I read an artical in Boundary Waters Journal for a simple set up for Walleye but I can't remember it. Somthing about a jig head and some color grub/worms? Can someone point me in the right direction? I've never caught a walleye and would like to on my trip the end of May. Thanks.

I usually go in at the end of June, but the best way I have found to catch Walleye is with live bait, preferably leeches. I use them on a lindy rig, a small walleye hook, with a bead and a small lindy floater about 6 - 8 inches above it and using a slip sinker... and fish deep pockets below running water, or you can put a leech on a floating jig head and do the same, or you can drift or paddle slow along reefs in the lake dragging the same rigs using no-snag weights. I also like to use a jig head, 1/8 or 1/4 ounce with a berkley power grub on it and fish the same areas... doing the same drifting it slow bouncing it off the bottom, or casting and retrieving it slowly. A lot of people like to tip the jig with either a leech, or a shiner or chub... Berkley also makes a power leech which is much better to use if you are going to be casting the grub... stays on alot better. A depth finder is beneficial for marking depths and finding reefs... even finding fish. Good luck and remember to catch photograph the big ones and keep enough smaller ones to eat... have a great time.

Good Paddling, Great Fishing, and God Bless All...
Bruce

i do lots of river walleye and small mouth and my advice to you would be to get yourself some 16th ounce (i use light tackle) or 1/8th ounce pink jig heads with a black eye. and a bag or two of 2inch berkly power grubs in white (make sure the tail curve points back at the jig head)then find yourself some falls providing there are some on the lake you'll be one, fish at the base of these stay of the falls about 50 feet and cast towards them let it sink till it hits bottom then do a SLOW retrive. the eyes will crawl over each other to murder this jig combo. if there are no falls just find a nice rocky point that drops into deeper water fish from deep to shallow at lower light periods and try to keep it near bottom.
a bit of warning though the northerns will also KILL these things and with no leaders (leaders mess up the action so i dont use them) youll be lucky if you even see him.
one other thing i like is a number 8 husky jerk in black & silver, gold & black or the pain white glass minows from rapala i run them deep with a straight retrive or get them down with a few good cranks and then i will jerk them back to me. if you use them use the rapala knot it lets them use their natural action, and once agin no leaders.
good luck with the fish
oh and may i suggest try looking for the smallmouth they fight harder than the eyes.

Here is an idea that doesn't involve jigs. Rebel makes a crayfish immatation lure. Follow this link to take a look at it: http://billstackle.com/rebdeepweecr.html. You can choose the different colors according to what time of year you'll be going. This is my hot bait for walleys in the spring and fall. They actually run about 6-8 feet deep depending on what line you use. I use fireline, with it's small diameter and limpness it doesn't mess with the action any. What I usually do is find any water that has rock structure, anywhere from 6-15 feet deep. If the bait doesn't reach the bottom I give it a little help with some weight. If the wind is blowing in the right direction i'll let it blow me over the structure and let the bait bounce off the bottom. Otherwise, I'll just troll over the structure, make sure it's fairly slow. Hope this helps a litte.
HBN

thanks for the great insight. I love to catch smallies also. Had some w/ my trout lunch last weekend in iowa. I really want to get some eyes, b/c i've never caught one and this is what my dad is hoping to get also. We'll see... Any more info will be appreciated.

SWB,
My friends and I have had the most success with live minnows on slip bobbers. Boring but effective. We go up the same time you are going. I've been told and have had no luck with leeches that early in the year.

SWB,
You want walleye, find the lakes your going to and check them out on the lake finder...

www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html

If the numbers of walleye are there, (Where are you going anyway?)
If there are no walleye then your gonna have trouble catching them.

If there are walleye then my first step would be to find were the water flows into the lake... river mouths are perfect... get yourself there before dark... paddle up to the river mouth (maybe 10-15ft from it) and drop a jig and leech and bounce it off the bottom. Work your way out into deeper water/into the lake further and keep that jig bouncing on the bottom following the contour... you'll probably hit drop offs here and there. I keep the jig bouncing from the bottom up maybe two feet then drop it back down. Once you find the fish... fish in that area.

This tactic works at any time of the day in Late May. Leeches work just fine in late May.

Good luck
Hex