Don’t overthink it - stick with jigs and plastics for springtime walleye

Jigging a plastic is one of the best tactics for catching walleye in the spring. Here are some foolproof ways to fish Rapala CrushCity soft baits and VMC jigs to put plenty of early season walleye in the net.

A lift-fall sequence is a reliable jigging retrieve for fooling walleye to bite a soft bait. One potent jigging cadence involves a hard, upward rod snap to lift the bait 12 to 24 inches, followed by immediately lowering the rod to get the jig to fall without restriction on slack line. Another option is a steady rod raise from the 9 to 11 o’clock position, and keeping the rod tip at 11 o’clock, so the jig pendulums downward on tight line.

Pairings to try: The Jerk (3.75 inches), Creeper, The Suspect or The Mayor (2-1/2 and 3 inches) and Neon Moon Eye Jig or Tungsten Swimbait Jig.

Must-fish springtime locations: Drop-offs, cabbage clumps, inside and outside weedlines, rock reefs, current breaks, and sand and mud flats.  

Swimbaits and other plastic minnows are excellent springtime offerings. A slow, steady retrieve is tough to beat. Although, a brief speed burst can trigger a strike. Potent, too, is doing the opposite and letting a swimbait fall momentarily.

Keep in mind retrieve speed and jig head weight influence a bait’s running depth. With respect to the latter, it’s important to own various jig weights. You’ll catch more springtime walleye being prepared with 3/16- and 5/16-ounce jigs, along with 1/8 and 1/4 ounce jigs, for instance.

Pairings to try: Mooch Minnow, The Mayor (2-1/2 or 3 inches) and Tungsten Swimbait Jig, The Suspect or Creeper and Tungsten Neon Moon Eye or Ned Rig Jig.

Must-fish springtime locations: Shorelines, rock points, rocky reefs, sand bars, drop-off ledges, weedbeds and mudflats.

Finesse plastics, like the Ned BLT, worked along bottom routinely catch walleye in spring. A basic recipe begins with letting the bait drop naturally to the floor. Next, use shakes or steady drags, intermixed with pauses, to crawl the bait across the lakebed.

Don’t be shy to add small hops or slight rod raises for some vertical movement. Walleye often respond positively to these maneuvers.

Pairings to try: Ned BLT, Creeper, Mooch Minnow or The Jerk (3.75 inches) and Ned Rig Jig.

Must-fish springtime locations: Shallow habitat, including weed beds, cabbage and milfoil clumps, inside weedlines, mud and sand flats, old creek channels, inside and outside turns associated with drop-offs and weedbeds, rock reefs, and various types of wood cover.

Straight-down jigging is another effective approach for catching walleye in spring. For example, vertically jigging a soft-plastic minnow (e.g., The Jerk) routinely catches bottom-oriented walleye migrating into Great Lakes’ tributaries, like the Detroit River.

The technique is straightforward. Lift the jig and plastic off bottom, using anything from a slow rod raise to a short, intense rod snap. Height traveled can be mere inches for inactive, belly-to-bottom walleye, to 20+ inches for active, aggressive fish.

Fast, slack-line drops can stimulate strikes. Other times, keeping a tight line and lowering the rod to control the jig’s drop speed produces better results.

Note, keeping the fishing line vertical is crucial for maintaining maximum control and avoiding snags. Proper boat positioning is essential. As is using a jig weight suited for the conditions, such as 1/2 and 3/4 ounce jigs for deep, fast current areas.

Pairings to try: The Jerk (3.75 inches), Mooch Minnow, The Mayor (3 inches) or The Suspect and Neon MoonEye Jig or Sleek Jig.

Must-fish springtime locations: River channel swings, current breaks and associated structure (e.g., points, wing dams, islands, sand bars, etc.), sand-rock and other bottom transitions on flats, and outside weedlines.

A medium or medium-light 13 Fishing Oath or Myth spinning rod between 6’7” to 7’1” paired with a 3.0-size spinning reel is ideal an ideal combo for most walleye jigging techniques. A good fishing line choice is 10- or 15-pound Sufix 832 Advanced Superline or Revolve Finesse Braid with an 8- to 12-pound Fluorocarbon Leader. Straight fluorocarbon or monofilament lines do offer some unique advantages, which are discussed in this Best Fishing Line Choices For Soft Plastics blog.

Rapala’s CrushCity collection has every size and profile of soft bait you need for early season walleye fishing. Pair these elite plastics with VMC’s jigs, Sufix line and 13 Fishing rods and reels, and you’ll have no trouble catching a ton of walleye this spring.