Riggin' and Jiggin' for Walleye Opener

Minnesota's walleye opener is quickly approaching, with less than a month to go walleyes have began spawning and are moving to find shallow rocky areas.  By walleye opener fish will have spawned and will be in the post spawn stage.  Post spawn walleye can be somewhat docile in nature, therefore subtle jigs and rigs hovered over a fish will produce a strike!

Effective way to rig these post spawn walleye's are to rig with colors that are popular on the lake you are fishing.  If you do not know the particular color for your lake then I would suggest starting with red, gunmetal, bronze or silver colored hooks.  The key here is to make the bait appear as natural as possible.  Early in the season minnows and leeches are two popular baits, water temperature will dictate if leeches will be an effective bait, however there is still a good chance that a walleye won't resist the dance of a leech.

Photo Taken By: Alex Larson MLMP

Since these fish will be coming from the shallows, they won't have moved far from those spots.  Position yourself adjacent to these spots and fish anywhere from 5 to 15 feet depending on your particular lake.  Also, rocks and gravel are not the only place to find these fish, weeds have become an major area to provide walleyes post spawn shelter and weeds also provide opportunities for forage.  Both offer great opportunities for post spawn walleye action. 

On lakes with more rock areas, jigs are a more effective way to catch walleyes.  Jigs come in a variety of sizes and offer immediate response when a fish bites.  Also, jigs can be fished several different ways, casting, popping, snapping, and vertical are the most popular.  All give you a particular action and trigger different bites.  Never-the-less, walleye season is here, so get out and enjoy the opener and if effectively used, this information should put fish in your boat.