Basic Walleye Start-up Gear

I’ve never actively targeted walleye before and to expand my horizons and try other options. Please forgive my ignorance here…..

So it seems like one of the most common ways to target the ‘eyes is with bottom bouncers/Lindy rigs. I see all kinds of bottom bouncers in the stores, some thick, some as thin as a pencil lead. What type of leader do guys usually use?

I think what I’m basically saying is, as a guy without the tackle to specifically target walleye, what would you tell me to go out and buy for the basics?

Thanks for the help guys.

1/4 oz jigs.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

1/4 oz jigs.

Couldn’t have said it better.

Depends when and where you are going to fish for the eyes.

Spring & fall jigs are my first choice. Early to late summer I will use Lindy’s & bottom bouncer spinner rigs.

Go on YouTube and watch some of the millions of walleye videos to get you started and then start with the basics.
IMHO

Thanks for the help guys. Long-term I’d like to have a decent arsenal; short-term I’ll probably realistically only try for walleye at Lake Osakis Labor Day weekend. Would that be more of a late summer/Lindy & bottom bouncer time?

I will definitely have to look at some more videos. For those that are talking about jigging….what type of baits are you using? I actually have quite a few different types of swimbaits already that could apply, I’m guessing folks will use minnows/leeches depending on time of year?

Rippin raps. #5 and #4

Jig and minnow. Jig and rubber. Both work well year round. Pretty versatile as you can cast them, drag them around or fish them vertical under the boat. Bfishn makes some really nice plastics like the moxi or pulser. Northland has many to choose from. My go to in the fall are the slurpies, deadly on rivers but should work well on Osakis too.

Yeti 110 works pretty good for me
And what the other guys advised

The real question is what is the best beer to catch walleye?

I like to start with strong ipa and the transition to light beer. Either mich golden or Busch lite.

Pair those with a good jigging or rigging setup and the walleye will jump in the boat.

Simple lindy rig, long line, some 1/2-1 oz slip sinkers, #2 -#4 red hooks, swivel, 8# florocarbon leader, couple beads for good measure, keep it simple.

if u lived closer I would invite you over and give you enough to get started, I have enough stuff for at least 4 or 5 people, more than that if you listen to my wife lol good luck fishing

Bfishn h20 jigs with any of their plastics — ring worms, moxies, pulsr’s — are hard to beat.

My go-to all summer has been any firetiger crankbait. Flickr shads or shad raps, husky jerks, reef runners, tied directly with a Palomar knot. Set the lure in the water, open the bail and start to motor at 1-3mph while line goes out behind you. Close the bail when you feel the lure hit bottom and reel up slowly til you’re not tucking bottom. Usually around 100 ft of line out. That got me 5 eyes and 2 smallies today.

Randy should pipe in. I think you’ll need a strap for the rod so you don’t lose it.

riverruns wrote:

Randy should pipe in. I think you’ll need a strap for the rod so you don’t lose it.

HA HA – Your funny

Dan
A lot is determined specifically to where and how you want to fish. I always target the most aggressive fish first and usually throw cranks to start with. Jigging/rigging is a last resort and I very seldom ever use live bait. (with the exception of the down run in the spring)
Basic gear – 7′ medium / or medium light with a fast tip. 1 rod with braid and one with 8# mono.
Small assortment of cranks that cover 5′ to about 12′ and some lipless baits like the rip raps, live Target Gizzard shad, and Yozuri Vibe baits.

Jigs ranging from 1/8th to 5/16th with an assortment of 3″ curl tail grubs, ringworms, and paddle tails.

I don’t pull bottom bouncers and crawlers, so someone else can give ya better info on that