• Crankbaits are effective walleye lures.fishing lure image by sasha from Fotolia.com
  
  Walleye fishing has seen an explosion of lures and tackle come onto the market since the early 1990s. Long lists of new lures, colors, rigging methods and techniques available in catalogs might be confusing, but a little basic information will help clarify a walleye fisherman's options when choosing what to tie onto a line.
  
  

Jigs

• The simple leadhead jig probably is the most versatile lure a walleye fisherman can have. A jig is nothing more than a hook with a small lead weight molded onto it. Tipped with bait, jigs can be fished vertically from a boat, suspended under a bobber, or cast and retrieved. Jigs catch walleyes all year long, almost anywhere. A minnow hooked through the lips, a leech hooked under the sucker, or a nightcrawler threaded on the hook of a jig and dropped in front of a walleye is as effective as any other lure. Jigs come in many sizes and colors to suit almost any situation.
  
  

Crankbaits

• The seemingly endless crankbait options ensure a walleye fisherman can always have the right crankbait for the situation. Most crankbaits are made from plastic or balsa and imitate a small fish when pulled through the water. Crankbaits with larger lips tend to dive deeper than lures with smaller lips. A crankbait should be attached to the line using a snap. Tying directly to the lure inhibits its vibrating action. When walleyes are scattered over large areas of similar depth, troll crankbaits, letting them occasionally tick bottom. Crankbaits also can be cast to shoreline timber and weeds to target tight schools of walleyes and tend to catch larger fish than other lures.
  
  

Slip-sinker rigs

• The tried and true slip-sinker rig, or lindy rig, catches walleye whether fished from a boat or from shore. A slip-sinker rig consists of a sliding weight on the main line, a snap swivel tied to that, a monofilament leader clipped to the snap swivel and a hook at the end of the leader. Trolled slowly, the sliding weight allows a fish to pull on the bait without feeling resistance from the weight. Shore fishermen cast them out and let them sit on the bottom waiting for a hungry walleye to come along. Bait with a minnow, leech or nightcrawler.
  
  

Plastics

• Soft plastic lures are effective walleye lures when threaded onto a jig head. Most soft plastics are designed for bass, but many will also catch walleyes. Common soft plastics for walleyes are twister tails, shad baits, and a variety of soft plastics molded into the shape of a minnow, nightcrawler or leech. They are vertically jigged or cast and retrieved with or without bait. Cast through and around submerged trees and weeds, plastic lures usually are considered a bass lure. Walleyes love them, however, and they are particularly effective in shallow water when walleyes are feeding.
  
  

Spinners

• A spinner rig resembles a lindy or slip-sinker rig, except it is made using heavier line (10 to 14 lb. test) and has beads and a spinner blade threaded on the line above the hook. Fished like a slip-sinker rig or clipped onto a bottom bouncer, spinners allow you to move faster than slip-sinker rigs and cover more water looking for active walleyes. Baited with a minnow, leech or nightcrawler, spinners are popular on the Great Lakes and the shallow prairie lakes of the midwest.