how do you jig for walleye?

There are actually three ways to use jigs (4 or 5 if you want to get creative).

1. Vertical Jigging-This is simply dropping a jig straight down, and moving it up and down slightly at intervals. It sounds simple, but this can be one of the deadliest ways to fish a jig at times. It has the advantage of putting the jig almost in the fishes mouth, important for when walleyes get sulky in deep water, allows for precise depth control and placement, and allows instant hook-ups. For vertical jiggung, you want a roundhead jig with a long shank, to allow more leverage for hook-set. You want a light jig, but heavy enough to keep it vertical, somehwere between 1/8 and 3/8th oz.

2. Pitching-This involves lightly tossing, or ‘pitching’ the jig short distances, with minimal rod movement. This is different than casting, because the distances are seldom longer than a few rod lengths, and you maintain contact with the jig throughout the process. Pitching is best used when walleyes are in shallow water, near heavy cover. You need a short-shanked jig for this, because you are pulling the jig away from the fishes mouth. You also need a light jig than for vertical jigging to help the walleye ‘suck’ the jig into it’s mouth easily. A good size is 1/16th oz.

3. Trolling-This is dropping one or more jigs over the side, and moving the boat slowly until a fish hits. You may need to go as heavy as 1/2 oz. for a good trolling jig. This allows you to cover a lot of water, and is good when walleye are scattered.

Happy fishing.
“