As an experienced walleye angler, you will know that how effective live bait can be. Whether you prefer night-crawlers, leeches, or minnows but the right rig makes a big difference. Usually, I liked to do fishing walleye in my own style until I saw experienced walleye anglers. I was amazed when I saw their fishing method and how easily they were catching large numbers of walleyes. I got some tips from them, and after that, I got to know about walleye rigs.
A good walleye rig is more than everything for catching a massive number of walleyes. If you’re not using it, you’re doing a big mistake.
I realized this when I started using the walleye rig because This led to a higher catch rate for me. But which rig should you use? In this article, we will give you a list of the best walleye rigs in 2024. With step-by-step instructions, you will be ready to catch many walleyes in the blink of an eye.
Top Walleye Rigs In 2024 You Should Know:
Here are the 5 best rigs for catching walleyes in 2024:
- Bottom bouncer rig
- Lindy Rig
- Drop shot rig
- Slip bobber rig
- Ned rig
Before we look at the best walleye rigs, there is something that you should know. You need one of the walleye rigs in starting, and after gaining some experience, you will probably end up using 2 to 3 of them. Don’t worry; it is not as difficult as you think.
Bottom Bouncer Rig:
The Bottom bouncer is a very popular rig for walleye fishing and is very effective for trolling or drifting applications. It is essentially L-shaped pieces of wire in which weights of different sizes are attached in the middle of its long arm.
It consists of 2 main components. There is the head, where you tie your mainline. Then there is the arm, where you clip on your fishing rig.
How to tie it: First, add the mainline through the swivel eyelet, then come back through, leaving a loop on one end and two separate strands on the other. Take the two ends and wrap them around every other as if you had been going to tie a knot, growing a hole in the center.
Now put the same loop side through the hole that you just created, and then put the swivel via the facet you simply put thru the center hole. Pull it tight! When you have tied the swivel now, you can take the eyelet of the Bottom bouncer and connect it to the swivel you tied.
When to use it: This walleye rig is year-round and can be used any time you know walleyes aren’t far off the Bottom. It is usually used in the summer, but you can use them anytime during the open water season.
How to use it: The most convenient way to use a Bottom bouncer is to troll it slowly to ensure contact with the Bottom. You should use it and target walleye when they are feeding at the Bottom. A fantastic thing about this master plan is that you can use live baits like minnows, night-crawlers, or leeches to maximize your result.
Lindy Rig:
Lindy rig is also the best choice for trolling or other activities. To be honest, it is very similar to a Bottom bouncer rig, except they use a different type of weight because it uses an ordinary sliding sinker.
It helps to lift your crawler or leeches above barriers while preserving it given your next large catch. It consists of a sliding sinker, a two-way barrel swivel, and a hook. The hook can be a host of sizes, colors, and shapes.
How to tie it: Lindy rigs are extremely easy to set up. The basic things to tie a lindy rig are having a sliding sinker and a weight on your mainline. Begin by threading your mainline through the sliding sinker, and now tie it to a barrel swivel with double knots.
Take 2 to 5 feet of leader length, tie it to your hook and lure, and then tie the leader’s end to the swivel’s second eye.
When to use it: Lindy rig is the most common rig for walleyes, and many walleye anglers love using it during walleye fishing. It can be used in shore fishing, drifting, or trolling presentation.
You can use it anytime, but I recommend using it when you realize that walleyes are close to the Bottom. The only disadvantage is that the weight can smoothly get snagged in Bottom construction, while the Bottom bouncer is more snag-proof.
Drop Shot Rig:
The drop shot rig is not as similar to the first two walleye rigs we covered as it because it does not contain a swivel or weight. While most of the anglers use it with bass fishing but it also works crazy for catching walleyes.
If you want to catch walleye in a unique way, then this option is best for you. It consists of a line connected to a hook that contains the tag end leader expanding downward to a drop shot weight under the hook.
How to tie it: Start by tying an octopus hook to your mainline with a Palomar knot. When tying the knot, always ensure that the long tag is more than enough to get into 3 to 4 feet of line between the hook and weight.
When the knot is tied, force the tag through the hook for the next time. Making the tag perpendicular to the line, now connect the end of the tag to your drop shot weight. You are good to go!
When to use it: You can use this walleye rig throughout all fishing seasons or the whole open water season but the best time to use it for targeting walleye is when fish are holding close to the Bottom. On the other hand, Try the usage of a jig if your fish finder tells you that the walleyes are suspended.
How to use it: You can use it in different ways according to your technique, but the most practical way to use a drop shot rig for fishing is from a boat vertically. Find structures for walleye using a fish finder, take your weight and drop it until it touches the Bottom, and then jiggle your lure or minnows top bottom without lifting your weight. You will be catching walleyes in minutes.
Slip Bobber Rig:
Slip Bobber rig is also a very popular walleye rig for catching walleyes as it allows your bait to be placed at any depth. It consists of a bobber slip on your main fishing line on your reel spool.
The swivel is attached to it, and the leader is attached to your hook at the end of the swivel. More features are a sliding weight between the slip bobber and the swivel. The rubber stop above the bobber determines how deep your bait will be served.
How to tie it: Start by sliding your bobber stop onto your main line, followed by a small bead. Put your sliding sinker below the float and connect it to your swivel. Tie a 2-3 foot leader to another eye of the swivel; add your hook to the leader.
Your stopper should be placed above the bead and float. Adjust the depth according to your quantity. Add a bait, and you are good to go.
When to use it: To be honest, a slip bobber rig can be used anytime from spring to fall before the start of winter, but it usually performs better when you want your bait to be present above the walleye. They are really helpful for fishing in deep areas, fishing long distances, and trolling behind a boat.
How to use it: It is one of the few rigs that works good on a shore, Also with great strategy when casting a walleye on the surface. Use fish finders to find walleye and to check the depth at which they are holding.
Your rubber stop should be adjusted so that your bait will be given 1 to 3 feet above that depth. Lower your bait towards the fish, but don’t get a bite in two minutes; simply move to the next spot.
Ned Rig:
The Ned rig is one of the simple and popular rigs used for bass fishing, but it can also be a deadly option for catching walleyes. It is a very effortless rig to set up. It was created by Ned Kehde and consisted of a 1/16 to 1/4 oz mushroom jig head with a soft plastic lure of about 2 inches attached into the hook.
How to tie it: It is very simple to tie; first tie the mushroom jig head to your mainline. Then add the 2-inch soft plastic lure to your hook, and now you can go fishing.
When to use it: If you are a person who loves fishing from shore and loves catching walleyes from deep water, then this option is perfect for you. You can also use Ned rigs to catch fish in shallow mud flats or the edges of weed beds.
How to use it: The technique of fishing is really simple. Cast the lure out, and let it vanish to the Bottom. Begin retrieving it gradually with jerks and small hops. Try doing some experiments with the speed and depth at which they retrieve the lure because walleye feed higher in the water column occasionally.
FAQs
Which is the best rig for walleyes?
By the way, all the rigs described above are perfect and will help help you to catch walleyes in large numbers, according to our experience but the most suitable rigs to catch walleyes in any conditions are bottom bouncer, slip bobber, and lindy rig.
What is the best live bait for walleye?
As an angler, You should know how important your bait representation is. For catching walleyes, The three most popular baits used by walleye anglers are minnows, leeches, and night-crawlers.
Conclusion:
Thanks for reading my article. I hope that you enjoyed reading it and now fully understand all the walleye rigs, and how to tie and use them. These rigs will help you catch more and more walleyes and will make your day beautiful.
