 6 lb leader, #6 hook with a nightcrawler or leech hooked through the tip of the head to swim straight and not spin. I drag it on the bottom in 10 'to 20' depths going 1/2 MPH or less. I have no idea how this might work in other areas. (It wouldn't work in a place that doesn't have a snag-free bottom.)

[@blaahster]

@@noyopacific you have described "lindy rigging" it is a finesse type bait, would be harder to do in the deeper water, lindy is similar to bottom bouncers , bottom bounces use much heavier weight

[@spiltmilt]

Basic lindy works great in the Great Lakes area not so much here

[@jonlobello7151]

Are you able to occasionally see your blade bait on your Hummingbird?

[@spiltmilt]

yes

[@TinyTrout]

Would you recommend kelly point park area for walleye or above the dam

[@spiltmilt]

Lots of Walleye in the Multnomah Channel but if you want to eat them head upstream above Bonneville

[@KD-kf4zm]

Was looking at the G Loomis walleye jigging rigs, which are 6'3". Do shorter jigging rods offer better sensitivity?

[@spiltmilt]

No they don’t. Sensitivity is going to be driven primarily by blank material, how well exposed that blank is at the reel seat, and what kind of line u are running.

[@KD-kf4zm]

@@spiltmilt But given two rods of the same blank material / reel seat, line etc. Would not a shorter (and therefore stiffer) rod offer a little better sensitivity?

[@michaelupchurch3769]

Nice walleyes name of your blade bait

[@spiltmilt]

Norisada

[@jimmyabeyta9435]

Can you troll blade baits successfully never tried

[@spiltmilt]

You can but I use them primarily to target Walleye tightly associated with the bottom. There are better methods for trolling for Walleye.