One of My Favourite Walleye Jigging Techniques

I want to share something you can add to your expertise of fishing techniques that I discovered while jigging for walleye in deep pooled rivers from my personal Fish Cat pontoon boat.  I used my portable fish finder (the one I use for ice fishing), and manually secured it with a bungee cord to my pontoon boat.  While I was anchored over a deep pool, I was able to entice walleye to strike my bait even on a tough fishing day. I found myself using this method over and over again and it has become one of my favourite fishing techniques so I wanted to share it with everybody.

Use Limited Bait SizeI attached a short worm fragment to the jig such that only a limited tail section of worm extended beyond the hook (see the video).  I found that it was essential to keep the bait size limited and only use a fragment of worm to cover the hook.  Anything larger than the hook was simply tugged off the jig by walleyes.  So you need to limit the size of the worm that is attached to encourage the walleye to take the entire bait and jig into his mouth.
Using My Portable Fish FinderMy fish finder has a colour display and this is used for more than presenting a pretty picture.  Different coloured signals are interpreted differently.  For example if an object is red, this means that the object is directly beneath the transducer (in the center of the signal cone emitted from the fish finder).  If an object is yellow, this indicates that the object is on the outer perimeter of the signal cone of the fish finder, and a green signal means the object is in between the outer perimeter and the center of the cone.
I have seen signals change from yellow to green and then to red, as it approached my bait.  This simply means that a fish has entered the signal zone of the fish finder and then colour changes from yellow to green to red as it moves closer towards the bait.  Incorporating this knowledge about the fish finder adds an important aspect to all your the fishing techniques because it tells you how close the fish is to the bait.  In this way you can anticipate a fish strike instead or reacting after the strike.
Experiment With Jig SizeI found that I could hold my position over a pool containing walleyes and then adjust the size of my jig head to ensure my bait could be seen on the screen of my fish finder.  In a river, the current can be strong enough to move your bait out of range of the fish finder, so it is necessary to increase the size of the jig, so that you can see it on the screen.  This is a key point if you are going to make this one of your own fishing techniques.  You need to be sure you are watching your bait on the screen.
In the video, I used a 5/8 inch chartreuse jig head because this size was large enough to ensure the bait was directly under me and could be picked up by my fish finder.  (In larger rivers with a larger current, you will require a larger jig.  You will have to experiment with jig size for your particular river like all fishing techniques.  Just make sure you have several different sizes and colours of jigs with you so you can get your bait visible on your screen).
Walleye Fishing TechniquesAs I lowered the bait down, I was able to follow the bait until it reached the bottom. When it hit the bottom, my line went slack, so I was sure I was following my bait and not something else.  I set my bail and then began starting to slowly raise the bait off the bottom.  Immediately, I saw a second red signal rising off the bottom and following my bait.  It was a curious walleye following.  As I continued to raise my bait sometimes a walleye would continue following and then return to the bottom, but sometimes it would strike.  In addition sometimes I could induce more than one walleye to follow my bait evidenced by several independent signals rising off the bottom.  It was really exciting to see several signals following my bait because it became apparent that there was a competition for the same bait!  When this occurs, it’s only a matter time before you get a major strike with this fishing technique.
Although I caught only some nice eating size 1-2 pound walleyes in the video, other times it helped me get some big walleyes too.  Therefore don’t limit yourself.  Add this to your list of fishing techniques.
Of all the fishing techniques I use, this is one of my favourites.  It is truly exciting to know that I can entice a walleye to strike and even create some competition for the same bait.
Fishing Techniques For PerchThis technique also works for perch fishing.  When you are anchored for perch fishing, it is possible to attract attention of some big perch using this method.  If you take the bait away from a couple of big perch, then others will become interested and before you know it, you have a bunch of perch in competition for your bait and then the feeding frenzy begins!
Using this as one of your fishing techniques, you’ll always know if there are fish that are interested in your bait or if they are even present!  If they simply come to take a look with no strikes, then you know you have to present something else, either change colour, size or even change the bait altogether.
This is one of my favourite fishing techniques because it’s exciting to watch the signal of a fish following your bait and then getting a strike.  You will also be better prepared for that strike if you can watch it on a screen!
Here’s to tight lines and great times!

Maddalena Environmental Inc.

Al Maddalena