Ask pros what separates good fishermen from all the rest. More often than not you’ll hear this answer – attention to detail.

Like skinning that cat, there are many ways to catch walleyes. But it’s anglers who fine tune the basics who arrive at the docks with full livewells most often. Take an old standby, rigging, for instance, You can have countless slip sinkers in your tacklebox. But fishermen who unlock the secrets of this tried-and-true technique who wind up scoring consistently.

When walleyes are tight to structure with forage fish nearby, a rig or jig is your choice. Jigs are more versatile in rivers. But live bait rigs may be more effective in lakes, especially when pinpointing spots on deep-water structure. Sometimes the decision on which presentation is dictated solely by local lore and habit. On Mille Lacs, fingers often reach for the basic components of a Lindy rig – a slip sinker or split shot, a monofilament leader and a hook.

The purpose of rigging is to present in the most natural way possible a minnow, nightcrawler or leech to concentrated fish for a longer time than allowed by other tactics, such as trolling.

Here’s how to get started.

The rule of thumb for choosing the weight of the slip-sinker or split shot (used when casting) is the same as jigs – use enough to know you’re at or near the bottom. To fish 10 feet deep when wind is calm, a quarter-ounce sinker usually will do. When wind is blowing, three-eighths or a half ounce may be needed. Don’t overlook bottom bouncers, the right choice when you want your bait to ride above snags.

Start with a monofilament leader of 6- to 8-pound Stren Magna Thin 4- to 5 feet long in most situations or a Lindy Stealth Rig. Fish finicky? Lengthen it to 8- or 9 feet leader to make baits appear more life-like or ride a bit higher. If you’re hanging up on bottom too often, find a happy medium by shortening the leader length a few inches at a time. A worm blower can inject air to make the worm ride up; a small float can be added above the hook for the same purpose and to add a little color.

Use #2 ultrasharp hooks for minnows, and #4 to #6s for worms hooked through the nose to lessen line twist. Hooks in the range of #6 to #8 are perfect for leeches hooked through the sucker.

Colored hooks, beads or a short piece of red yarn can be added for color. Spinners can be used to add flash. But that’s a whole another story.

A Pinnacle 61/2-foot, medium-action rod is long enough to help take up line slack during hook sets. Keep the spinning reel bail open and hold the line with your index finger. When you feel a bite, your first instinct will be to set the hook. Instead, drop the line and let the fish run with it for about 10 seconds. When the line stops, the walleye is engulfing the bait. Gently lift the rod when you see it start to move off again, slowly reel up excess line and use your trolling motor to move over the fish if you can. Set the hook when you feel the walleye. If you miss a few, wait even longer to drive the hook home next time.

Walleyes are predominately ambush predators. They lurk on edges or on top of flats waiting for food to come over the top of them or come up from below them and pass in front of their noses.

Keep eyes on your sonar. If walleyes seem to be holding at a certain depth, say 15 feet, start a search pattern at 25 feet and move in to 10 feet. Go forward a few feet, then turn and move off the structure at a right angle toward deep water again. Note the depths the most strikes come and gradually narrow the depth variation of your pattern 20 to 12, then 18 to 13, then 16 to 14 – to focus on the productive area. There are times when you won’t get bites if you’re off as little as a foot.