Sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice. When it comes to fishing walleyes in rivers there are lots of ways to present lures, but none as popular or productive as vertical jigging. Drifting along with the current and fishing a jig tight to bottom solves a lot of the problems associated with finding and catching river run eyes.

First off, drifting with the current enables the angler to cover water rather quickly and presents bait exactly the way waiting walleyes expect to find their next meal. Walleyes, like all fish that frequently live in rivers, adopt a lay-in-wait hunting technique that’s both efficient and effective.

The energy it requires to move around in river current rules out a hunting approach that involves cruising around searching for food. Instead, walleyes find a spot on the river floor that’s out of the direct current.

Walleyes lay in wait for the current to wash food within reach. Anything on bottom that disturbs the flow of water can provide an ambush site for walleyes. A slight depression in the bottom, rock pile, submerged log, meandering channel edge, or a wide spot in the river where the current slows are just a few of the potential ambush sites walleyes are likely to use.

Walleyes choose to lay on the bottom because the current flow in a river is slower on the bottom. Water moving downstream in a river doesn’t all flow at the same speed. Friction caused by the water passing over the bottom causes the current to be slowest on the bottom. This simple principle is known as laminar flow.

Vertical jigging also presents bait in a natural way. A minnow or night crawler being washed downstream by the current is an easy and tempting target for walleye. Because the water clarity is often less than ideal and the food is moving rather quickly, hungry walleyes are forced to strike first and ask questions later. With little time to scrutinize a potential meal, walleyes react instinctively to the jig as it passes within their zone-of-awareness.

Vertical jigging excels in yet another way. Because the jig is positioned close to bottom, but not dragged along the bottom the lure is in the strike zone the maximum amount of time. In addition, the jig is less likely to snag or fowl than presentations that require the jig to stay in contact with the bottom.

All of these facts point to vertical jigging as not only the obvious choice for river fishing, but also the most productive choice. The problem with vertical jigging is the presentation is not as simple to achieve as it seems. In fact a complex set of conditions must be met before vertical jigging can become a highly refined and efficient fishing method.

Think of a trap shooter who routinely breaks 22 or 23 birds straight, but who never seems to shoot a perfect round of 25. Once a shooter gets to this skill level, it’s the small things that enable him or her to move on to the next higher level.

The same is true of vertical jigging. Paying attention to small details separates an average jig fisherman from the exceptional.

Setting Up a Drift

The first step in setting up a vertical jigging drift is to make sure the forward movement of the boat has stopped before the jigs are lowered to bottom. It’s important that the boat move at the same speed as the current. If the jigs are lowered to bottom while the boat is still moving faster than the current, more line than necessary must be let out to contact bottom.

Once the current is controlling the boat’s movement, lower the jig to bottom by free spooling line. When the jig hits bottom the line will go slack. Reel up the extra slack line until you can feel the line come tight as the jig is lifted up off the bottom. At this point you should be able to drop the rod tip and feel the jig contact bottom.

Concentrate on lifting the jig a couple inches and holding it for a few seconds, then dropping the rod tip until the jig contacts bottom. It’s important to drop down and contact bottom every few feet to insure the jig stays positioned a few inches above bottom.

The beds of most rivers aren’t flat like a pool table. To compensate for these slight changes in depth, drop the rod tip closer to the water surface or let out a small amount of line as needed.

Once the jig is positioned correctly near bottom, the angler will have to control boat drifting speed to insure the jig stays vertical and close to bottom.

Controlling Drift Speed

Vertical jigging is sometimes referred to as “chasing the line” because the angler constantly uses an electric motor to position the boat over top of the jig as it drifts downstream.

Controlling drifting speed begins by positioning the bow of the boat directly into the wind. If a transom-mounted motor is used, the transom of the boat will need to be positioned towards the wind.

As the line angles upstream the angler loses control of the jig and the ability to keep the bait positioned close to bottom. To correct this problem the electric motor is used to simply move the boat slightly upwind. As the boat moves upwind, the jig catches up to the boat and the line is once again positioned directly below the boat.

To stay vertical the angler must repeat this process over and over again as the boat drifts downstream. On days when the wind is mild this is a rather simple chore. When the wind picks up, the electric motor must be used almost constantly to keep the boat and jig moving along at the same speed as the current.

Now that you’ve got the drift down, it’s time to talk gear. We’ll focus on the specific tackle and techniques that will supercharge your river walleye fishing.

Rods and Reels

Vertical jigging is a contact sport. In order to feel bottom and delicate bites an angler must equip himself with the most sensitive rod available. Rods that are built from nearly 100-percent graphite fiber are the only logical candidates for vertical jigging.

Rods in the five- to six-foot range with a medium action are ideal for vertical jigging. Most anglers favor spinning rods for vertical jigging, but baitcasting tackle can also be used effectively. Stiffness is important because a stiff rod telegraphs light bites better than a soft action rod.

The reels used should match and balance perfectly with the rod. In the case of spinning tackle a small No. 1 or 2 size reel with a line capacity of 100-150 yards of six- or eight-pound test is ideal.

Continuous anti-reverse style reels are an advantage when vertical jigging. This design eliminates play or slop in the handle and enables the angler to have better control of the jig at all times.

The friction from the fishing line moving in the water clearly suggests that thin diameter line is the only choice for vertical jigging. Six-pound test monofilament is the standard for most vertical jigging applications. Select a monofilament with limited stretch, good abrasion resistance and low memory or coiling.

When jigging in deep water, super braid lines in the six and eight-pound test sizes enjoy a useful niche. The extra thin diameter and low stretch characteristics of these lines makes them outstanding when jigging in water over 25 feet. High visibility colors are the best option.

Jigheads and Stinger Hooks

When selecting jigs, look for long shank versions with thin wire hooks. Long shank style jigs help to position the hook point a little deeper in the walleye’s mouth where the tissue is softer. The result is a better hook bite and deeper penetration. Thin wire hooks dramatically improve penetration and if these hooks snag bottom in many cases the wire can be bent enough to recover the jig.

The next characteristic to look for in a jig is a barbed collar that holds plastic grub bodies securely. Adding plastic grubs is an important part of vertical jigging. Jigs with round or no collars do not hold plastic baits well.

A good jig for vertical jigging should also feature two eyelets. One eyelet is used to attach the line to the jig and the second to attach a stinger hook. This simple feature helps to reduce tangles and makes using stinger hooks easier.

Anglers will have to search to find jigs that offer these properties. Some excellent candidates include the K&E Walleye Stopper Sticker, Wasp Perfection Head, Shaker Rattlin’ Jighead, Shiner Jighead, Cabela’s Real Image. Each of these jigs has all the characteristics required for effective vertical jigging.

Stinger hooks are another element of vertical jigging that can be refined for better performance. When fished normally, stinger hooks can impair the action of a minnow enough to prevent walleyes from striking.

Stinger hooks should be tied using monofilament or braided lines and made long enough so the hook can easily be positioned near the tail of the minnow. The P/K Tackle Stinger features a treble hook with one of the hooks reversed. When the reverse hook is positioned in the minnow, the two remaining hooks are held upright and ready for business. Also, this stinger is tied using braided line that holds up well to sharp teeth.

Bait Management

Keeping live bait on the hook is one of the more frustrating aspects of vertical jigging. Many species of minnows, such as emerald shiners, have a delicate mouth that tears easily. When a jig and minnow combination is hopped up and down the hook works itself free from the minnow and the bait is lost.

A simple product produced by K&E Tackle known as a Bait Bumper insures the minnow doesn’t fall off the hook. A Bait Bumper is a round piece of soft plastic that is pushed over the point of the hook after the minnow is hooked through both lips. The plastic acts like a washer, preventing the bait from working free of the hook. This simple product is inexpensive and highly effective.

Vertical jiggers also have need for another type of plastic–grubs. Plastic grub bodies are a must have item for vertical jigging. Not only do plastic grubs offer more action and color, the bulk they provide makes the jig easier to spot in dirty water.

Jigging Action

At first glance the up and down action of vertical jigging appears tediously simple. Actually a number of “actions” can be productive depending on conditions and the mood of fish.

In very cold water when walleyes are lethargic, a slow lift and drop jigging action usually produces best. The trick is to lift the jig slowly and drop it slowly enough that the line remains taunt all the time. This style of jigging is often called “tightlining”.

Slack lining is a variation of tight line jigging. The jig is lifted slowly, and then the rod tip dropped rapidly allowing the jig to free-fall. This presentation seems to work best when walleyes are active.

Even more aggressive jigging strokes that pop the jig upwards a few inches off bottom, and then allow the jig to fall on a slack line can be used when walleyes are biting readily. The key with jigging actions is to experiment with various types until the fish communicate which style they prefer.

Two Rod Jigging

Vertical jigging is a walleye presentation that screams for a two-rod approach. Most states allow anglers to use up to two rods. Using two rods doubles your chances and gives you a chance to experiment with different jigs, grubs, and livebait.

It takes a little practice to master the art of two rod jigging. A few tricks make this practice easier to learn. Set yourself up so the rod in your left hand has a right hand reel retrieve and the rod in your right hand has a left hand reel retrieve. Equipped this way you won’t have to switch hands after a fish is hooked to reel it in. Also, it’s easier to reel up slack line or let out more line as required.

Position the rod tips out to each side of the boat to increase the lure coverage. When experimenting with different jigging actions, use the same action on both rods.

Developing the Touch

The final aspect of vertical jigging can only be achieved with practice. Those who are experienced vertical jiggers know that sometimes no bite is felt – instead a sense of weight is detected at the end of the line.

Half or more of the hooked fish will be detected this way. The feeling of weight can be further described as a mushy sensation that feels different from the weight of the jig or the jig hitting bottom.

Only experience can refine the skill anglers need to determine bites. In the meantime, good advice is to set the hook at anything that doesn’t feel normal. Gradually the vertical jigging picture will become clear.

Jigging is the most common method used to catch river bound walleyes, yet few anglers have mastered the art of refined vertical jigging. It would be misleading to say vertical jigging is an easy way to fish or a simple presentation to master. Then again, a presentation this deadly is worth the effort required.