Call us toll-free at 1-800-661-6954
Call us toll-free at 1-800-661-6954
Many walleye anglers have experienced frustration when reeling in their jig only to find their hook bare and the frozen shiner bait gone. And it suddenly comes to them they may have been fishing many minutes with a bare hook and little likelihood of attracting a walleye - which at times can be a fickle adversary even under ideal conditions. This becomes increasingly frustrating when employing barbless hooks on the proliferation of our catch-and-release waterbodies where a safe release with minimum hook damage is important to prevent as much as possible hooking mortality and maintain robust fish populations in these heavily angled waters. A small piece of elastic band will help prevent a frozen minnow bait sliding off a walleye jig. Here’s a tip shared with me by the late/great North Saskatchewan River walleye guide and Fishin’ Hole pro-staffer Keith Rae. After threading the frozen minnow on the jig by driving the hook point through the eye and back out the shiner’s spine, attach a piece of wide elastic band or wiggler tail to the hook. The stopper acts as an effective block and keeps the bait firmly in place. Until Old Walter makes his play.
