Jigs like the Northland Gum-Ball, Fire-Ball and Mimic Minnow are among the walleye angler’s deadliest weapons, and tipping options abound. But how do you choose between hitching a minnow, leech or artificial to your favorite leadhead? Reigning Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Champion Johnnie Candle keeps it simple and successful by following a few basic rules of thumb.

“In current, all I use are softbaits such as Berkley PowerBait or Gulp! Alive!,” says the veteran guide, touring pro and NAFC member —who won his crown fishing with partner Dave Noble on the flood-swollen Mississippi out of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, last October. “They’re less hassle than livebait and stay on much better, especially with the short strikes so common in flowing water situations. And, because river walleyes don’t have time to scrutinize your jig, it’s easy to catch fish on artificials.”

In still water colder than 45 degrees, Candle also reaches for scent-rich softbaits like Gulp! and PowerBait, which he says shine for their olfactory appeal. “Scent trails last longer in cold water because the water molecules move slower than they do in warm water,” he explains. As a lake’s water warms, minnows become more of a factor, followed by nightcrawlers—particularly once it tops 50 degrees.

For walleye fans used to threading crawlers on the hook, Candle offers the following tip: Wacky-rig a crawler when standard threading stalls. “I’ve had some great success wacky-rigging crawlers on jigheads,” he says. “Leeches are a wild card always worth playing,” he adds.
 

Softbaits also score when using animated jigstrokes such as snap- or rip-jigging, when fishing in weedy or brushy cover that tears livebait from the hook, and when pesky perch, bluegills or other bait-nappers are a hassle.
 

Candle favors leadheads sporting long-shank, wide-gap hooks for all tippings, but tailors line to conditions, using low-stretch 6/2 FireLine in current, as well as still water deeper than 20 feet. He says stretchier, 6-pound Berkley Sensation rules in lake water less than 20 feet deep.