There are definitely a lot of different and effective ways to catch walleyes.  Techniques can vary by location and even by season, most of the time.  One of the exceptions is a real surprise and includes the famous Jigging Rap from Rapala which has a reputation for provoking and catching tons of walleyes, mostly through the ice.  

That has changed a bit now that a super productive late summer and early fall pattern has been exposed that includes working deeper breaklines with the minnow imitating bait.  Anglers still use it like they might through the ice whereby the lure is worked straight up and down with a snap and fall technique. You can also troll along nice and slow while still getting the bait to the bottom after you rip it up.  The rip gets their attention and the fall trips their trigger and you don’t always feel the bite, the fish quite often are just there when you make your next snap. 

Not being satisfied with breaking the rules and using an ice fishing lure for open water fish; forward thinking anglers have broadened the productive scope of the Rap by using it year round.  They’ve found that what attracts walleyes in December and January as well as September and October has the same ‘eye catching appeal in May and June.  The difference though is how the bait is used and is where the real surprise comes in.  Most have never thought of a Jigging Rap as a casting bait but that’s exactly what some are doing and the results have been amazing.

Professional walleye Angler Mark Courts of Harris, Minnesota has been cashing in on the hot new technique (literally) and is finding more and more suitable places and times to pitch a Jigging Rap. Mark on making his pitch:  “What we’ve uncovered is the fact that the Jigging Rap can be incredibly productive anytime and anywhere you have a good jig bite going which includes early in the open water season when a lot of fish are up shallow.  Some of the best areas for working the jigging bait include sandy flats as well as sand and gravel transitions.  You can also use it around rocks and weeds but you have to make some minor adjustments to the bait and change you’re presentation a bit to keep from constantly hanging up.  If you’re on sand you can sweep the bait forward and then let it drop back to the bottom all the while watching the line to see if it stops before it hits the bottom, or if it starts to move off to the side, or if it pops, all indicating a hit. 

When it does happen it’s time to rear back and give them the grits to get the hooks set.  If you’re working light weeds or over rocks you can snip off the front hook which doesn’t change the action and will help keep the bait running clean.  If you’re using older Jigging Raps you might want to replace the smaller bottom hook with a size six treble hook which will help you stick more fish.  The newer baits have the larger hooks and are ready to go right out of the package.  Another option I’ll use when working a lot of weeds or rocks is to count the lure down and start the retrieve before it gets to the bottom.  You can figure a drop rate of maybe two feet per second which should get you pretty close. ”

Mark prefers size seven and nine Jigging Raps in a number of different colors including yellow perch, blue chrome, and rainbow trout. He has found that the brighter colors like blue chrome work best on the brightest sunny days and the more natural and darker colors to be more productive on the cloudy or overcast days.  He also uses a braided line including Fireline and NanoFil in eight pound test but doesn’t tie directly to the bait. Instead he’ll tie in a two foot flourocarboon leader also in eight pound test with a uni knot or more preferably a number ten or twelve crane swivel.  The swivel makes for a solid connection and helps to reduce line twist which you are undoubtedly going to get without it.

When the fish move deeper like along breaklines and drop-offs you can start to use the bait vertically as aforementioned but Mark does have one more option and includes suspended fish.  Mark on another good option: “Many times when I’m motoring along watching the Humminbird looking for fish I’ll see good marks up off the bottom which could easily be walleyes.  When they show up I’ll cast the Rap back behind and past the fish and count it down until I think it’s just over the top of them and work the lure up with a soft pull and then let it drop back down and keep an eye on the line.  If I’m seeing enough fish I’ll drop the Minn Kota Terrova in and hit Spot Lock which takes over control of the electric trolling motor and keeps you in one place allowing for hands free control which could get real busy real soon!”

See you on the water.

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