The walleye has become a favorite, with seasoned anglers second only to the powerful largemouth bass. Besides putting up a good fight, this fish is delicious if cooked correctly.
By ensuring you have the best walleye lures, you can attract more walleyes to your line than other competing anglers.
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Here are some of the best we have narrowed down for you:
- Mepps Walleye Kit K6A
- Panther Martin Inline Spinners
- Thundermist Stingeye Spinner
- Rapala Shad Rap Crankbaits
- Rapala Scatter Rap Deep Husky Jerk Lure
- Smithwick Suspending Super Rogue
- Rapala Original Floating Lures
- Smithwick Perfect 10 Rogue Jerk Bait
- Storm Arashi Deep Rattling Lure
- Sea Striker Got-Cha Curltail Grubs
- SteelShad Blade Baits
- Pro-Cure Bait Scent for Walleye
- Lucky Bug Zombie Maxx Lures
- Luhr Jensen Crocodile Lures
Best Walleye Lures in 2023
1. Mepps Walleye Kit K6A
The Mepps Walleye Kit K6A features over six beautiful walleye lures that you will love to show off. Each boasts a solid brass body and blade that can withstand the head shakes and jerks this fish is notorious for making once hooked.
The beads are hand turned on a lathe, which means they will not get damaged easily. The vinyl decals are flexible and silk-screened with UV inks that do not fade with time. Use these for walleye fishing over streams and lakes
2. Panther Martin Inline Spinners
For decades, a favorite with anglers, Panther Liner Inline Spinners, are some of the best lures for walleye you can get due to their time-tested construction. The unique design of these spinners makes them irresistible to not only this fish but also trout, largemouth, and other predatory fish species in the water.
The blade is convex/concave in shape, and each spinner generates a bright flash that your catch will not miss. These spinners also boast treble hooks that are razor sharp and can quickly penetrate the harsh mouth of the fish.
3. Thundermist Stingeye Spinner
The Thundermist Stingeye Spinner is ideal blade bait for reclusive and strong walleyes, but it can also be used for fresh and saltwater fish. It features an ”eyeball” which flashes in the water and proves irresistible to this curious fish.
The blade also shines in the water and vibrates, thus mimicking an injured fish. The treble hooks are black nickel, except the size 6 Stingeye hook is made from Durasteel. However, each Stingeye is made from a stainless steel shaft, making these walleye lures long-lasting.
4. Rapala Shad Rap Crankbaits
Rapala Shad Rap Crankbaits resemble baitfish, can work in various depths, and are cast like a bullet. This lure is made from high-quality balsa wood and is 1 ½ inches long.
Rapala Shad Rap also delivers wobbling action, which the brand is famous for, making these lures so efficient in attracting walleye.
Whether cast or used for trolling, the shad rap can go from super slow to super fast without failing the angler. Each Rapala Shad Rap is hand-tuned and tested in tanks to start using these straight from the package.
5. Rapala Scatter Rap Deep Husky Jerk Lure
The Rapala Scatter Rap Deep Husky Jerk Lure should be part of your arsenal of walleye lures. This is considered one of the best walleye lures because it is explicitly designed to perform erratically and jerkily in the water to attract strikes. It mimics baitfish that are trying to flee predators in the water.
The Rapala Husky Jerk has two #6 treble hooks and weighs a mere ten grams. You can also use the Rapala Husky Jerk to target other species of freshwater gamefish.
It also has a custom scatter lip (thus the name), which maintains its skittering action on the water. Use this Rapala Husky Jerk walleye lure for trolling.
6. Smithwick Suspending Super Rogue
The Suspended Super Rogue runs true each time you are casting or trolling. It features a counterbalanced weighing system that shifts to the back of the bait to ensure a long cast and improve the casts’ accuracy every time.
The weight transfer system makes the rattle roll to the end of the lure on the cast to ensure this. When the fishing lure hits the water, the rattler moves forward, producing a sound as it progresses. The 5-inch lure can also lure bass, stripers, and trout besides walleye.
7. Rapala Original Floating Lures
This is the walleye lure that novice anglers usually start with. The Rapala Originals are excellent as a surface bait, but they can also be used as a shallow runner. It mimics a wounded minnow, making it irresistible to walleyes and other predator fish.
Considered to be one of the most versatile lures in the world, the Original Floating Lures from Rapala are available in a range of colors, and each is hand-turned and tank-tested, so you can start using it as soon as you take one out of its package. The premium VMC black nickel hooks also make this a must-buy.
8. Smithwick Perfect 10 Rogue Jerk Bait
The Smithwick ADR5 Perfect 10 Rogue Jerk Bait is used in deep water. It is designed with a precision-weight system that evens it out as it sinks and creates realistic darting action, mimicking a baitfish in distress.
The unique lip design allows this lure to fall quickly, and the tungsten rattle makes it hit the water with a sound that fish find irresistible, allowing longer casts. The lure is semi-transparent, which only enhances the flash it generates. All in all, it is a lure walleye can find hard to resist.
9. Storm Arashi Deep Rattling Lure
Boasting features typically only found in costly lures, the Storm ADP10 Arashi Deep Rattling Lure is a single bait rattle system.
It generates a knocking cadence and a low-frequency pitch that a walleye can detect from a long distance and track easily. The hooks lie close to the body due to the rotated hook hangers.
This improves the lure’s performance and prevents hang-ups, which larger hooks are notorious for causing. The free-moving design keeps the lure on a single course, straight down after it hits the water. Overall, it is a great fishing lure if you want to increase your chances of catching walleye fast.
10. Sea Striker Got-Cha Curltail Grubs
The Sea Striker Got-Cha Curtail Grubs are the best walleye lures you can get if you are looking for popular varieties. This dependable and long-lasting plastic lure is explicitly designed to handle large-sized jig heads without sustaining damage.
The Sea Striker is a popular soft bait for a range of game fish besides walleye mostly because it can last for a long time and can take a lot of punishment. Plus, it is suitable for a variety of retrieval styles.
11. SteelShad Blade Baits
Ideal for ice fishing, SteelShad Blade Bait is designed to mimic a dying and struggling shad in deep water, which a curious and hungry walleye will pounce on immediately. It is made from durable stainless steel It features a molded lead weight, two #8 VMC black nickel hooks, and a line clip.
The brand only uses VMC hooks because they are designed to withstand saltwater damage for over 1000 hours without losing their edge. The lures can be retrieved quickly, reeled over open water steadily, or bounced along the bottom to attract bites from slow fish.
BONUS!
12. Pro-Cure Bait Scent for Walleye
As is apparent from the name, Pro-Cure is explicitly designed to lure this evasive and robust fish. All you need to do is drop it in the water and wait.
The brand has created a multi-sensory formula for walleye that plays on the fish’s hypersensitive lateral line, which can instantly detect the slightest vibrations in the water.
In other words, the fish will be able to smell, taste, see and hear the fish attractant as soon as it drops in the water.
13. Lucky Bug Zombie Maxx Lures
Walleye and other fish cannot resist the ultra-realistic action of the Lucky Bug Zombie Max lures. These lures feature an eight-jointed body that mimics the curved body of baitfish almost perfectly.
The flexible connecting nylon fibers retain scent, and it boasts a unique darting action and vibrations, which makes these highly efficient in the water.
Each lure also has a pair of 3D eyes and custom graphics applied in ink in vibrant patterns. This only adds to the realism of each lure.
14. Luhr Jensen Crocodile Lures
Luhr Jensen Crocodile lures can target a range of species besides walleye. It has a narrow shape and a heavyweight design that fish cannot help but be attracted towards.
Made from solid brass, these fishing lures are spoons that can be used to lure a variety of fish in both salt and freshwater. It can be retrieved, cast, and jigged over structures easily, making it versatile and ideal for ice fishing.
When to Target Walleye
Use any of the walleye fishing lures previously discussed to catch this elusive beauty; however, if you want to increase your chances of catching one, head out onto the water either at dawn or dusk. Those are the best times to catch one. Ideally, you should be out fishing 30 minutes before and after sunset.
The fish is known for feeding at night, and on cloudy mornings it can also be found near the surface an hour and a half after sunrise.
Tips for Catching Walleyes
- Walleye can be found 10 feet underwater and are more profound, so you should fish accordingly.
- If you are fishing on a calm sunny day, focus on deep structure. You may find the fish hiding there.
- Use deep diving baits to entice this fish to come up to the surface.
- Walleyes can also be found around islands and reefs, but you can also find them around sand and mudflats where their prey dwells.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any of the sinking baits mentioned above can be used to troll for walleye.
Lures that generate vibrations and wiggle in the water are very effective for walleye. To increase your chances of catching walleye, you can add a small amount of fish oil to the lure. Fish oils, such as halibut oil, are used by pro anglers to increase their overall catch rate.
Trolling speeds continually vary depending on the season. We recommend 1.3 – 1.5 mph in Spring. Summer trolling speeds increase to approximately 1.5- 2 mph as walleyes are more active in warmer water.
To lure the fish to your line, you should have one out of the three baits it cannot resist. This includes minnows, leeches, and nightcrawlers. If you are using artificials, go for crankbaits, jigs, and colorful plastic worms.
Insider Advice
Fishing for walleye requires a LOT of patience. The predatory fish is notoriously elusive, so you may be out on the water for hours. However, even if you can catch one, that is a feat that you can brag about for days.
As mentioned in this guide, you just have to make sure you are at the right place at the right time. To make an informed decision, ask seasoned anglers which lures they like to use to catch this fish.
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