Walleye fishing lures have expanded greatly from the selection of yesteryear. Given that the walleye is the 2nd most sought after fish in America, there is little doubt that knowing what the full gamut of fishing lures is imperative for todays walleye fisherman. As most know, the walleye takes a back seat to very few fish in the frying pan, hence one of the key reasons for their popularity. On top of all that, the walleye is known for being a bit of a finicky fish as compared to the most popular fishing target, the bass. This is another key reason that people target walleye, they enjoy the challenge of successfully fishing for them.
So, what lures should be in our tackle box when we are targeting the elusive walleye? The tried and true method obviously contains a heavy dose of jigs and live bait. Throw some snells and lindy rig type harnesses and you have a good start for the live bait portion of your walleye arsenal. Included in this should be plenty of different jig head style and weights, as well as a wide array of colors. Popular live bait to be used on these rigs are leeches, nightcrawlers and minnows (fatheads, shiners, and even smaller minnows such as crappie minnows). On top of that, a classic slip bobber rig can be deadly for targeting fish relating to specific structure and depths.
If you get away from the live bait and want to concentrate on artificials, a good area to start with is the same jigs as above tipped with soft plastic baits. As many bass fisherman can attest, plastic baits pitched into the weeds can be an excellent way to catch many walleye. These "weed" walleyes are often the variety that is raised in a farm pond and stocked into a lake. There have been numerous studies that show that these walleyes stay in the weeds almost exclusively and are less likely to be caught. The simple reason to me is that most people are targeting the "classic" walleye structure for fish. The problem with fishing the weeds is that it tends to tear up the bait on the jig and therefore live bait is a poor choice. Enter the soft plastic walleye fishing lure that is much sturdier than live bait. Given the walleyes very particular tastes, make sure that the soft plastic you choose has been impregnated with flavor and scent to trick the walleye into believing it is alive.
The last key walleye fishing lure is the crankbait. Most often trolled behind a boat, but also effective when casted while drifting or anchored, the crankbait can be a great way to put fish in the boat, especially when they are actively feeding. Remember to match the lure with the forage type natural to the lake that the walleye feed on. These generally are skinny, long (think 3-6 inches) lures that have a slow wobble, as opposed the fatter, fast shaking crankbait popular for bass. A great lure that I have used repeatedly to catch 'eyes while trolling a crankbait is the Rapala Shad Rap in size 7. This just seems to be a great match to the standard sized shad that fish eat, and just about it the fattest type of crank bait I would consider for walleye. Other popular models include the Reef Runner (I prefer the Deep Little Ripper) and the Rapala Tail Dancer. Make sure to tailor the lure to the depth the fish are at.
As can be seen, the lures available to today's fisherman is quite impressive. There should be no reason that you can't have a tackle box full of whatever walleye fishing lures the fish wants.
