MASTERING THE ART OF VERTICAL JIGGING

Walleyes are the type of fish that can drive an angler mad. Here today and gone tomorrow, few other species compete with walleyes when it comes to their uncanny knack for being unpredictable.

As anglers we may never fully understand what makes walleyes tick, but we can accurately predict their wearabouts at certain times of year. During the late winter and early spring it's a safe bet you'll find walleyes in flowing water. This bet is even safer if the river in question flows into a major walleye fishery such as a large natural lake or reservoir.

Rivers attract pre-spawn walleyes like boys to a construction site. Many of these fish start showing up as early as February depending on the weather and subsequent snow melt and run off. The first warm spell that swells rivers sends a signal to walleyes to begin making their pre-spawn river runs. Depending on the river, some fish may remain in the flowing water until May before returning to summer haunts.

During this period walleyes will never be easier to locate or tempt into biting. The Midwest has no shortage of rivers that attract large numbers of walleye. Just a few of the flows that produce noteworthy walleye action include the Detroit, St. Joe, Muskegon, St. Clair, Ilinois, Ohio, Wolf, Fox, St. Croix, Wisconsin, Chippewa, Flambeau and Mississippi.

There are lots of ways to catch walleyes in rivers, but few can compare with the day to day effectiveness of vertical jigging. When vertical jigging the boat is drifting with the current. As the boat drifts, fish holding water is covered quickly and thoroughly.

Meanwhile the vertical presentation positions the jigs within a few inches of bottom, keeping the bait in this critical strike zone nearly 100% of the time. In most states anglers are allowed to fish two lines, further making vertical jigging a technique that literally vacuums walleyes up off the bottom.

Keeping the jigs positioned directly under the boat gives the angler maximum control over the lure. The jig can easily be positioned a few inches off bottom where the bait is more visible to fish and less likely to snag the bottom. Also, since the jig is positioned on a tight or direct line, bites are easier to detect than other jigging presentations.

Vertical jigging is a deadly river fishing presentation, but it isn't the answer in all situations. This style of fishing functions best in deeper areas of the river where the boat is not going to spook fish as it drifts over them. Prime vertical jigging water include long stretches that are 10-15 feet deep. Usually vertical jigging is not effective in water less than six feet deep, but fish can be readily taken as deep as 40-50 feet. Vertical jigging is also effective in slow, moderate and even fast current speeds.

Vertical jigging looks simple, but to master this technique anglers need a fairly extensive list of specific tackle and gear. An electric motor is the most important accessory required for vertical jigging. Without this boat control aid anglers are at the mercy of the current. Either a bow or transom mounted model can be used.

Selecting the ideal rods, reels, lines and even jigs is also important. Spinning tackle is the best choice for vertical jigging because this gear is lightweight, well balanced, ultra sensitive and designed to handle the thin lines required for vertical jigging. A medium action graphite spinning combination with a 5'-9" to 6' rod and lightweight spinning reel is ideal. A slightly stiffer rod than would normally be used for jigging helps the angler maintain better control of the jig and to also detect subtle strikes.

The best lines for vertical jigging are ultra thin and low stretch fused products like Berkley Fireline or Power Pro. The ultra thin diameter and low stretch characteristics of these lines makes it the perfect choice for vertical jigging. Anglers will have great results with either the six or eight pound test products.

Not all jigs are ideally suited to vertical jigging. The first and most important consideration is to select a jig that has an eye tie coming out the top of the leadhead so the jig rests horizontal in the water.

A lot of different jighead styles are available to walleye anglers, but some of the most popular are short shank or live bait style jigs. While these products normally feature an oversized hook, the short hook shank design is a handicap when vertical jigging.

The most important part of any jig is the hook point. On a short shank style jig the hook point is close to the fulcrum or in this case the line tie attachment. The line itself gets in the way and often impedes the jig from flowing freely into the fish's mouth. How deep the jig ends up inside the fish's mouth depends on how aggressive the fish strikes at the passing lure.

During the late winter and early spring when the water is still cold, walleye bites are often subtle. Short shank jigs tend to produce more lip hooked fish than long shank jigs that put the hook point an inch or two further inside the mouth. Lip hooked fish are far more likely to shake free than fish hooked further back in the mouth.

It's important to pay particular attention to the hook point on all jigs.

The light lines and light rods used for vertical jigging do not allow anglers the luxury of strong hook sets. Instead the rod is raised sharply when a bite is detected. Steady pressure on the fish keeps the hook working into the tissue and prevents shake offs.

Hook sharpness should not be underestimated when vertical jigging. Sticky sharp hooks bite and hold better than out-of-the-box hooks. With most jigs it will be necessary to file the hook point to achieve the desired sharpness.

Some jig manufacturers use premium hooks in their jigs to help solve this problem. The K&E Tackle Sticker Jig features Mustad's Ultra Point hook that is among the sharpest factory hooks available. Designed especially for vertical jigging, this long shank style jig features a minnow shaped head, barbed collar to hold plastic lures and extra eyelet for attaching stinger hooks. The most common size jigs for vertical jigging include 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce.

Stinger hooks are the last "must have" item for vertical jigging. Using long shank jigs helps to reduce lip hooked and lost fish, but a stinger hook is the best insurance against missing a fish completely. A number of refinements have been made with stinger hooks in recent years. To function best a stinger hook must be made from flexible monofilament or braided line and be long enough to allow the hook to reach the tail of the minnow. Shorter stinger hooks or those make from stiff materials like wire leaders have no place in vertical jigging.

Finding walleyes in rivers is vastly easier than locating these fish in lakes or reservoirs. Flowing water forces walleyes to stick close to the bottom because the flow of water here is slower than that in the upper water column. This phenomenon is known as laminar flow and is caused by the friction of water as it flows over the bottom surface.

Anglers need only concentrate on the bottom when fishing rivers. Walleyes also seek out sections of the river where the current is further reduced by physical characteristics such as deep holes, wide flats that spread out the current, points that jut into the flow of the current, large obstacles in the water such as sunken boulders or logs and other features that can collectively be called current breaks. Anything that diverts or slows down the current flow makes an ideal spot for walleyes to lay in ambush waiting for the current to wash potential prey within striking distance.

Major current breaks that hold fish one day are likely to hold them the next. Schools of walleyes routinely move from spot to spot while in the river, but good current breaks are constantly attracting new groups of traveling fish. Locating fish on any given day normally boils down to fishing at these primary current breaks until one that's holding fish is pinpointed.

Putting it all together is what becoming an effective vertical jigger is all about. The first lesson that must be learned is boat control. In a perfect world vertical jigging would be easy, but factors such as current speed and wind direction impact boat control and lure presentation.

On a calm morning the boat will drift along at about the same speed as the current, making it relatively easy to keep your jigs positioned directly below the boat. As the wind picks up however, the boat acts like a sail causing it to drift either faster or slower than the current depending on which way the wind is coming from.

For example, if the wind starts to blow downstream the boat will drift faster than the current which is not influenced by wind speed. If the boat is not controlled, the lines will angle sharply upstream as the boat drags the jigs downstream. Contact with bottom and the vertical presentation are lost.

The reverse occurs if the wind is blowing upstream. The force of the wind causes the boat to actually drift slower than the current. In this case the current flushes the jigs downstream of the boat. Both the vertical presentation and bottom contact are lost.

In order to maintain a vertical presentation no matter which way the wind blows, an electric motor must be used to control the drifting speed of the boat. To maintain a vertical presentation the boat, current and jig must all be moving downstream at the same speed.

Small bursts of power from an electric motor help to accomplish this important balance. Start by pointing the bow of your boat into the wind. If you're using a transom mounted motor you'll have to point the transom into the wind.

Lower you jigs to bottom by free spooling until the line collapses on the surface. Click over the reel bail and reel up the slack line until you can lift and drop the jig on a tight line and feel it contacting the bottom.
At first the jig will remain directly below the boat, but once the wind begins to influence boat speed the line will begin to angle tipping off the angler it's time to use the electric motor to bring the boat speed back into control.

The easiest way to picture this style of boat control is to concentrate on moving the boat over top of the jig. If the line angles upstream the boat must be moved upstream. If the line angles downstream the boat must be moved downstream.

This boat control process must be repeated over and over again as the boat drifts. Short bursts of power from the electric motor help to reposition the boat without over influencing the movement of the boat. A foot controlled electric motor is the easiest way to accomplish these boat control chores while leaving both hands free to fish two rods.

Maintaining boat control is the most important aspect of vertical jigging. Once this chore has been mastered anglers are free to experiment with other fishing variables such as jig color, jig size, plastic body styles, live bait types, stinger hooks and jigging strokes.

During the pre-spawn and spawning periods minnows are usually the most productive live bait. A lively 2-3 inch fathead or shiner minnow is more than any walleye can resist.

After the spawn is completed and water temperatures warm a bit, nightcrawlers and a wide variety of plastic baits become just as effective as live minnows. Plastic baits also have the advantage of adding bulk, action and color to the jig. In stained or dirty water conditions using brightly colored plastics becomes important. In clear water, more natural colored plastics or live baits work best.

Jigging strokes or actions vary considerably, but a slow lift and drop that keeps the jig suspended on a tight line a few inches off bottom is hard to top. Jigging too aggressively tends to lift the jig up and out of the strike zone reducing the amount of time the lure is effective. Aggressive jigging styles also make it more difficult for interested fish to catch the jig as it passes by.

Many anglers have discovered that simply lifting the jig a couple inches off bottom and holding it still while the boat drifts is the best possible jigging technique. Simple and effective, this approach keeps the jig in the strike zone 100% of the time and makes the lure easy for walleyes to catch as it drifts past.

A good angler makes the art of vertical jigging look easy. In fact, with a little practice anyone can learn how to make vertical jigging one of the best ways to get even in the walleye game.