Suspending Baits Before Your ‘Eyes

Minnows work particularly well when the water temperature is below 50°F. Depending on minnow size, hook sizes should range anywhere from a #6 for smaller minnows to a 1/0 for big chubs. Match hook gap to the bulk of the bait so plenty of hook gap is available to penetrate a walleye’s mouth on the hookset. Hook minnows lightly through the back near the dorsal fin, but avoid penetrating the spine.

Leeches and crawlers are preferred when water temperatures reach 50°F. Crawlers wiggle and squirm for a while, but more likely dangle from the hook after a time. A lively leech continuously swims, attracting walleyes that may move into the area. For leeches, use #6 or #8 lightwire Aberdeen or Octopus-style hooks. Rigged through the sucker, the leech attempts to swim away from the hook. Leeches hooked through the middle create a swimming profile from below. Hook nightcrawlers through the collar or at midpoint on #6 or #4 hooks, letting both ends of the crawler dangle and wiggle. Depending on depth, suspend livebait anywhere between 3 and 12 inches from bottom.

Small roundhead jigs in the 1/64- to 1/16-ounce range are ideal for working a leech or a half-crawler over rocks. Set the bobber stop so the light jig drags right on bottom, working the bait lightly across the rocks. You’ll snag once in a while, but most times, especially in big waves, the float lifts and moves the jig up and over the rocks without snagging.

Float fishing is a fairly stationary presentation, which makes locating walleyes critical. Keep moving until you contact fish. On any given day or body of water, walleyes typically become active periodically throughout the day. So it’s a good idea to keep revisiting key spots to determine whether or not active fish have moved in to feed. When walleyes stop biting, consider moving to the next spot. Once you find the fish, a disappearing float excites even expert walleye anglers.

Drop-Shotting—A fairly new tactic to the walleye word is drop-shotting. It’s a simple rigging refinement that allows you to stay in contact with bottom yet keep your bait out of snags and suspended up where walleyes can see it. Drop-shotting involves placing a weight at the end of the line, with a hook and bait positioned a set distance above the weight. By placing the weight on bottom, you have full control of the lure’s working depth while keeping your bait a set distance from bottom—basically suspending your bait near bottom and walleyes.

Drop-shot rigs are as simple to tie as they are to fish. The unique feature is the placement of the bait above the weight. To make the bait rest horizontally, a Palomar knot is the favorite. When tying the Palomar, insert the tag end of the line through the eye from the hook point side, and form the loop on the bend side. When you tighten the knot, the hook sticks straight out, positioning the bait correctly. The length of the tag end of line determines the distance from bait to weight.