Here’s some excellent walleye search baits and gear that will help you catch more walleyes this summer:
Northland Butterfly Blades
This week, we’ve been talking all about finding walleyes fast and you can’t talk about that topic without talking about spinner rigs. What’s interesting about the Northland Butterfly Blade is that it’s made out of polycarbonate material, which is a lightweight material that can be fished very, very slowly. They come in a handful of different configurations, including a traditional single hook model, a crawler rig, Super Death rigs, and the Float’n Harness option.
Rapala Jigging Rap
Next up, we have something a lot of people would consider to be an ice fishing lure, and that’s the Rapala Jigging Rap. That said, I’m here to tell you that it’s a LOT more than that – it’s one of the best walleye search baits on the market. This is an extremely effective bait for catching walleyes from early summer, all the way into fall. The Jigging Rap shines when the fish are really aggressive and want snap an erratic bait.
Rapala Rippin’ Rap
When you’re trying to cover water and find fish, it doesn’t hurt to have something that will call them in from a distance. The Rapala Rippin’ Rap not only gives off a lot of vibration, but it also has an internal rattle system that emits a lot of rattling noise. It’s one of our favorite walleye search baits.
Northland Thumper Jig
Next up is one of my personal favorite jigs, especially for river fishing situations: the Northland Thumper Jig. When you’re fishing in dirty water, it can be critical to have a little extra flash, vibration and thumping action to call fish to where you’re at.
Salmo Rail Shad
The Salmo Rail Shad is unique bait that’s new to the market. It has a “rail” up near the head which allows the line-tie to slide up and down depending on how you’re fishing the bait. You can fish it like a traditional crankbait, but one interesting characteristic of how this bait can be fished is if you want to use it vertically. It’s a new concept that the fish have never seen before.
Rapala Shad Dancer
Traditional crankbaits have always been a big player when it comes to finding walleyes quickly, and the Rapala Shad Dancer should be in your arsenal. A lot of guys will use these baits for casting up into those mid-range levels. The #5 size will dive to around 7-10 feet, which makes it a perfect presentation for fishing those areas, but it’s also a really, really good trolling bait.
Off Shore Planer Board
Speaking of trolling, if you’re trying to cover water to find walleyes as quickly as possible, I would recommend using planer boards, especially if you’re fishing somewhere where you have the ability to use multiple lines or if you have a bunch of people in your boat. It pays to have you lines spread out over a wide area. This will help you cover more water and find walleyes more quickly. The Off Shore Planer Boards are excellent. They’ve been in the game for a long time and they make some excellent trolling boards.
Aqua-Vu HD 10i
We have a bunch of different sonar technologies at our fingertips in today’s day and age, but one tool that I really enjoy using is an underwater camera. The Aqua-Vu HD 10i is the ultimate weapon in this category of tools and it’s the camera that I personally use. They work great for checking out the habitat you’re fishing to figure out exactly what you’re fishing. Additionally, if you’re marking fish and you’re not sure what you’re looking at, you can drop down the camera to confirm what you’re looking at.
Lindy Marker Buoy Rack Pack
Once you’ve found fish, I know it’s old school, but don’t forget about marker buoys. Many anglers don’t use them anymore and would consider them to be a thing of the past, but they’re still quite useful in some situations. If you’ve located a school of fish, you can toss the buoy right in the middle of the hotspot and now you have something visual you can look at, you can cast at, and if you’re not an expert with boat control and electronics, it can actually be a more accurate way to stay on top of the fish.
Northland Bionic Walleye Braid
If your’e looking to spool up your walleye rod with some fresh line, I would recommend checking out the Northland Bionic Walleye Braid. What’s interesting about this particular line is it’s camo colored, but it also has various strike indicators throughout the line to help you detect bites. We have 6lb, 8lb and 10lb on the table, all of those sizes should be great for walleye fishing.
Sea Foam High Mileage Motor Treatment
The Sea Foam High Mileage motor treatment is designed specifically for vehicles that have engines with 75,000 miles or more. It also works great if you have a ticking sound in your lifters. Just pour a half a can into the oil crank case and it will quiet it right up.
Blackfish Gaiter
Last but not least, if you’re going to be spending any amount of time on the water this summer, I would highly recommend protecting yourself from the sun. The Blackfish Gaiter is designed to protect your neck, your face, your ears and your nose from the sun. It has chemical-free cooling technology that will actually keep you cool in the summertime heat, which is always a nice bonus.
