7 awesome walleye jigs that belong in every angler’s tacklebox

Jigs are one of the all-time great walleye lures. They’re versatile and inexpensive, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. The list of variations is so seemingly endless, in fact, it can make picking the right jig a little confusing. While all styles can be used for walleye fishing, some are just better than others for certain presentations.

To help you wade through the options, here’s my rundown of the most common jig styles, along with where and when to use them with live bait, dead bait and soft-plastic dressings. And don’t be afraid to experiment on your own with different styles, sizes, baits, dressings and presentations—that’s all part of the fun when jigging for walleye. Here are my super-seven jigs…

#1  ROUND-HEAD JIG

The round-head jig is the most common and best-known jig style, and a must-have for walleye anglers. Also known as a ball-head jig, it cuts easily through the water and drops quite quickly into the strike zone, all with minimal action. It can be fished vertically, cast, ripped or dragged on the bottom, making it very versatile.

And since the round-head jig (above) falls with minimal action, it’s a great choice for fishing in clear or shallow water, and when too much action from a dropping jig can spook heavily pressured fish.

The round-head jig also makes a good search lure because you can switch from casting to vertical jigging to dragging and so on, all while using the same jig and bait as you try to figure out what works. Once you find a pattern, you can keep fishing with the round-head jig. It’s often a better idea, however, to change to a more specialized jig, further refining your presentation to put more walleye in the boat.