How to Spinner Rig for Walleye (Advanced Tips)
Spinner rigging for walleye — it’s a tactic that every good up-north angler has in his back pocket for summertime walleye. It’s an excellent technique for moving quickly and covering water, whether you’re using night crawlers, minnows or leeches. In this video, fishing guide Brad Hawthorne shares everything you need to know to get started “pulling blades.”
Spinner rigs are a popular and effective way to catch walleye, but there are a few tricks and tips to make sure you get the most out of your rigs. In this article, we’ll discuss blade selection, weight strategy, line selection, rod and reel selection, and more.
Blade Selection
When selecting blades for spinner rigs, it’s important to start small and work your way up. I always start small before going up, especially on Mille Lacs I see a lot of smaller blades work better.
He also recommends having a variety of blades on hand, saying, “My spinner is about like blade box about this big it’s got little pins in it…every one of those posts has a different size color that’s well organized so you can just simply just flip it open grab a blade pop it on and as long as you don’t have to change bead color you can get your blades dialed in very very quickly.”
When it comes to color selection, Johnson recommends starting with natural colors like gold, silver, and white. He also suggests experimenting with different combinations, such as gold and red, two golds and two reds, or a silver and gold. For fire tiger patterns, he recommends a chartreuse blade with chartreuse, orange, and green beads. For buggy ones, he suggests a purple and silver blade with purple and pink beads, or a solid pink blade with pink and white beads.
Weight Strategy
When it comes to weight strategy, Johnson recommends using bottom bouncers or 3-way rigs for deeper lakes. For weeds, he suggests a half to five-eighths in line weight with a three to four foot spinner. He also recommends using heavier fluorocarbon (12-14 pound) for clear bodies of water when the fish might be lying shy, and braid for stained water.
Line Selection
When it comes to line selection, Johnson recommends using fluorocarbon on both spinning and baitcasting rods, and braid on spinning rods when fishing over structure or rocks. He suggests using 8-10 pound fluorocarbon for spinners on clear lakes, and 12-14 pound fluorocarbon for stained water. He also recommends running spinners at speeds of 0.8-1.5 miles per hour, and open-water trolling at speeds of 1.25-1.6 miles per hour.
Rod and Reel Selection
When it comes to rod and reel selection, Johnson recommends a baitcaster with a flip and switch for pulling spinners. He also suggests using spinning gear for drifting spinners, as the leaders are usually shorter and it’s easier to flop them out. He recommends a medium action rod for spinner fishing, as it allows the fish to load on it before you feel the bite.
Conclusion
Spinner rigs are a great way to catch walleye, but it’s important to have the right setup to get the most out of your rigs. By selecting the right blades, weight strategy, line selection, and rod and reel, you can maximize your chances of success. With a little practice and experimentation, you’ll be catching walleye in no time!
