Revealed: Learn How to Snap Jig Walleye Like a Pro -

Snap jigging walleye has revolutionized fishing, and anglers that haven’t yet tried it are missing out. Instead of the traditional methodical and finesse approach that many anglers take, snap jigging walleye is on the complete other side of the spectrum.

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The Snap Jigging Retrieve
When To Snap Jig
Styles of Lures for Snap Jigging
Bottom Composition
Jig Weight
Rod for Snap Jigging
More Information

The Snap Jigging Retrieve

When anglers think of walleye fishing, they typically think of live bait and finesse tackle. That has completely changed however in the recent years with snap jigging become more and more popular among walleye anglers. Snap jigging is a fishing technique that refers to aggressively fishing for walleye with artificial lures. As the name suggests, you snap that rod upwards to pull the bait quickly off of the bottom before letting it go back down. Start your rod out at about 2 o’clock and aggressively snap it to about 12 o’clock. Let the bait fall on semi-slack line and repeat the process. Instead of fooling walleye with live bait, you are triggering them with artificial lures. This is known as a reaction strike in the bass fishing community.

The strikes you get when snap jigging are quite different than the traditional “tap”. One of two things usually happens. Walleyes may hit it while the bait is falling and you will feel the slack in your line jump. Otherwise, the walleyes may pin the bait to the bottom and you will end up incidentally setting the hook and your next snapping motion.

When To Snap Jig

Now that you know the basics about snap jigging walleye, let’s talk about when this technique excels

Warm Water Temperature

Snap jigging for walleye works best during the summer months when water temperatures are warmer. From my experience, snap jigging excels when water temperatures reach 65 degrees or higher. A snap jigging approach can still be used when the water temperature is slightly cooler, but the snapping motion should be slightly subdued and less aggressive.

Overcast and Windy Days

As mentioned before, snap jigging is an aggressive technique. Overcast and windy days push bait up shallow and walleye will more than likely be up there feeding on them as well. Typically, these types of days coincide with low barometric pressure as well which tends to increase fish activity.

Styles of Lures

The two main types of snap jigging plastics that are commonly paired with a jig head include the straight tail minnow and paddle tail. It seems like one day the walleyes prefer one and the next day they want the other, so experimentation is key.

Straight tail minnow:

The straight tail minnow has a much faster fall underwater compared to the swimbait due to its decreased water resistant. My favorite straight tail minnow lure includes the Kalin’s Jerk Minnow Jr and Northland Impulse Smelt.

Paddle Tail:

When choosing a paddle tail swimbait for snap jigging make sure to choose one with a stiffer plastic. Paddle tails that are too soft will not swim correctly at the high speeds required. As far as size goes, just try to match the hatch in the body of water you are fishing. A good starting point is the 3.5” size. My favorite swimbaits include the Storm Largo Shad and Xzone Swammer.

Jigging rap:

The jigging rap has been a staple in ice fishing for countless years, but only recently has its effectiveness in open water been realized. The jigging rap, or other lures of the same style, are essentially heavy pieces of lead that dart left and right when snapped. My two favorite lures of this style include the Rapala Jigging Rap #7, The Northland Puppet Minnow (5/16oz), and Acme Hyper Rattle (2.5″).

Choose Lure Style Based On Bottom Composition

As far as location goes, you can snap jig walleye pretty much everywhere they live. However, the bait that you should choose depends on the bottom composition of the spot. For example, jigging raps are fantastic when the bottom is sand or gravel but are difficult to fish in weeds due to all of the exposed hooks. If fishing weeds, a straight tail minnow or swimbait on a jig head are the lures I would go with. The single hook tends to break free from the weeds and fish much cleaner than a jigging rap style bait with multiple hooks.

Jig Weight

Adjust your jig size to the depth you are fishing. There is no one size fits all for jig heads and experimentation is key. One day they’ll want a slower fall and the next they’ll want it much faster. Change jig sizes until you find the weight that works. Generally, ¼ oz for less than 10 ft of water and 3/8 oz for over 10 ft are good starting points. Keep in mind, this is a fast fishing technique so opt for heavier sizes than you would fish with live bait.

Rod Specifics

Snap jigging walleye is one of those techniques that you really need specialized equipment for. Unlike traditional walleye setups, you will want a fast action rod with a medium power. A slower action rod with a lighter power will not allow you to jig as aggressively as you need to with this technique. Additionally, I would recommend a rod between 6’6” and 6’10”. Once you start getting towards 7’ and longer, the rod tends to become too heavy and not stiff enough in the tip section. Additionally, snapping a rod for hours straight gets tiresome so a lightweight setup is ideal.

Some Good Rod Options: