Jigs For More Spring Walleye

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Jigs For More Spring Walleye by Bob Jensen
  It?s that time of year when lots of anglers start to think about fishing, and when many of those anglers think of early season fishing, their thoughts automatically turn to walleyes.  And, when those anglers start to think of how they?re going to catch those walleyes, jigs are often the first bait presentation to pop into mind.  Here are some ideas for more success using jigs to catch early season walleyes.

There are a lot of different styles of jigs available to anglers.  That wide selection can be confusing:  Don?t let it be so.  First, take a look at the head shape of the jig.  There are three basic head styles that many anglers use.

Early in the year, a stand-up head can be very good.  A good example of a stand-up head is the Stand-up Fire-Ball jig.  It has a wide base that enables the jig to stand up when it?s sitting still on the bottom of the lake or river.  This enables the minnow or whatever you?re tipping the jig with to remain in sight of any walleye that might be nearby.  Round head jigs will lay on the bottom and the minnow won?t be so visible.  Early in the year, a dragging retrieve with frequent stops is often best, so the stand-up head is a great choice.  Stand-up heads are also a great choice along weedlines and emerging vegetation, as they slide through the vegetation with fewer hang ups.

Round head jigs such as the Fire-Ball jig are very good in many situations.  In fact, the round head jig is the most universal jig style.  The Fire-Ball jig has a short-shanked hook with a wide gap, making it an excellent hooking jig.  If a fish eats this jig, it?s probably going to get caught. 

With these jigs it works well, when using a minnow, to put the hook in the minnow?s mouth and out the back of its head.  The minnow?s mouth should be right up against the head of the jig when hooked in this manner.  That makes the jig/minnow presentation appear to be small, which is good in the cold waters of spring, and also keeps the minnow on the jig much better.

Soft baits are becoming more and more popular every year.  That?s because anglers are realizing how effective soft baits are for a wide variety of fish.  Power Bait and Gulp! on jigs have been proven to catch fish as well as live bait in almost any situation, and better in many situations. A jig with a longer hook is better for soft bait presentation.  A swimming presentation is usually very effective when soft bait is employed.  A Mimic Minnow jig-head is perfect for soft bait.  It lends itself to a swimming retrieve and has a soft-bait keeper on its neck which prevents the bait from sliding down the hook.

Don?t let the different styles of jigs be confusing. Think about how you will be presenting the bait, then select the jighead that will allow you to do so most effectively.  If you do that, you?re going to get bit more often