Club | November 2024

BLOG | The Complete Walleye Tackle Box

By: Captain Lance Valentine

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and came upon a post from an old fishing buddy as he was cleaning out his boat to sell it. The stacks and stacks of tackle boxes got me thinking, “What do we REALLY need for walleye fishing?”. A lot of that will depend on when/where and how you fish but there are some “basics” every walleye boat needs. I spent some time thinking back about all the places I have fished and all the tackle I have acquired over the years and thought I would put it all together in one comprehensive piece of content. I’m going to start with basics in each of several categories to help you decide what YOU need for your fishing. Hope you saved a few nickels for what you are missing! (I have added pictures to the end of the blog to make it easier to read)

Crankbaits
Let’s start with one of my favorite ways to catch fish, crankbaits. Crankbaits work anywhere walleye swim and come in an endless variety of sizes, shapes, actions, colors and designs. Plus, a full box of crankbaits just looks cool! Here are some things to consider when evaluating your current crankbait selection:

1) Body Material: your crankbait selection should have a good mix of both wood and plastic bodies. Each one has different characteristics that affect lure action, lure sound and how the bait reacts when speed is changed. Casting or trolling, the body material of a crankbait can have a huge impact on number of fish caught.

2) Diving Bills: this is a big one. Be sure to have crankbaits with both long, round bills and short, square bills. Bill shape and size has a direct affect on lure action, one of the most important factors each day. Long, round bills create a “wiggle” action where the tail of the bait moves side to side in an arc. The longer and wider the bill, the wider and slower the tail arc is. Shorter bills create a “roll” action making the bait roll side to side with little “wiggle”. Each action has a time and place, so be sure you have a good selection of both in your tackle selection.

3) Lure Size: Before we go on let’s discuss the crankbait “size” system. Most crankbaits are measured in centimeters. For example, a size 5 lure is 5 cm, a 7 is 7 cm and so on. For those of you who missed “metric day” in school, there are 2.54 cm per inch, so every 5 cm is equal to about 2 inches. If you want to be prepared, be sure to have crankbaits in sizes from #4 up to #14 with a concentration in the #7-#9 range. Depending on where you fish you should add some bigger or smaller cranks. If I’m fishing early season weeds, I like to have #5 lures ready to go but for casting or trolling at night, size 11 and 13 lures are top choices, chasing big walleye during cold weather, be sure to have some baits up to #18 in your spread.

4) Lure Shape: Remember, not all walleye prey looks the same. Some minnows are long skinny, some are short and fat. Imitating perch takes a different shaped lure than imitating smelt, or crawfish does. Your crankbait selection needs to be full of different shapes BEFORE you buy a bunch of different colors in one shape.

Lure Color: Well, this should be fun! I know everyone, including myself, has favorite crankbait colors, especially on bodies of water we fish a lot. One tip I can give you is to start concentrating on the bottom and side colors of your lures and forget about the top. Walleyes almost NEVER see the top third of a crankbait so stop worrying about it! There is a reason that lure manufacturers and painters put lures in packaging with the top showing – colors on the BOTTOM of the lure catches FISH, colors on the TOP of the lure catch FISHERMEN! Our records show that no matter where you fish, some colors on the bottom of a lure consistently catch walleyes. Those colors are Purple, red, orange, pink and chartreuse. In my travels all across the walleye world there are a few color combos that work everywhere:

• *Silver/Blue/Orange Belly
• *Firetiger
• *White or Bone base with orange or red on belly
• *Dark Purple or Black base with Pink belly or dots
• *Gold/Black/Red or Orange belly
• * Copper Base with pink Belly
• *Natural Perch with orange belly

6) Mino Baits – Mino baits can be either wood or plastic, deep or shallow divers and are distinguished by their long, skinny profile. Examples include the original Rapala minnow, Bomber Long A, Smithwick Top 20 and Perfect 10, Berkley Flicker Mino, Husky Jerk and more.

7) Modified Mino Baits – You have them in your box, you just might not call them this. Modified mino crankbaits are basically mino baits with a slight “curve” to the body which creates a different action than a straight bodied mino bait has. Crankbaits like Bandits, Reef Runners, Rapala Tail Dancers, Walleye Divers, WNC Boogie Shads, Spro Madeye Divers and others are what I consider “modified” mino baits.

8) Shad Baits – Shad baits have a wider profile than mino baits do, and that shape difference creates a slightly different action. Shad baits do a great job of imitating shad, alewife, perch and other thick bodied baitfish as well as bottom dwelling bait like gobies and crawfish. Be sure to have some Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, and Reapers, CC Shads, Hot-N-Tots and others. Be sure to have a good selection of shad bodies in both wood and plastic.

9) Rattle Baits – Seems like Rattle Baits (also called lipless crankbaits) come and go in popularity, and with all the casting anglers are doing today they are back “in”. Rattle baits were originally designed as shad imitators for bass fishing in southern reservoirs, but soon found their way to the tackle boxes of northern walleye fishermen, especially those who fish around cover. Rattle baits are designed to be cast and retrieved fast, covering a lot of water and attracting aggressive fish from afar with the distinct “rattle” sound. If you chase shallow walleye, you need some rattle baits in your arsenal. Stock up on baits like the original Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Rapala Rippin’ Rap and Clackin’ Rap, Spro Aruku Shad, Northland Tackle Rippin’ Shad and more.

10) Diving Angle: When you look at your crankbait selection focus on the items listed above instead of how many colors you have. Another important factor when stocking a crankbait box is the diving angle of a lure. Does the bait run with the nose pointed down, or does it run “flat”? Be sure you have baits that do both. Some crankbaits that run with a flatter attitude include Husky Jerks, Deep Husky Jerks, WNC Reapers, Shallow Shad Raps, Glass Shad Raps and others. Spend a few hours next time you are fishing and put some different lures in the water just to see how they dive. There are days that flat runners will out produce nose-down baits by a large margin and it also works the other way. Flat runners produce best in cold water and flat conditions. Nose-down runners are a great choice when fishing wood cover, since the bill will hit the wood before the hooks do, creating less snags.

11) Jointed Crankbaits: No walleye tackle box is complete without some jointed crankbaits. Whether you cast or troll jointed crankbaits are often the little something extra that will induce more strikes. Jointed crankbaits add more tail movement to a lure and can create more action, even at slower speeds. Rapala leads the way in jointed crankbait options, but you can also find jointed cranks from Rebel, Cotton Cordell, Berkley Flicker Series and Bomber.

12) Sound: No discussion about walleye crankbaits would be complete without mentioning sound. Pick up a few of your crankbaits and shake them – hear the difference? Each one has a unique sound profile; some with little sound, some create a loud low frequency THUD. When you are catching fish, pay attention to the sound profile of the hot lures and try to duplicate it. Sound is the next frontier to helping anglers dialing in presentation so be sure you have crankbaits with different sound profiles.

Spinners/Harnesses
From one end of the spectrum to the other, spinners (crawler harnesses) have been a staple of walleye fishing since it first began and catch a ton of walleye every year. No other technique is as simple for catching walleye than a hook or two, some beads, a blade and a juicy nightcrawler! Let’s look at what you need in the boat to be a successful spinner fisherman.

1) Blade Styles/Shapes: There are three basic blade shapes you need in your spinner fishing tackle box. The most common walleye blade is the Colorado. This round, fat blade has been around for a long time and is the “go to” blade choice of most walleye anglers. The wide, round shape creates a lot of vibration with little flash and works well when you need a blade to make some “noise” and to create “lift” to a harness. At the other end of the shape spectrum is the long and skinny willowleaf blade, which creates a lot of flash with little vibration. The willow leaf takes the least amount of water pressure to turn and is a great option when fishing close to the bottom. In the middle is the Indiana Blade, a combination between the willowleaf and Colorado. The Indiana has become one of my favorites and is most often my first choice in blade shape.

2) Blade Size: just like crankbaits, choose a blade size that resembles the baitfish the walleyes are currently eating. Stocking up with size 2 thru 7 is a good idea but concentrate on the #4 - #6 range for most spinner fishing.

3) Blade Finish: Spend a few extra pennies when you are buying spinner blades to ensure quality. But blades that have finishes of 18-24 carat gold, real silver and real copper. These finishes cost a little more, but they are worth it for the extra flash they produce. I prefer “hex cut” blades since the six-sided cuts create more surfaces to catch light and produce flash. I like silver finishes on bright days, gold finishes on cloudy days or deeper in the water column and copper finishes close to the bottom and in dirty water. Be sure to have some blades with a green and pink antifreeze finish for something different when fishing is tough. Avoid blades that are nickel or brass coated, since they will have a very dull or even a black shine just a few feet below the surface.

4) Blade Color: Here we go again with color! Like crankbaits, the color options are endless. I like the same patterns listed for crankbaits, and blades with purple, red, orange, pink and chartreuse are usually guaranteed producers. Color schemes with dots and/or stripes seem to catch more fish than single colored blades, and multi colors with contrast are my first choice most trips.

5) Other Shapes: Traveling around the country chasing walleye there were a few “goofy” shapes of spinner blades that worked well and should be in your blade selection. Chopper blades caught a lot of fish on Saginaw Bay and Lake Erie in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and were favorites of spinner fisherman there. Basically an “elongated” Colorado, the Chopper has the “Thump” of a Colorado with some additional flash, a big plus in open water with a green stain to it. The Hatchet Blade was one I brought home for Wisconsin and was made popular by Lindy Tackle. The hatchet looks like a Colorado that was trimmed to look like a hatchet. The unique shape creates a slower rotation that often “stalls” creating an action that fish don’t see a lot.

6) Plastic Blades: While metal blades, usually stamped out of brass, dominate the spinner market, two plastic blades deserve to make their way into your tackle selection. Plastic blades are great when you want a little flash, a little vibration, want to have the blade turn at extremely slow speeds or don’t want your harness to sink. In these situations, plastic blades excel. Two types of plastic blades dominate the market. First, is the lightest option, the “Smile Blade” from Mack’s Lures. A great choice for rigs fished close to the bottom, weed drift rigs, spinners over weed tops and anytime you just want a little “extra”. Built from material similar to a gallon milk jug, Smile blades have a hole in the middle where the line is threaded through. Since they are so light, they spin with the slightest forward momentum and will not fall to the bottom like metal blades often do. Second, is the “Butterfly Blade” from Northland Tackle. Made from molded polycarbonate, the Butterfly blade also spins at slow speeds. They are a little heavier than Smile blades, so they sink a little more. Both are great for adding flash, vibration and color to rigs that are fished slowly like Live Bait rigs, weed drift rigs, and slow death rigs.

7) Beads: Crawler harnesses require beads to add color and keep the blade from covering the point of the hooks. Bead colors are endless and combos that catch fish are only limited by your imagination. Most harnesses are tied with 6mm beads and your box should have a good variety of colors. Make sure you have clear, opaque, iridescent and metallic finish beads in several colors. Also, be sure to leave some space for some Rattle Beads – hollow beads with small pellets in them that create a “rattle” when used. Rattle beads help walleyes find your rig when fishing in cover or dirty water. Add a selection of 4mm beads to create a smaller harness profile and a few 8mm beads when you need to bulk up. Next time your wife heads to the craft store, tag along and see what you can find!

8) Floats: Styrofoam floats need to be in your spinner tackle selection. They help create “bulk”, take up space quickly, add color and help slowly fished rigs stay off the bottom. Floats are a great addition to crawler harnesses, weed drift rigs, slow death rigs or to add a little color and lift to live bait rigs. If you are a serious live bait fisherman, especially drifting close to the bottom or in cover for big walleye, there are two other float options you need to have ready to go. One is a small sized Spin-N-Glo. The extra spin, color and flash they add can be a deadly addition. The second is the Mister Twister Top Prop in Size 0. These are a killer addition to live bait rigs and any slow, live bait presentation.

9) Clevis, Swivels and Hooks: A clevis is a piece of metal or plastic that allows a metal spinner blade to spin. Traditional metal “horseshoe” clevises allow blades to turn better at slow speeds, but they do not allow for quick changing of blades. Plastic clevises have a “quick change” design allowing an angler to choose any blade and quickly add and remove blades. Plastic clevises dominate the spinner market, but always carry a few metal ones just in case you need to fish very slowly. Use a high-quality ball bearing swivel at the end of a crawler harness to prevent line twist and to make changing harnesses easy.

Crawler harnesses hooks should be stocked in two styles and a few sizes. For open water harnesses the rear hook should be a high-quality round bend treble in size 10 or 8 with #10 being preferred. Octopus style single hooks should be stocked in sizes 6 through 1/0 in both nickel and red finishes.

Weights and Divers
Getting lures to a specific depth is critical to walleye fishing success. Whether trying to get a leech on a plain hook to the fish under a slip bobber or trying to get a spoon to fish 30 feet deep, having a good selection of weights and divers is critical to catching walleye. Here are a few weight and diver options you need to have available.

1) Inline Weights: The basic weighting system for harnesses, spoons and getting crankbaits deeper, inline weights should have access in your tackle. Inline weights from ½ oz to 4 ounces should be standard in all walleye angler’s arsenal. Most of your inline weight usage will probably be in the 1-3-ounce range but having some flexibility with the weight you use is important. When you are buying inline weights, it is best to stick to one style and shape. Different styles and shapes of weights do NOT dive at the same rate, so mixing can be trouble. I like simple “torpedo” style inline weights with a swivel on the front and a swivel with a snap on the rear to make changing weights and lures easy.

2) Snap Weights: Snap weights create a different action than an inline weight does. Moving the weight away from the lure provides depth control but allows the bait to move more freely than being “pinned” by a weight close to the lure. Snap weights are simply an inline weight attached to a removable “snap” that can then be attached on the line at any distance from the lure then removed as a fish is reeled in.

3) Bell Sinkers: Bell shaped sinkers are a great option for fishing in rocks, pulling three-way rigs in rivers or over rocky bottoms, fishing live bait rigs from shore or an anchored boat and are great for perch fishing. Heavier weights are used most often, so stock up on 1-4-ounce bell sinkers. The shape of a bell sinker keeps it relatively snag-free on rocky bottoms.
NOTE – If you are looking for a great option that works as an inline weight, snap weight AND a bell sinker, check out the Off-Shore Tackle Guppy Weight. Available in sizes from ½ ounce to 3 ounces.

4) Slip Sinkers: Slip sinkers are used anytime you need a weight but want your line to slide through the sinker such as slip bobber fishing or using live bait rigs when you want to feed line to biting fish. Egg Sinkers are ideal for rigs that will be cast or when using rod holders and when fishing on rocky bottoms. Lindy style walking sinkers are best for sand and gravel bottoms and for traditional live bait rigging with a rod in your hand. Carry egg sinkers in ¼ to 2-ounce sizes and Lindy sinkers in the same sizes. If you’ve never tried fishing slip sinkers with live bait, you will want to try it soon!!

5) Split Shot: Remember the plastic spinning dial of split shot your Grandpa had in his tackle box? Well, you need one of those too. Split shot sinkers are so versatile they are a must have for any walleye angler. Split Shot are great to help keep the bill of a crankbait pointing down, to slow down the rise of a crankbait when you stall it. Split Shot are perfect for setting up a slip bobber rig or casting or trolling spinner rigs over shallow weeds. A simple dial selector of split shot, just like Grandpa, will help you catch a lot of walleye.

6) Bottom Bouncers: there is no easier way to fish a crawler harness close to the bottom than the simple bottom bouncer. A simple “L” shaped wire with weight on one arm, the bottom bouncer is as old as walleye fishing. Developed on the western reservoirs of the Missouri River, every walleye angler needs to know how to fish a bottom bouncer. Effective in both lakes and rivers, a good selection of bouncers in sizes from 1-5 ounces will handle most fishing conditions you’ll be faced with.

7) Tadpoles: Off-Shore Tackle Tadpoles are a fairly new depth control device that adds an extra “wiggle” to any lure you fish behind it. Tadpoles come in 4 sizes. Use the #1 and #2 behind inline planer boards and the #3 and Magnum on corner rods to get down to depth quickly and with a short length of line out. Tadpoles have an aggressive dive angle but when a fish hits the Tadpole will “release” making it easy to reel in the fish.

8) Weight Forward Spinners: Once the ONLY way to catch walleye on Lake Erie, weight forward spinners have fallen out of the thoughts of walleye anglers in the past decade or so, but that is a mistake. Weight forward spinners were designed to cast crawlers for walleye as a boat drifted across a school of walleye. With casting becoming more popular, weight forward spinners are coming back into favor. Lures like the Erie Dearie, Pygmy Spinner, WNC Death Jig and others are enjoying a resurgence. They are a great option for casting crawlers over shallow weed beds and can also be used for trolling. An all in one weight, spinner blade and hook, weight forward spinners should be in your walleye tackle box.

9) Jet Divers: a great tool for getting spinners, spoon and shallow diving crankbaits to a precise and consistent depth, Jet Divers are a workhorse for open water walleye. Designed to float at rest and dive under pressure, it is easy to set multiple Jet Divers in a trolling spread without tangles. Available in multiple sizes, the #30 is most popular when fished on a corner rod or behind Inline Planer Boards and the #50 is the winner when fished with Board and Mast systems.

10) Dipsey Divers: Like Jet Divers, Dipseys take lures down to a specific depth. Dipseys also have a piece of lead in their nose and a movable “disc” that positions the lead in multiple locations that will cause the Dipsey to not only dive, but to also move away from the boat. Being able to set Dipseys at multiple settings, means multiple Dipseys can be fished without using planer boards. Dipseys are available in several sizes. Smaller Dipseys can be used with regular walleye tackle and the larger sizes need heavier line and rods. If you fish deep walleye, Dipseys should be a technique you can use any time on the water.

Well, our tackle box is SLOWLY coming together with the RIGHT tackle. Stay tuned for Part 2 as we finish getting our gear in order!