There’s nothing wrong with cashing in on some eater-sized walleye, but if you want to consistently target larger walters, you need to change up your overall strategy. In this video, well-known MN guide Brad Hawthorne shares a few of his favorite ways to upsize your presentation and catch bigger walleye as a result.
Simple Strategy for Catching Big Walleye
A question I get a lot as a guide and a tournament angler is; how do I specifically target and catch big walleyes.
The answer is pretty simple, upsize your baits. For example say you’re in a tournament and you’re on a rig bite pulling live minnows. I just upsize my chubs are suckers to the biggest I can find . I rigged key points big fish areas with large minnows I’m going use eight nine inch chubs and suckers.
That type of thing and that will usually always work if you’re fishing an early season or late season tournament or if I just have a customer that wants to catch big fish.
It’s a great way to target big fish is rigging big minnows and that works from the shield lakes in Canada all the way down to Iowa. I mean it just works literally all over the country.
Now if you’re on a trolling bite targeting big walleyes the things to focus on are big baits and loud baits. Generally bigger baits equal bigger fish and louder baits equal bigger fish. There will be times we will actually be trolling number 8 Rippin Raps behind leadcore and its been a great big fish bait for us. Other baits to use are big husky jerks, big number nine Rapala’s, and any other big body baits you can troll.
When it comes to spinners, use the large sized Erie blades. Use those size 6, 7, or 8 blades in the same colors you were catching slot fish in and you will find yourself catching much larger fish. Those bigger blades give off more flash and a larger profile which allow you to target the biggest fish in the school.
That type of thing is always gonna catch bigger walleyes. Trolling bites use bigger baits on rig bites use bigger minnows and then for spinners quite simply use those erie blades those large sized erie blades.
Just upsize your baits and it will help your target and catch big walleyes.
Upsize for Success: A Guide to Targeting Trophy Walleyes
When clients or fellow tournament anglers ask how to single out truly big walleyes, the answer is refreshingly straightforward: think bigger—across every presentation. From live‑bait rigging on Shield Lakes in Canada to trolling reservoirs in Iowa, upsizing your offering consistently draws the attention of the fish that matter.
Rigging Big Minnows for Early‑ and Late‑Season Giants
On natural lakes and flowages alike, a classic live‑bait rig remains the most reliable way to tempt heavyweight fish. The key is the bait itself:
• Select oversized minnows. Eight‑ or nine‑inch chubs and suckers provide the bulky profile a mature walleye can’t ignore. (Ten‑inch baitfish start to become unwieldy, so eight to nine inches is the sweet spot.)
• Key in on big‑fish structure. Work prominent points, saddles, and deep edges where larger walleyes stage during spring and fall.
• Let the minnow do the teasing. A lively, outsized bait pulses and flashes—a dinner bell that smaller fish often overlook, leaving your rig available for the dominant predators.
Go Loud and Large on the Troll
Covering water with crankbaits or lipless cranks? Size up here too.
• Bigger baits, bigger bites. Husky Jerks and other cranks in sizes #8 and #9 routinely outproduce smaller offerings when you’re hunting a five‑fish over slot or a single tournament kicker.
• Don’t shy away from sound. Large, rattling lures—such as #8 Rippin’ Raps—pulled on lead‑core line create a deep thump that calls big walleyes from a distance.
• Match the forage, exceed the competition. Oversized profiles imitate the adult perch, tullibees, or shad a trophy fish feeds on daily.
Supersize Your Spinners
Spinner rigs catch numbers, but they can also cherry‑pick trophies when you scale them correctly.
• Use Erie blades in sizes #6–#8. The wider, heavier blades throw more flash and vibration, yet present a silhouette fewer small fish will chase.
• Stick with proven colors. Simply transfer the hues that produce keeper‑size fish onto the larger blade. The profile, not the palette, makes the difference.
• Stay confident. Larger components naturally filter out the “dink” bites and keep you focused on quality hookups.
The Bottom Line
No matter the technique—rigging, trolling, or spinner pulling—upsizing your presentation is the common thread that separates average days from banner ones when targeting big walleyes. After years of guiding clients and competing in tournaments, I can say with confidence that these adjustments consistently put trophy‑class fish in the net. Give them a try on your home water, and watch your catch average climb.
Comments are closed.