Catching Walleyes in Wisconsin & the Midwest

Walleyes In The Mid-West

Walleyes are one of the top tasting freshwater fish in the Mid-West. Whether you’re fishing for Walleyes in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota the top year round bait is the Jigging Rapala.

Jigging & Casting The Rapala

Once the Walleye season opens start using the Rapala by casting up to the weed edges. Once the water begins to warm up move out to deeper water, around sandbars or in front of flowing streams. Avoid areas of large rocks, brush, or stumps as these Rapala Jigs will snag easily and are almost impossible to free. To use this jig in the summer cast it as far as you can and as soon as it hits the water bring up your rod-tip keeping the line taut, now drop your rod retrieving the line at the same time, again keep the line taut. If you have retrieved the bait all the way to the boat stop and lift it one foot off the bottom, now give it a couple of jigs. This will help catch any walleye that follow the bait but did not strike during the retrieval.

Using the Jigging Rapala on the Mississippi River (Lake Pepin for example) you will catch both Walleyes and Sauger. In the Winter try placing the head of a minnow on the treble hook, this seems to help increase the strikes. During the summer cast it just as you would in any lake.

Bandit 200

Using the 200 series Bandit is another one of my favorite baits for catching walleyes when they are suspended. To use this bait retrieve it until it reaches its maximum depth, pause for 3 seconds then start your retrieval again, this is typically the time the Walleyes will strike it.