Fishing for Walleye in Muskoka

Guest blogger Bill Anderson of Muskoka Outdoors explains the best way to hook a walleye in Muskoka’s renowned waters.

A quick – sometimes overwhelming – look down the aisle in your favourite tackle shop will reveal that fish will strike at just about anything. The question then becomes not what lure will fish bite? but what lure will Muskoka’s fish go after most consistently?

For me, the answer to that question is the Walleye Rig. What this lure lacks in new technology and design, it makes up for in consistent, multi-species catches.

The Walleye Rig consists of:

• section of monofilament line with a loop on the front end
• spinning blade (with associated beed spacers)
• and hook on the tail end

Also, crucial to this fish catching package are bell sinkers (of various sizes) and something to ‘tip’ the hook with. Live worms and minnows are best but soft, artificial minnows, worms and leeches also work – although fish will not strike them as aggressively. Berkley Gulp products are worth considering for this role.

To fish with the walleye rig, attach the looped end of the rig’s mono-filament line section to your swivel (or line snap). Before you close your snap, add the bell sinker to your swivel as well. Finally, tip the hook with a worm, minnow or soft artificial bait.

This rig is not something you can cast like conventional crank-baits, plugs and spoons. Instead, you troll it behind your boat while it is in a slow, forward motion. Take an initial cast behind your boat allow for more line to be pulled off as the boat moves forward. Turn your reel’s crank to stop the line from coming off your spool. Usually, more line behind your boat equals more depth, while less line means shallower depths. Change bell sinker sizes to immediately impact depth of the rig.

As you troll, you should feel the vibrations of the blade spinning and any obstacles the  bell sinker encounters. If there is a change in vibration of the blade, check the rig for weeds and lake debris.

Fish often tap the bait before they initially bite. This takes time to learn but when this happens, move your rod towards the back of the boat. This provides slack to lure and provides and extra opportunity to strike. Then, set the hook to see if you’ve tempted a fish or two. Remember to fish in depths of 6 to 15 feet.

If you are not getting any strikes, change things up, like trolling speed, depth, blade colors, or use real worms or minnows. My favorite blade colors for various Muskoka lakes are silver, gold and chartreuse.

Muskoka’s walleye, pike, crappie, lake trout and bass have all been caught and released from the walleye rig’s tempting flash. That’s why it has earned the title “the lure every boat needs.”

Enjoy fishing for walleye and many other species in Muskoka’s lakes this summer. See you out there!

Guest Blogger: Bill Anderson
Bill Anderson lives in Huntsville, Ontario and is a fishing, hunting and conservation enthusiast. He hosts and authors of the online site Muskoka Outdoors.