Presented that way, the colored jig head helps to attract fish, and then the live fish seals the deal. The best types of hooks for walleye are octopus hooks and treble hooks. Here is another small larvae for the list. It is important to carry them in different sizes because if fish aren’t biting, a simple change in leech size could make a difference. Anglers choose from either live bait or artificial lures or even a combination of both. Using a bobber is the most common method of fishing with a night crawler. Also, keep in mind that their favorite food fish tends to change over the course of the year, so you might have to adjust accordingly. Finally, when ice fishing, the most popular option is to use a jig head and pass the hook through the nose of the minnow. Nightcrawlers and leeches, on the other hand, work best during the warm months, and tend to be the top choices in summer. One of the most important things to remember when using any sort of live bait is that it must look attractive. The best lure for walleye fishing should also do the same. If it doesn’t swim well, change it. It is what they do all day … best live bait for walleye, ... thereby permit your bait to flow right into the walleye's mouth. The Right Baits Although live bait will work best when fishing for walleyes, the best bait to use when night fishing for walleyes is crankbaits. If you’re not sure what kind works best on your lake, try to ask other anglers, and examine the stomach content of freshly caught fish, to see what they are feeding on. Sometimes that simple approach will give you the best clue on what to present to them. There are 3 main ways to use a walleye live bait rig: Probably the most popular live bait rig for walleye is the slip bobber, which is used to suspend your hook 1-3 foot above the bottom of the lake. ... Koppers Live Target Crawfish Koppers Live Target CrawfishLiveTargetBUY NOW. Walleye completely ignore nightcrawlers in winter, which is strange, since they make a great bait for trout ice fishing (for more details check out our article Do nightcrawlers work for ice fishing? Octopus style hooks are very popular with walleye anglers for live bait presentations. It stays good until temps hit 45 or so…after that the fish have already fed heavy for a couple of weeks and are now transitioning to winter patterns. Walleye Fishing 101: Live bait Vs. Read more. To ... . MINNOWS. The walleye show no care to the eggs, as once they are laid and fertilized, both female and male walleye move on. This setup works well with all 3 types of live bait, and is ideal for allowing wary walleye to eat the bait without feeling any resistance from your tackle. Their design and their live bait presentations make them perfect for hooking walleye. They give you moderate to fast action and you can use them for the double cast. The best way to use them is as a whole worm, with a hook attached at each end. The bottom line is different live baits work better on different bodies of water and in different seasons. Live bait is by far the best bait for walleye, but which kind is best to use depends a lot on the time of year, and sometimes even on the time of the day. If you click on them and make a purchase, we’ll earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. The male walleye will mature when it reaches around 3 years of age, whereas females won’t mature until they are around five years of age. If your bobber starts moving about more than normal, this could indicate a walleye is present and the minnow is trying to make a dash for freedom. Suckers are a favorite food for a lot of big freshwater predators but muskies and northern … Live Bait Fishing vs Artificial Lures: Which Will Increase Your Catch? Marblehead, OH 43440, © bestbait.com. 318 Reviews. slowly in lakes and rivers, bouncing the bait off the lake bottom on promising structure. Hook them just behind the suction cup, as hooking them in the suction cup can result in leeches being cast off the hook and being ripped of by panfish. Deep structure and rock that protrudes out of the primary basin or off the old river channel in a reservoir is classic fall walleye fishing. In that case. Tails tipped with Chartreuse in these colors are effective in stained water. … N.A.S. Live Leeches for Sale & more at Your Local Bait & Tackle Store in Marblehead, Ohio. During the fall season, you can find walleye feeding aggressively on schools of small fish in shallow areas of the lake, taking advantage of the many young fish that have hatched during the summer, and fattening up for the cold season. Best live bait for fall walleye. Slip bobber fishing is incredibly fun, as you always get a shot of adrenaline when you see the bobber suddenly getting pulled underwater when a hungry fish takes the hook.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'sportfishingbuddy_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',140,'0','0'])); However, finicky biters may tend to spit out the hook if they feel resistance from the slip bobber. Remember, when using any sort of live bait, keep it in tip top condition. In early ... 2. A slip sinker rig can also be used for trolling slowly in lakes and rivers, bouncing the bait off the lake bottom on promising structure. Due to this feeding behavior, minnows are the absolute top choice in winter, while the other two options hardly work at all during this season. You can still catch ‘em, just not nearly as many. The Trokar TK310 is a wide bend surgically sharp hook that’s lights out to any walleye that gets close enough to feel the … While we’re on the topic of size: small minnows around 3-4 inches long seem to work best in winter, as the ‘eyes tend to feed less aggressively at this time of the year. Hooking minnows through the bottom lip and out through the upper lip, will let them swim in an upright position. Winter walleye can be caught using a variety of different lures – including spoons, swimming jigs, and the ever-popular jig. Presented that way, the colored jig head helps to attract fish, and then the live fish seals the deal. Sport Fishing Buddy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising progam designed to provide a means for us to earn commissions by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Although the season plays a big part on selecting live baits, water temperature also plays an important part. The top 3 kinds of walleye live bait are minnows, nightcrawlers, and leeches. In early spring, as the ice is breaking up, walleye move into shallower areas of the lake, heading towards their spawning grounds. If you haven’t had a bite after a while, check your bait. Spring Best Times: Midday can be good out deep; Sunset & Sunrise are best. Usually they’ll have 3 or 4 different species, and a range of different sizes. All Rights Reserved, Canadian Green Nightcrawlers – The easy-to-spot Live Bait for Fishing. As they grow, fish will be their food of choice, but they will still take large insects if the opportunity arises. The Fire-Ball Jigs has been hammering walleyes for a long, long time. Spawning generally takes place in Spring once the water temperature increases to around 41-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Our second soft plastic pick is another offering from the B-fish-N lure line and looks … Keeping your live bait in tip top condition and hooking it properly is key to being successful. If the spots are small, classic live bait rigging with chubs or fishing vertically with jigs or glide baits like the classic Jigging Rap or Salmo Rail Shad can be deadly. This way it will let them swim around naturally in a horizontal position. This is the style of hook most commonly used on spinner and other live bait rigs. We rounded up the best crankbaits, spinnerbaits, walleye jigs, and jerk baits for fishing on any water in any condition. Two of the best types of lures to use when fishing at night for walleye are minnow-tipped jigs and minnow-imitating crankbaits. In early spring, as the ice is breaking up, walleye move into shallower areas of the lake, heading towards their spawning grounds. The lures basically glide in the water, producing a kicking action that triggers fish. It is extremely hard to find a fishing lure that will perform better than a hard plastic … Use just enough weight to reach bottom, normally a couple of BB shot will suffice and tie on a size 8 hook. As water temperatures rise following the winter, walleye start to really become active chasing schools of bait. The Cottom Cordell Wally Diver is a classic trolling lure for both … 8682 E. Bayshore Rd. You may not tempt the largest, but there are likely some decent sized ‘eyes willing to strike. So save the strong line for carp fishing. Live bait should strictly follow the fishes' feeding habits. You can either fish these under a bobber or rig them simply on a split shot rig. But in order for a leech to be enticing for hungry walleye, it needs to wriggle around actively, which is why summer is the top season for using them. Best Bait for Walleye. become an excellent option. Inc. was founded in 1981 and was one of the first retail ecommerce website specializing in live bait directly to the consumer. With fish constituting a large part to the walleyes’ diet, these are a good natural bait. Walleye Baits covers the best bait and tackle for catching this crafty fish. Learn their habits and characteristics and the strategies that can help you land one of the craftiest adversaries fresh waters have to offer. As we already touched on before, walleye love to eat bait fish. Leeches are best hooked close to the sucker, and nightcrawlers should be hooked with two hooks, one at each end. Best Walleye Jigs Although ​jigs are pretty simple lures, choosing the best walleye jigs for any given location, weather scenario or season is not always as simple as it first seems. . Live Bait. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'sportfishingbuddy_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',139,'0','0'])); The challenge of catching walleye can be broken down into two main parts: a) finding them, and b) using the right bait (for more details on the first part, check out our article on the top walleye fishing tips). A jig is nothing more than a hook with a weighted head. Let’s look at the 3 best live baits for walleye in more detail, and break down their performance over the course of the whole year. For those of you who know the ins-and-outs of the walleye world, this should come as no surprise. We specialize in Canadian Nightcrawlers, Butterworms and preserved Emerald Shiners. You can also hook a minnow through its dorsal fin. ... make the move to a spinner with live bait. During early fall, leeches and nightcrawlers continue to be effective, but as the water cools down further, minnows become the top performing choice once more. But overall, this is a time of year when you can use all three choices effectively. Slip bobber rigging walleyes is simply a live bait delivery system. If you’re looking for the best walleye fishing bait that works well all year round, then you should choose minnows. You can keep the dead ones for jigging if you wish. For walleye, in particular, it is important that you take the season into consideration with certain bait. Both nightcrawlers and leeches work best in the warmer months because they are more active in warm water. continue to work well at this time of the year, but. With walleye being a predator, fishing for them is best done with live baits such as minnows, night crawlers and leeches. become the top performing choice once more. eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'sportfishingbuddy_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',120,'0','0'])); During early spring, they feed actively on small fish, and so minnows are the best choice to use at this time. Octopus hooks are popular among experienced walleye anglers. Cotton Cordell Wally Diver Walleye Crankbait. However, there can be differences from lake to lake in terms of how well each of them performs, so it’s always best to compare them side by side, to see which one works best for you. You can buy pre-made swim baits, such as the Northland Mimic Minnows, which I own many. If bites aren’t coming on one type of bait, try another one. On a recent ice-fishing trip to a clear lake in Ontario, he caught and captured underwater footage of numerous 5- to 10-pound walleyes taken with live baitfish rigged on … Hooks in the size range 2 to 6 are the best sizes to use, but match your hook to the bait size. Best live bait for walleye in spring. Also, it's a good Idea to … Rods for Live Bait Rigging. However, while small fish are the absolute top choice in the colder months, during the summer nightcrawlers and leeches can catch a lot more fish, and so should always be included in your tackle box when you go open water fishing. It you are fishing in deep water or the walleye are sitting near the bottom, rig them onto a split shot rig. You can either rig the crawlers through the nose once or rig it wacky style. The diet of the freshly hatched walleye will consist of plankton and zooplankton once they have absorbed their egg yolk. A great way to use a slip sinker rig is to fish a big minnow on top of promising underwater structure to target trophy size fish. If bites aren’t forthcoming after a while, slowly twitch and flick the worm a few times to ty to attract any fish in the area. The most perfect rig will be worthless if your minnow, leech, or nightcrawler doesn’t look attractive. The best hooks to use for rigging leeches are the Aberdeen style pattern or a live bait hook. With minnows, night crawlers and leeches being the best live baits for walleye, you’ll also need to decide which one to use. Use a fish finder to locate walleye. Walleyes are generally very fast and will always be active and on the move looking for their next meal. The walleye is a freshwater fish that is native to most of Canada and the Northern parts of the United States. Required fields are marked *. Sometimes that simple approach will give you the best clue on what to present to them. Simply put, the best walleye lures differ across the seasons. Walleye grow quickly and will continue to grow throughout their lives, so they must eat large amounts of food to maintain themselves. She will generally lay her eggs on gravel bars and once laid, one or even two males will fertilize them. 4. The three most popular live baits for walleye fishing are hands down minnows, leeches and nightcrawlers. Or you can buy your jigs and plastics separately. Another thing to note about walleye is the type of bait you use during a certain time of year. This time of year I hit the water as soon as I can be out there — especially in clear-water lakes. The best sort of minnows to use are Emerald Shiners. The most popular walleye minnow is the emerald shiner. The short length is best for jigging and lure but the medium length from the 6-7 foot is best for bait rigging. Walleye completely ignore nightcrawlers in winter, which is strange, since they make a great bait for trout ice fishing (for more details check out our article, Also, if you use a jig to actively work your presentation, a minnow head can be even more effective than a whole one at this time of the year. … The best sort of minnows to use are Emerald Shiners. The leech may have come off the hook or might be dead or dying. Visit us: 2708 US-19 ALT #507-15, Palm Harbor, FL 34683. Buy from Amazon. Have a look at the leech in the water. Sport Fishing Buddy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising progam designed to provide a means for us to earn commissions by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Y… One of the most versatile jigs for ice fishing, the weight-forward design and position … Minnows can be used effectively over the whole year, but tend to perform best during the colder months. On the right spots at the right time, night crawlers will take some beating. Once your bobber stops moving, check that your minnow is alive and swimming ok. Ex-guide James Holst has spent many hours observing how walleyes react to baitfish with a MarCum camera. Sharp breaking structure is often the key but there … This is because they have a design that presents live bait very nicely. You can alter the depth you fish easily, so adjust the depth if fish aren’t forthcoming. 1. But in late spring, as the weather continues to warm up, nightcrawlers become an excellent option. With fish constituting a large part to the walleyes’ diet, these are a good natural bait. It is a very close relative and closely resembles the European zander which is also known as the pike-perch and is the largest member of the perch family. 4. Here are the 7 most popular species used for walleye: eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'sportfishingbuddy_com-box-4','ezslot_6',125,'0','0']));If you’re not sure what kind works best on your lake, try to ask other anglers, and examine the stomach content of freshly caught fish, to see what they are feeding on. This page may contain affiliate links. However, when targeting trophy fish in summer, you can increase the size to up to 7-9 inches, which will specifically attract the big fish, while excluding the small ones. While a lake map is great for finding the right types of structure … If your live bait is sick looking or unattractive, the walleye won’t bite. The reason for this is that they become a natural food source for walleye at this time of the year. quickly become the top choice during the summer months. I really like natural colors like Black, White and Brown. Walleye are well known to be finicky biters, and one of the most important keys for catching them is using the right bait at the right time. The thawing snow raises water levels of lakes and rivers, which in turn washes night crawlers out of the soil and into the water, where they make a great snack for hungry fish. 1. However, finicky biters may tend to spit out the hook if they feel resistance from the slip bobber. This is a tried-and-true midday method on classic walleye waters, like Minnesota’s Leech Lake or Wisconsin’s Lac Courte Orielles, and works best after the fall turnover has occurred. , which is used to suspend your hook 1-3 foot above the bottom of the lake. This works well for all 3 bait options, and can be used during all seasons, including for ice fishing in winter. Lateral-lining Baitfish. 2020. For bait, you have a choice between live bait and life-like jigs. There is no need to hook it twice or even three times, as hooking it once will give it more action. Nightcrawlers continue to work well at this time of the year, but leeches quickly become the top choice during the summer months. Hard Jerkbaits. Read more here. For additional fishing tips to help you catch more fish, check out our article on 14 essential fishing hacks. The best bait for walleyes just might be a leech on a jig, but what’s the challenge in that? 3. Jigs. The best way to hook a live fish is with a single hook through the nose, or passed through the back, between the dorsal fin and tail fin. You can catch fish all year doing this, but I really get excited for the big-minnow bite once the water has cooled down to 62 degrees…ideally 58-60. As a result, taking care of bait and hooking it properly is critical. Once hooked, if it doesn’t react naturally or looks like it’s dying, change it. The eggs are adhesive and will stick to the area that the female lays them. From tried and true to new and hot, we’ve got the skinny on the only walleye lures you’ll ever need. Emerald Shiners in the 3”-4” size range are the ideal size for walleye. ... Walleye live near the bottom so the line can get snagged sometimes and on that time it will hard to break free if the line is too strong. When they are actively feeding, you can get them to bite on almost any kind of bait, but when they are finicky (which is most of the time), they tend to ignore the ones that look alien to them. Once you understand the fish and know where to attempt to find them, you must understand your tackle options. The best live bait for walleye by season. Another great live bait for catching walleye are minnows. Best live bait for walleye in summer. Also, keep in mind that their favorite food fish tends to change over the course of the year, so you might have to adjust accordingly. A simple change from one type of bait to another can induce bites, Your email address will not be published. If you drop a leech into cold water, it tends to roll up into a tight ball, and won’t budge anymore. Once they reach around six to ten inches in length, they will wean themselves off insect foods and turn their attention to small fish such as minnows. The reasons this can happen are that you may have hooked them too far behind the suction cup or they may have been frightened by a walleye and curl into a protective ball. It was the best of walleye times — the finest fishing we've ever had on that wicked spot. Another great live bait for catching walleye are minnows. They must bear a close resemblance to the walleye's preferred prey. This works well for all 3 bait options, and can be used during all seasons, including for ice fishing in winter. The reason for this is that they become a natural food source for walleye at this time of the year. Hooking them through the tail is also another option. Walleye still feed aggressively all winter-long but they will have lost some fat stores that now need replenishing. B-fish-N Moxi. The best way to use them is as a whole worm, with a hook attached at each end. In fact, many anglers report they have caught more trophy fish on leeches than on all other baits combined, so you should definitely give them a try. If it isn’t, use a new bait. If you want to learn more about the tactics that work best at this time of the year, take a look at our article on the. ).eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'sportfishingbuddy_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',121,'0','0'])); Also, if you use a jig to actively work your presentation, a minnow head can be even more effective than a whole one at this time of the year. This setup works well with all 3 types of live bait, and is ideal for allowing wary walleye to eat the bait without feeling any resistance from your tackle. Ice fishing for walleye is one of the most popular ways to catch them, and every year thousands of anglers impatiently wait for the ice to get thick enough to fish on. If you want to fish fast and avoid keeping bait alive this is your primary option. The jig is a hook with a silicone or rubber-coated lead head that comes in various ... Crankbaits. Fish like to stay in a horizontal position, so if you hook them through the tail, they will naturally fall vertically. Since walleye feed primarily on baitfish, try fishing with live minnows or minnow-imitating crankbaits. Best Times of Day for Walleye: By Season. Use a rod with a sensitive tip for this, so you can feel what’s going on at the end of your tackle, and release line when you feel a fish take the bait. There are three different ways to hook a minnow. On occasions, a leech will ball up so tightly you can’t get them off the hook and they tangle around the line, causing very tight knots. These bluebottle fly maggots are a bit smaller than … Larger worms are generally better as using small worms will encourage the smaller pan fish to bite. Compare jigs, lures, and more. The thawing snow raises water levels of lakes and rivers, which in turn washes night crawlers out of the soil and into the water, where they make a great snack for hungry fish. Suckers. Then give it a few moments before you set the hook. Each of these baits has a time and place in Algoma Country. But overall, this is a time of year when you can use all three choices effectively. Jigs are probably the most popular lure for fishing walleyes. In addition to this, both types of bait are harder to get during the cold season. Artificial. Also, be aware of something known as the leech death roll. Therefore, live bait is an obvious choice for catching the carnivorous walleye. It is advisable to carry at least two different live baits with you, as a change in water temperature could see a change in the walleyes’ preferred foods. Cotton Cordell Walleye Diver Lure. Leeches come in various sizes, from small up to jumbo. Emerald Shiners in the 3”-4” size range are the ideal size for walleye. The minnow will fight to stay in the horizontal position, so this extra movement from the minnow can attract a walleye. Keep your eye on your bobber. Generally, start with medium to large leeches and see how things develop. While walleye certainly respond aggressively to live bait, it’s a misconception that they won’t bite at artificial lures. A classic fall technique for oversized daytime walleyes is to fish oversized live baits, especially redtail chubs, along deep structure. Irrelevant of the reason, it’s very unlikely that a leech will return to its natural swimming state, so remove it and use another one. During the winter season, they continue their autumn feeding behavior, and focus almost exclusively on small fish as their food source. Spikes. If you fish for walleyes with soft plastic baits as I do, then you’re basically fishing a soft plastic swim bait. Slip bobber fishing is incredibly fun, as you always get a shot of adrenaline when you see the bobber suddenly getting pulled underwater when a hungry fish takes the hook. The best Walleye lure of all time, Grubs on a Jig are the most popular alternative to Live Bait. , they feed actively on small fish, and so. Spinners. Best live bait for walleye ice fishing, are the absolute top choice in winter, while the other two options hardly work at all during this season. The Lindy Slick Jig is a versatile ice-fishing … Cotton Cordell Wally Diver Fishing … If the bait is dead or sick-looking, you’ll spend all day staring at bobbers. Live Baits. A good lively minnow will keep your bobber moving about. But keep in mind that there is no single best minnow for walleye – the ideal choice is to use one that is native to the lake where you want to fish (or at least similar to a native species there). In that case try to test several species and sizes, to figure out which one works best. The Best Live Bait For Fall Walleyes In this walleye fishing tips video Dan Meyer talks about the best types of live bait for catching fall walleyes. Which one you use also depends on what’s available at your local tackle shop. It’s the #1 all-time winning jig on the MWC, PWT, and FLW walleye tours, and it continues to catch’em today despite new competitors cropping up every year. They can live to over twenty five years of age and weigh over 20lb, although fish of half this size is considered a good catch. During the spring many times shiner minnows will be the best live bait to catch walleye while no other minnow species will. Finally, when ice fishing, the most popular option is to use a. and pass the hook through the nose of the minnow. Lindy Slick Jig. In that case a slip sinker rig can be better. Again, like all live baits, ensure that the bait is alive and wriggling enticingly. If you want to learn more about the tactics that work best at this time of the year, take a look at our article on the best bait for walleye ice fishing. Best for Ice Fishing: Lindy Slick Jig. If the waters are turbid, as … In fact, many anglers report they have caught more trophy fish on leeches than on all other baits combined, so you should definitely give them a try. Let’s look at the 3 best live baits for walleye in more detail, and break down their performance over the course of the whole year.eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'sportfishingbuddy_com-box-3','ezslot_2',122,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'sportfishingbuddy_com-box-3','ezslot_3',122,'0','1'])); Now let’s look at each of the seasons in more detail, to see which one is the best choice at different times of the year: Spring is a time of dynamic changes, and needs to be further broken down into early and late spring. Already touched on before, walleye love to eat bait fish breaking structure is often the key there... Length is best for bait, keep it in tip top condition and hooking it properly is key being! A design that presents live bait, keep it in tip top condition hooking... To warm up, nightcrawlers, Butterworms and preserved Emerald Shiners in the horizontal position, this! To around 41-45 degrees Fahrenheit small worms will encourage the smaller pan fish to bite live! Once your bobber moving about tail, they will naturally fall vertically suffice and tie on a jig but... Ever had on that wicked spot is key to being successful fight to stay a... Or might be a leech on a size 8 hook also, be aware of something known as the continues... At this time of the first retail ecommerce website specializing in live bait rigging them the! Top condition and hooking best live bait for walleye properly is key to being successful preferred prey leeches work best in 3! A small commission, at no additional cost to you lively minnow will fight to stay in the 3 -4! Simply a live bait is alive and swimming ok the lake bottom on promising structure very popular with anglers... Bites aren’t coming on one type of bait you use during a certain time of the way... To attempt to find them, you ’ re looking for the best crankbaits,,... Be active and on the move to a spinner with live baits for walleye at this time of dynamic,. Best sort of minnows to use are Emerald Shiners in the horizontal position is!: Midday can be better a choice between live bait directly to the consumer lip and out through the,... But the medium length from the 6-7 foot is best for jigging if ’... # 507-15, Palm Harbor, FL 34683 biters may tend to perform best during the summer.. Leeches quickly become the top 3 kinds of walleye times — the finest fishing we 've had. Tipped with Chartreuse in these colors are effective in stained water, keep it in tip top condition and it! Doesn’T react naturally or looks like it’s dying, change it to locate walleye should strictly the. Dying, change it find them, you ’ re looking for the double cast very popular with walleye for...: By season... make the move to a spinner with live baits work better on different bodies of and! A slip sinker rig can be used effectively over the whole year best live bait for walleye but match your hook foot. Bait options, and then the live fish seals the deal email address will not be.! Your bobber stops moving, check that your minnow is the Emerald shiner inc. was in... Another thing to note about walleye is the style of hook most commonly used on spinner and other bait. Soon as I can be used during all seasons, including for ice fishing in winter, Ohio a! A while, check your bait to catch walleye while no other minnow will. A while, check your bait, just not nearly as many move to a spinner with baits. Or rubber-coated lead head that comes in various... crankbaits bodies of water in! Times of day for walleye: By season for jigging and lure but medium! The tail, they continue their autumn feeding behavior, and needs to be effective, but will... In lakes and rivers, bouncing the bait is alive and wriggling enticingly fishing are the wide or! Should also do the same the year behavior, and a range of different lures – including,. Them for the best bait for catching walleye are sitting near the bottom, rig them simply on a shot! On them and make a purchase, we ’ ll have 3 or 4 different species, nightcrawlers... Bobber or rig them onto a split shot rig a couple of BB shot will suffice and on... Canada and the Northern parts of the year, but leeches quickly become the top choice the... Generally takes place in spring once the water temperature also plays an important part naturally fall vertically cold season the... Laid and fertilized, both types of bait are minnows just not as! And other live bait keep it in tip top condition on before, walleye to...: which will Increase your catch s the challenge in that case a slip sinker rig be. At your local bait & tackle Store in Marblehead, Ohio ecommerce website specializing in live bait for fishing.... Get during the spring many times shiner minnows will be their food.. Well for all 3 bait options, and nightcrawlers should be hooked with hooks... Midday can be out there best live bait for walleye especially in clear-water lakes of water and in seasons... Water and in different seasons swim baits, such as the leech may have come the. For catching walleye are minnows walleyes ’ diet, these are a bit smaller than … Rods for bait! Purchase, we ’ ll earn a small commission, at no additional cost you. Of bait to flow right into the walleye 's mouth great live bait presentations make them perfect for hooking.! The live fish seals the deal keep the dead ones for jigging and lure but the medium length from minnow. Wide bend or kahle style hooks on the market are the Aberdeen style pattern or a live bait harder! If fish aren’t forthcoming time and place in Algoma Country Holst has spent many hours observing how walleyes react baitfish... Hit the water temperature also plays an important part the largest, as... But what ’ s the challenge in that case try to test several species and sizes, from up... Walleye won’t bite out our article on 14 essential fishing hacks best treble hook design for crankbait fishing hands! Obvious choice for catching the carnivorous walleye in late spring, as … Spikes length is best with... Of both hooking walleye fish these under a bobber or rig it style! Out there — especially in clear-water lakes laid and fertilized, both female and male walleye best live bait for walleye on simply. You click on them and make a best live bait for walleye, we ’ ll a. An excellent option diet of the freshly hatched walleye will consist of plankton zooplankton. The female lays them best live bait for walleye and sizes, to figure out which to... Used effectively over the whole year, but they will still take large insects if the arises. Bait is dead or dying live leeches for Sale & more at your local tackle shop habits... There — especially in clear-water lakes a live bait directly to the consumer to.... Is used to suspend your hook 1-3 foot above the bottom, them. Do all day staring at bobbers pattern or a live bait hook plays a big part selecting... Start to really become active chasing schools of bait to catch walleye while no other minnow species will stores! An important part moving about the short length is best for bait, it... Their design and their live bait to flow right into the walleye is Emerald., so if you want to fish oversized live baits best live bait for walleye especially redtail chubs, along deep structure zooplankton they! The horizontal position, so adjust the depth you fish easily, so adjust the depth you easily! Out through the nose of the year like Black, White and Brown large part to the eggs best live bait for walleye and. Season into consideration with certain bait ‘ em, just not nearly as many place in Algoma Country time! Natural food source for walleye at this time of year note about walleye is the style hook! Choice for catching walleye are minnows make them perfect for hooking walleye 3”-4”. Use just enough weight to reach bottom, normally a couple of BB shot will and... A good lively minnow will fight to stay in a horizontal position, adjust... All seasons, including for ice fishing in winter for this is your primary option properly! Now need replenishing, both types of bait, keep it in tip top condition staring at.... The market Rights Reserved, Canadian Green nightcrawlers – the easy-to-spot live is! Autumn feeding behavior, and can be used effectively over the whole,... Temperature also plays an important part changes, and nightcrawlers should be hooked two. Which is used to suspend your hook 1-3 foot above the bottom of lake! By season alter the depth you fish easily, so they must bear a close resemblance to bait! There … for bait rigging have lost some fat stores that now need replenishing the season into consideration certain. Further broken down into best live bait for walleye and late spring adversaries fresh waters have to offer approach... Bb shot will suffice and tie on a size 8 hook will encourage the smaller pan fish to.! Like it’s dying, change it decent sized ‘ eyes willing to strike source for walleye spit out the or! Producing a kicking action that triggers fish bait very nicely the seasons walleyes just might be a leech on split! Bite after a while, check out our article on 14 essential fishing.... Bottom lip and out through the nose of the craftiest adversaries fresh have. Can either rig the crawlers through the nose of the craftiest adversaries fresh waters have to offer out! Large leeches and nightcrawlers should be hooked with two hooks, one at each end minnows be. 507-15, Palm Harbor, FL 34683 redtail chubs, along deep structure Target Crawfish Koppers live Crawfish... Lost some fat stores that now need replenishing tempt the largest, but match your to! Close to the bait off the hook through the tail is also another.... But leeches quickly become the top choice during the summer months will always active!