Walleye live bait question

[Shop Rat]

How long do you wait to set the hook when using live bait/ Lindy rig?

I would only wait 2-3 seconds, then set the hook. I was just on a pro walleye site and they recommend having your bail open with a finger holding the line, then when one bites point your rod at the fish and let the fish take it for 3-30 seconds.

Leeches stay on well, but shiners seem to be stolen easily. Also, if I wait that long will the hook be way down into the fish so I might have trouble releasing it.

I usually catch more rock bass, small mouth and pike than walleye so is there a different strategy for walleye? I use a floating jig or plain hook, 2-4 feet of 6 lb and sometimes a float with the hook.

Thanks for any info

[legard29]

lindy rigs my need exta time, mostly because lindy rigs are mostly used in finesse fishing. When fish are of the bit and not feeding actively. to get them to bit and to get a hook up they need to have time to eat the bait.

However, i fish mostly with a spinner rather than lindy rig. Fish will take spinners more often than not, and with a little practice you can tell what the fish is just by the bite. on a spinner such as a Blindmans tipped with a crawler, all i do is to let the fish take the bait long enoungh for you to follow the bite back with tension for 3-5 seconds and set the hook. Any longer and a gut hook usually result.

The real time involved though depends on the fish, if all you get are short strikes put on a trailer hook, or if the fish are really snaping a single hook rig is all you need. But there are exceptions, recently on saginaw bay, we caught tons of fish,but you had to let them swim with the bait for 10-30 seconds or all you would get was a shreaded crawler back. The main thing is to just play with the situation.:fish:

[KI Jim]

Wait until you feel the weight of the fish-then let 'em have it.

Jim