Walleye gear

Quick setup

Rod	Reel	Line	Leader
Medium action spinning rod, 6 to 7.5 feet, for jigs and live bait. Medium to medium-heavy, 6.5 to 9 feet, for crankbaits and trolling.	Spinning for jigs and bait; baitcasting for crankbaits and trolling.	6 to 10 lb for jigs and bait, 10 to 12 lb for crankbaits and trolling. Mono, fluorocarbon or braid all work.	Many anglers spool braid and add a monofilament leader.

Rod, reel and line

Rod: Medium action spinning rod, 6 to 7.5 feet, for jigs and live bait. Medium to medium-heavy, 6.5 to 9 feet, for crankbaits and trolling.
Reel: Spinning for jigs and bait; baitcasting for crankbaits and trolling.
Line: 6 to 10 lb for jigs and bait, 10 to 12 lb for crankbaits and trolling. Mono, fluorocarbon or braid all work.
Leader: Many anglers spool braid and add a monofilament leader.

Baits

minnows
nightcrawlers
leeches

Lures

lead-head jigs with 3 to 4 inch curly tail grub or shad plastics
blade baits
deep diving crankbaits
4 to 6 inch stickbaits
spinner rigs and crawler harnesses
jigging spoons

Rigs

Jig and minnow: a 1/8 to 3/8 oz jig. Let it hit bottom, snap it up a foot or two, let it fall, repeat.
Slip sinker rig with a minnow, crawler or leech on bottom. On a light tap, let line run a few seconds, reel to tension, then set.

Tips

Walleye usually hold within a foot or two of the bottom and feed best at dawn and dusk. They are often shallow in May and June, deeper in summer, and back near shore in fall. Wind-blown points are worth a cast.

Starter setup

A 5.5 to 7 foot light to medium-light spinning or spincast rod and matching reel, spooled with 6 lb monofilament. Spincast is easiest for beginners, and a 4 to 5 foot rod suits small kids. Carry size 6 to 10 hooks, a few split shot (pinched on 4 to 8 inches above the hook), small bobbers, a couple of small spinners and jigs, and worms. Learn the improved clinch knot and the palomar knot.

Light line casts farther and draws more strikes. Heavier line and stiffer rods are for bigger fish, heavy cover or sharp teeth, not for everyday fishing.

When to size up

Fish	Gear
Walleye, bass, saugeye, hybrid striped bass	medium rod, 8 to 12 lb line, 6 to 7.5 feet
Channel catfish	medium-heavy rod, 10 to 20 lb line
Northern pike	medium-heavy rod, 15 lb or heavier braid, steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader
Muskellunge	heavy 7 to 9 foot rod, 50 to 80 lb braid, heavy leader
Trolling for lake trout and salmon	8.5 to 10.5 foot trolling rods, 15 lb mono or 30 lb braid, level-wind reels
Steelhead	8 to 10 foot or longer rods, 6 to 10 lb line
Lake sturgeon	heavy rod, 50 to 100 lb braid