Here’s some must-have walleye fishing gear that will help you fill the net this spring:
Northland Fire-Ball Jig
You can’t talk about walleye fishing without talking about jigs. The Northland Fire-Ball jig is an excellent option. It’s short-shank hook is a great delivery system for livebait fishing in spring. They also have a long-shank model that was designed specifically for fishing spottail shiners, but it’s also great for fishing plastics.
VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig
Another long-shank jig that we’ve had a lot of success with over the years is the VMC Moon Eye Jig. Now this particular jig is a little bit different in that it’s not a round ball head jig like the Fire-Ball, but it actually has an aspirin-shaped head which give it some side to side action when you rip it.
Northland Limber Leech
Moving over to another jig-like presentation, right here we have the Northland Limber Leech. What you’ll do with this bait is cast it out and slowly drag it back to the boat. When the fish are keying in on leeches in the rocks, they won’t be able to resist this presentation.
Rapala Shad Rap
Another category of baits you’re gonna want in your box this year are crankbaits, and the Rapala Shad Rap is a proven killer in that group. One thing I would always recommend, especially when you’re fishing crankbaits, is to use a color that’s just a little bit different than what everyone else is using. Fleet Farm has a handful of custom colored Shad Raps that are absolutely worth a look.
St. Croix Triumph Rod
Moving over to the rod/reel/line side of things: If you’re looking for a new walleye stick, you’ll want to check out the St. Croix Triumph series. This particular rod is 6’6″ Medium Power, Fast Action. This is a really, really good all around walleye fishing rod, whether you’re fishing jigs or crankbaits.
Daiwa Regal LT
I would pair this particular rod with a 200o size reel, and the Daiwa Regal LT is an excellent option. The “LT” stands for light and tough, which is exactly what you’re looking for in a workhorse fishing reel. It has an extremely smooth drag and is a great light line for the price.
Northland Bionic Walleye Braid
Speaking of line, here’s a great option to spool up with: the Northland Bionic Walleye Braid. Both six and eight pound test are right in that sweet spot for a lot of the presentations we listed above. The reason why we like braid is because the no-stretch properties of it. You can feel everything from the bottom to the bite!
Minn Kota Micro Remote
Another super important aspect of walleye fishing is boat control. The iPilot system that works with a number of Minn Kota’s trolling motors really helps to keep your boat on the hotspot. The best way to utilize this system if you’re walleye fishing is using a handheld remote. This Minn Kota Micro Remote is easy to use and puts all the iPilot boat control tools right in your hand.
Sea Foam Marine Pro
Speaking of boats, you want your engine running well this year, so you don’t end up losing valuable time on the water. For that, we would recommend Sea Foam Marine Pro fuel treatment. All you need to know is this stuff was designed specifically for your outboard and all you need to do is pour it in the fuel tank. It’s that simple.
Bubba 5″ Lucky Lew
Once you’ve caught a mess of walleyes, chances are, you might want to bring a few home for the table. One thing that’s always nice to have handy, whether you’re ice fishing or fishing in open water, is a folding knife like the Bubba 5″ Lucky Lew. It easy to store and you can use it for a number of different applications, including cleaning your catch at the end of the day.
Clam Fortis Net
One big key to being a better walleye fisherman is making sure the fish you hookup with actually make it into the boat. For that, you need to make sure you have a good net. What we like about the Clam Fortis Net is it’s fairly lightweight, it has the right size hoop for walleyes, bass and other game species, and it has an extendable handle to net fish a little bit further away from the boat. You’ll also notice ruler down the length of the handle for measuring your catch. This is a great addition to your collection of walleye fishing gear.
Blackfish Torrent Rain Suit
If you’re like most walleye anglers, you probably can’t pick and choose which days you fish based on current weather conditions. You might need to go on the weekend or on your day off. That means you need a quality rain suit for those rainy Sundays. The Blackfish Torrent Rain Suit is a great choice. First and foremost, it will keep you dry, but you’ll also enjoy the waterproof zippers and the lightweight breathable material.
Smooth Moves Ultra
It pays to have some sort of boat seat suspension system when you’re fishing on rough and windy days. One option is the Smooth Moves Ultra. They are fully adjustable and we personally have them installed in a number of our boats. They are easy to use, easy to setup and will save you back.
All of this walleye fishing gear that we just listed is available at your local Fleet Farm store or fleetfarm.com
