Plugs

Plugs are minnow imitators and induce a strike because of their resemblance to an injured minnow or other baitfish. Although both fat and slim varieties will catch walleye, those short, fat "alphabet" crank baits were designed for bass and other Predator fish that feed on high-profile prey fish. The walleye, on the other hand, prefers those long, slim types of minnow baits and crank baits which reflect the type of prey they commonly feed on, such as shiners, perch, and ciscoes. All of these baits will have a lip of some sort to function at various depths. Generally, the shorter the lip the shallower it will run. As well, some plugs are buoyant, producing a different effect during certain types of retrieves in contrast to those that sink. As a rule, sinking divers will go deeper than floating divers and offer the option of counting down the lure to a certain depth before the retrieve is begun. Included under plugs is the wide- or loose-action type, such as flatfish and benos. Often called banana baits, these lures give a tremendous amount of action at slower rates of retrieval. Their benefits are obvious when you remember the walleye's reluctance to chase down a lure. But you can combine several features. For example, a long, thick minnow bait can be both shallow running and buoyant if you place a small splitshot sinker ahead of the lure.