Walleye Baits

Winter Walleye Fishing

Just because it’s winter, it doesn’t mean you can’t catch walleye. Most of the basic rules continue to apply, but there are some specific cold weather strategies that can increase your chance for success.

Firstly, the best times for catching walleye still hold true. The hours surrounding dusk and dawn are when walleye are most aggressive, taking full advantage of their low light capability to forage for food. You can also have good luck during regular daytime hours if the weather is snowy or overcast. Start fishing deep during daylight hours and move to shallower areas as the sun begins to set. Walleye are a little like zombies – they don’t like to come out in the bright light.

Night fishing for walleye can be rewarding, as well. Wait until their renowned light gathering eyes have adjusted, an hour or so after darkness has set in. They’ll be back on the prowl, patrolling shallower waters looking for a late-night snack. If you have some good moonlight, all the better.

Knowing when a walleye is in a biting mood is one thing, but you also need to know where they’re hanging out. It’s always good to learn the best spots on a lake or river before the ice sets up. If you’re not already familiar with a particular body of water, you can use a fish finder and map out the areas and depths where they‘re holding. Again, most of the usual rules apply. Walleye like rock or gravel bottoms, holes, dams, structures with drop-offs, etc.

There are differences, however, between early and late winter walleye fishing. As the first ice begins to set early in the season, walleye tend to remain in deep water that’s close to the shallows where they can take advantage of the last remaining bait fish. But during the latter part of winter, they will begin to focus on the spring spawn and move into staging areas near their spawning grounds. If you’re lake fishing, locate spots where rivers or creeks come in, as they tend to supply the warmer water walleye like to stage in. If you’re on a river, look for areas where their upstream movement will be blocked by dams or other man-made or natural obstructions. But remember, they aren’t exactly at those spots just yet. They’ll be exhibiting their late winter, pre-spawn behavior, which means staging themselves somewhere just off their spawning ground. So the key often is fishing the spot closest and deepest to the spawning site. But, don’t wander too far off from ground zero, walleye are likely staging within 30 feet from that point.

Best Winter Walleye Baits

The Rapala Jigging Rap has been around for nearly 50 years and represents the gold standard among anglers. Its sleek, minnow profile and crazy circular swimming motion mimics a wounded baitfish that can ignite strikes from suspended walleyes. The bill at the back-end allows for the rap’s movement on both the rise and fall. Rapala also offers jigging raps with a UV finish, great in low light or stained water. Depending on your line weight and water conditions, you can have a lot of success with sizes #5, #7, or #9.

With its lipless, deep belly profile, the Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap crankbait is designed to dive and rip with the best of them. Flat, skinny sides allow the Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap to flutter on the drop with a hard-vibrating action that’s accented with a loud, BB rattle system. Other features include textured scales and gills with deep-set 3D holographic eyes. Adding to this crankbait’s deadly disposition are fast-piercing VMC® black nickel hooks.

Used in Sweden for more than 100 years, the Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple jigging spoon delivers exceptional results on saltwater and freshwater fish. A tried-and-true ice fishing legend for decades, and the first to incorporate a flicker blade as standard equipment; just use a sharp vertical jig motion to execute an erratic injured baitfish action. Flashy and responsive, the Pimple is effective whether fished plain or tipped with bait.

6 BEST Winter Walleye Lures

(Open Water)