Shallow Weedy Water Walleye Lure Options

Hey all, just wondering if anybody has any input that would help me out.

I have been wading/shore fishing shallow (2-8ft) rocky, weedy areas in search of some prespawn walleyes. I know it is still a little early, but I am having some issues with conditions…..

There are a ton of weeds in the water. I mean I’ve seen some patches of weeds after ice out, but never anything like this. Which kind of excites me because that is probably where baitfish and some early hatching invertebrates/bugs will probably be hatching near…Or at least should be.

I’ve been trying everything to see which lure/setup collects the least amount of weeds, but so far I have no particular winner. Best so far has been 3in Rapala Flat Rap. It has a great diving depth and action for my situation, but it is tough to fish it slow enough for sluggish fish and at the same time keep it down near the strike zone..

Any input/suggestions that would keep me free from having a swamp thing on my line after every cast would be fantastic.
Thanks.

Fish a swim bait. You could rig a small draggin jig. Or no weight style Texas rig plastic.

lindy rig with a crawler, 2 foot snell

Smaller spinnerbait with bigger Colorado blades to offer a slow presentation. Add a floating plastic minnow for buoyancy.

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Fish a swim bait. You could rig a small draggin jig. Or no weight style Texas rig plastic.

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This was my first thought. Berkeley ripple shad or you can rig a bfishn paddle tail the same way

Draggin jig and paddle tail style plastic. Also suspending shad rap or husky jerk will allow you to fish slower braided line u might be able to snap weeds off bait.

I’ve done really well with draggin jigs and minnows/suckers in shallow weeds.

Thanks for the input everybody.

I should have clarified that I’m talking A LOT of weeds, everywhere.
I like the weightless swimbait or plastic on a worm hook or jig. I have gone that route before but in this current situation I don’t think that I will be able to cast a sufficient enough distance. I LOVE rippleshads for everything that swims in the river. I’m going to try one out with a keel weighted swimbait hook and see if I can cast as far as I need to.

Otherwise, I might have to wade further out or just get the canoe out to get out past the weedline.
The massive amount of weeds is hopefully a sign of some great fishing to come, but I have never seen weeds like this …even in late summer. Kinda strange with the extreme cold and ice that was covering the river this year.

Any ideas on why there are soo many weeds? Thought most die off and flush downstream.

Thanks again everyone!

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I’ve done really well with draggin jigs and minnows/suckers in shallow weeds.

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Ideally that is what I want to be doing now.
Tried it yesterday and almost any contact on the bottom will make my lure/line have about 2 feet of slop on it when I bring it back to cast again.
-Maybe I will just have to break out the ol’ bobber a little earlier than usual.

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Smaller spinnerbait with bigger Colorado blades to offer a slow presentation. Add a floating plastic minnow for buoyancy.

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Thanks! I think this could be the ticket. Are you talking about “safety pin” spinners?

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Smaller spinnerbait with bigger Colorado blades to offer a slow presentation. Add a floating plastic minnow for buoyancy.

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Thanks! I think this could be the ticket. Are you talking about “safety pin” spinners?

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Not to sure what those are, bit I have a couple for Snaggy situations and they definitely are bigger than a beetle spin, but still smaller than your average bait, maybe 1/8oz? Either way they have their days where they produce. Good luck.

rapala on braid.

Snap it thru the weeds and it will clear – braid makes this possible

Or….fish a plastic jerk bait – texposed like you are bass fishing the slop.

Dog

If the weeds are that thick I don’t see how you can fish in them? Once a fish is hooked, assuming you use avg walleye line, how do you plan on getting them out of the weeds?
Similar to when I bass fish. I only use up to 14 lb line and wont try to fish in the slop because I cannot pull a good fish out of it.

What makes you think they are going to be in those thick weeds? They are likely going to be chasing bigger forage pre-spawn. The only time I can think of a walleye wanting to be in those thick weeds would be under the ice, and middle of the hot summer, looking to get out of the sun and be where the oxygen is. But even then, they will go to the outer weedlines to feed at night.

Its just my opinion of course, but I would forget about fishing there for walleye. But I would tie up a 1/2oz redeye shad on some 30-40# braid and try ripping through that for pre-spawn bass for sure.

If its rocky and good enough current there have you tried a slip bobber? Throw a jigginng spoon under your float and give it action by snapping the line but not enough to pull the bobber in. You said it was rocky, with a nice weed line to follow bammo fish!

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What makes you think they are going to be in those thick weeds? They are likely going to be chasing bigger forage pre-spawn. The only time I can think of a walleye wanting to be in those thick weeds would be under the ice, and middle of the hot summer, looking to get out of the sun and be where the oxygen is. But even then, they will go to the outer weedlines to feed at night.

Its just my opinion of course, but I would forget about fishing there for walleye. But I would tie up a 1/2oz redeye shad on some 30-40# braid and try ripping through that for pre-spawn bass for sure.

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Well I have caught walleye in the same location almost every spring. Just never encountered weeds like this, which is strange due to the extremely cold winter and ice thickness/coverage. The location is also about 1/4 mile below a dam, very rocky and shallow (2-8ft), and adjacent to a nice, big 20ft hole. (Couldn’t ask for a better situation , but weed thickness and coverage is a little ridiculous) I know during the day I should be trying the deeper holes, but I fish here mostly from about 5-9pm, when the Walters should be shallow hunting.

I use braid, or superline? (Fireline Crystal) but cannot snap cranks through the weeds. I had great success with bobbers (regular or slip)with a Northland mimic minnow (smallest size-about 1 inch long, pattern) in the past for really shallow spring perch, crappie and bluegill. Put the bobber about 2 ft above the lure and use a jig-jig-shake-let sit cadence.
Hopefully the rain and slight warm up will put them in a better mood. I’ll report any results.

Thanks for the input everybody! I love me some constructive fishing discussions!

Bummer, I can’t upload slides from the PP presentation

I really wish I had a better video of my post spawn walleye seminar. I go in a lot of details that would benefit you. First and foremost, understand the weeds.

Are they a thick weed clump base with more sporadic tops; or heavy upper cover and thinner beneath. That will determine more of your presentation.

If the weeds are thick bottom/thinner tops – I would target baits like the Live target lipless Gizzard shad, stick baits, and paddle tails/jigs. Discipline yourself to make shorter casts. Work the smaller isolated ares that you can work a bait over. Making long casts will just force the issue of you dredging a bait through the weeds. The idea is to run across the small holes/gaps and have the bait stick the weeds. Using braid is best, just a quick snap, and the crank pops free – usually when the bite happens.

When you have thicker weeds up top and thinner (holes) beneath, I mostly turn to jigs-ringworms or paddletails. Again, loose the mentality of making long casts. If you watched me walleye fishing in spring weedy lakes, you’ll think I’m punching/pitching for bass. I slowly work my boat over the weeds looking for tiny pockets/holes that I can slip a jig through. I very seldom pitch more that 20-30 feet from the boat. Often only 10 to 20′. I work a jig through the dense mat and let it slowly drop. Hit bottom, lift fall slowly a couple times and then pull up and pitch to the next hole. Its a slow methodical way to fish, but has fantastic reaction strikes as that jig falls on the nose of an eye. Anyone looking past fishing thick weeds adjacent to a spawning area, is missing out on an incredible habitat to fish!

IDO Article I wrote last year that the seminar was based on