attention walleye jiggers!

[MuddyWater]

I looked at my walleye jiggin setup the other day and noticed the old twisted line on my spool. so i decided to buy some new stuff. The only thing is the massive selection of lines so many options does anyone got some good lines to give a go. i basically jig in less then 20ft for wallys with small jigs with plastic.

Edited April 14, 2008 by MuddyWater

[Grimace]

I personally love Fireline. Coupled with a good graphite rod you can really feel whats happening down there.

[The Urban Fisherman]

I'd go with some sort of braid, with a fluorocarbon leader!

 

I use Powerpro or Stren Superbraid with Trilene %100 fluro.

 

Cheers

[kuhaman]

I like to stick with good old monofilament. 6 or 8 pound trilene XL does the trick for me and it doesn't cost 5 bucks a foot.

Edited April 14, 2008 by kuha

[danbo]

Power Pro is sweet. If there's lots of rocks/snags then I use straight mono..Super Silver Thread or Magna Thin .

[gone_fishin]

I looked at my walleye jiggin setup the other day and noticed the old twisted line on my spool. so i decided to buy some new stuff. The only thing is the massive selection of lines so many options does anyone got some good lines to give a go. i basically jig in less then 20ft for wallys with small jigs with plastic.

 

 

reminds me of that old commercial for "Berkley Tournament Strength" with the guy walking down the fishing line aisle and the song in the background was "did you ever have to make up your mind". hahaha, good times! AND that was the best line EVER...

 

as for your question, i would have to say Power Pro with a mono or flouro lead. you'll feel everything, no stretch at all. but if the cost is an issue, Trilene XL is fine. Berkley Sensation is another good mono, but a little more expensive than XL.

[BillM]

I'll be running 6lb (2lb diameter) Fireline this year on my spinning setup.

[trapshooter]

I think there's a place for both braid and mono when you're talking about jigging walleye. I have 2 jigging sticks, one with 8lb trilene XL and one with 20lb Power Pro braid (I always use a fluoro leader with the braid).

 

I like the braid when fishing deeper - it's more sensitive and you'll feel the hits better. Sometimes though when the bite is tough, I swear that mono is more effective. A bit of stretch in your line isn't a bad thing either.

[Billy Bob]

WOW, almost as a loaded question as what's the best outboard.

 

I'm old and CHEAP and have use mono so long that I see no reason to switch. I jig fish a lot for walleyes and found 4 lb to work very well and rarely go up to 6 lb test. RARELY lose a fish because of light line and if I do so what.

 

I don't thing the line is important as the jig being used, how it's tied on, how it's used and the big one what kind of rod you are using. I like a 6.5' LIGHT graphite rod and my go to jig is a 1/8 oz all black bucktail jig that I tie myself but they can be readily purchased.

[Casey123]

We use Power Pro 10lb (I believe it is 4 lb diameter) with 6 lb flouro leader.

 

Just switched last year, and I will never go back, for jigging anyways.

 

The diff is night and day.

[Sinker]

I think there's a place for both braid and mono when you're talking about jigging walleye. I have 2 jigging sticks, one with 8lb trilene XL and one with 20lb Power Pro braid (I always use a fluoro leader with the braid).

 

I like the braid when fishing deeper - it's more sensitive and you'll feel the hits better. Sometimes though when the bite is tough, I swear that mono is more effective. A bit of stretch in your line isn't a bad thing either.

 

 

I fully agree!!

 

I do lots of jigging for eyes, and I swear the fish feel you when your using braid. Sure, you can feel the hits better, but, they can also feel you that much better too!! On a tough bite, you hardly know your getting bit.......there is a reason those fish bite so light......they're feeling the bait out. If they feel you, they let go before you can set the hook. Pickeral fishing is all about feel.....they bite light.

 

My go to pickeral rod is a 7ft med light, fast action. Lots of feel, and very sensitive at the tip. I run 4-8lb P-line fluoro on it. If its a really tough bite, I'll go down to the 4lb, but 90% of the time I run the 8lb.

 

I only use braid for big toothy fish, and burning thru thick weeds. Any other time its mono or fluoro. I honestly don't think braid is good for normal pickeral fishing. Its OK if its deep, but where I fish its usually 12-15ft.

 

I'd be willing to bet that mono would outfish braid anyday fishing eyes......

 

Sinker

[eye-tracker]

This one is a personal preference and everyone uses different setups. It will come down to how you like to jig and how fast you are at setting the hook on the slightest pick-up.

 

For me it is 6lb and 10lb flame green fireline as it does not wrap around the eye at the tip of the rod like braided super lines. Also the flame green line allows me to see a pickup before I can often feel it as the jig is dropping and you get a small amount of slack in the line.

 

I tie direct and never use a leader because I believe if a walleye will pick up a chartreuse jig with a strange hook and a chunk of strange plastic on it the last thing they will worry about is some colored line.

 

BTW if it is a tough jig bite...a jig will not be my choice of baits. Lindy rigs, slip bobbers and slow death is the way to go when the fish are not picking up jigs.

 

-sheldon

Edited April 14, 2008 by eye-tracker

[MuddyWater]

well ive use 6lb mono all the time and rarely lost any fish so maybe i should just stick with what works for me. i use to use maxima until they changed the formula or something.

[Sinker]

BTW if it is a tough jig bite...a jig will not be my choice of baits. Lindy rigs, slip bobbers and slow death is the way to go when the fish are not picking up jigs.

 

-sheldon

 

Great tip, and very true!! The slower the better......

 

Sinker

[solopaddler]

I think there's a place for both braid and mono when you're talking about jigging walleye. I have 2 jigging sticks, one with 8lb trilene XL and one with 20lb Power Pro braid (I always use a fluoro leader with the braid).

 

I like the braid when fishing deeper - it's more sensitive and you'll feel the hits better. Sometimes though when the bite is tough, I swear that mono is more effective. A bit of stretch in your line isn't a bad thing either.

 

Good answer Ben, I agree too.

I use the slightly stiffer stick with 20lb power pro for anything over say 25'.

The vast majority of my walleye jigging is in less than 25' though. For that I use mono.

Danbo mentioned Magnathin. I absolutely LOVE 8lb Stren Magnathin for the bulk of my jigging..

[anders]

Hi,

 

I like using 8lb Berkley Sensation. I find it very strong yet, while still being very sensitive. With medium heavy rods for backbone, and medium action rods, we tackle many different types of cover while jigging and have no complaints.

[walleyejigger]

gotta be 8lb trilene sensation, sensitive and strong, resist nicks pretty good, i've tried many other lines in the past and always scrap them before long and respool with sensation, now i know better

 

i don't like braids as they are "too strong" when trying to break off, I fish lotsa of rock and when u get snagged good i want to break retie and move on, not slice my hand open only to come off with a jighead and a broken hook, but braids do have great sensitivity

[mcallister.grant]

8LB Power Pro with Flouro Carbon Leader. Can't beat it!

[Chrispy]

I fish the Detroit River which has a pretty fast current, so very thin braid is the way to go for us.....the thiner the better, it cuts the current better than any mono.....you have to stay totally vertical in the river or you will not catch fish....I use 6# Fireline Crystal tied direct to the jig.....if the water is really clear, I will tie a short (14") of 8# Seaguar leader material with a uni to uni and then direct to the jig.....if the bite is short just add a stinger hook.....good luck!!!

 

By the way, the bite is just starting on the Detroit River.....there have been some really nice fish caught in the last 2 days.....fish are a little bigger than usual with an average around 3-4 pounds.....

 

 

Chrispy!

[doubleheader]

Early season shallow water- 6 lb Sensation Switch to a super line to get benefit of small diameter (which equates to smaller jig) and better feel as fish move deep later in the year. that's my liking anyhow.

[Dabluz]

If it's for vertical jigging or very short casts for walleye in shallow water with a clean bottom I prefer 4 lb mono. A good mono. I liked Sensithin the most but it no longer exists. I will go to Remington Ultra Premium now.

 

If there are snags, or the water is over 20 feet deep, I use 8 lb test Fireline. It's strong enough to straighten out the hooks on jigs using light wire hooks.

 

Fluorocarbon.....I hate the stuff. I tried Vanish and Seaguar.....I gave them a good tryout too. Both failed in some way or another. I saw no difference in the number of bites.

[cisco]

I use 6lb Silverthread since as a copolymer it has little stretch. Tried Power Pro and other braid stuff and found that for a spinning reel casting really light jigs the line can dig into itself... especially after tugging weeds or a fish. So the next cast of the light jig isn't too smooth. Silver Thread is pretty inexpensive and has done the job on walleyes for me for years and like you I toss small jigs and plastics. I do however need sunglasses to line watch since it's hard to see a pick up otherwise. This year I may try another Silver Thread colour line if available to help cure this.

[denisk]

Lately I've had great success jigging deeper water 14-20 feet with a med heavy loomis rod some 15lb power pro and a 15lb maxima perfexion leader. The hot bait of choice has been a 4 inch gulp tipped with a stinger, and before anyone jumps up and down where I'm fishing the season is open year round Here's a couple pics of pics

 

 

 

 

I think if you ask 20 different guys you will get 20 different answers, big water requires bigger tackle and finesse skinny water is another game altogther so what ever feels comfortable in your hands is what I'd fish. But I can tell you one thing unless you get out and do it you won't catch any