Technique
and Gear Selection Article |

The Walking
Baits: Selecting the Right Rod, Reel, and Line for Your Walker Arsenal

Date: |
10/23/17 |
Tackle type: |
Rod, Reel,
Lure, Line |
Manufacturer: |
Various |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction: Nothing quite inspires heart stopping strikes quite
like topwater walking baits and it is no wonder that there are now so many
different options available seven decades after the original Heddon Zara Spook
unleashed the craze upon anglers. While having the right bait is certainly a key
part of the battle selecting the right reel, rod and line can also make it
easier to impart that zig-zag action that is essential to draw those explosive
strikes.

The most famous walker of them
all... the iconic Heddon Spook
Walking baits, also known as “Walk-the-Dog” style baits, as effective as they
are do have somewhat of a steep learning curve as far as fishing techniques are
concerned, but once you get the method down it really all comes down to muscle
memory. Cadence is the key and the technique is best employed over calmer water
where that subtle zig-zag motion is hard for suspended fish to resist.

Walkers are some of the very best
lure options for the first and last light
Make your
cast and start twitching your rod tip downwards and point the tip back towards
the lure and reel on the slack line you have just created. It is important that
you don’t try and force the bait towards you or to the side, this will create an
unnatural presentation. Twitch the rod, let the line go slack, point the tip and
reel up that slack line, and repeat.
Let the bait do the work, and with the
right cadence it will be dancing side by side effortlessly. Put in the time and
you will start to really get a feel for how your walking bait is behaving and
you can start to mix things up to alter speed and even the distance of your
bait’s side to side travel.

Walking the do takes practice but
the right rod, reel, and lure can help make it easier
The Walking Baits (TWB): Whether you choose the original Spook, or one of
the countless new walking baits, try and select one that is both easy to cast
and walk. You will want to cover a lot of water so baits weighing 5/8oz. and up
will make it easier to cast far enough to work through plenty of productive
water.
While the original cigar shape of the Spook is still one
of the best today there have been advances in design and many walking baits now
feature curved bodies and hydrodynamic shaped heads designed to make it easier
to walk the baits with less effort.
In addition to a good old fashioned Spook some of my favorite easy to
walk go to baits include the Reaction
Innovations Vixens, the DUO Realis Pencil, and the River2Sea
Rover.

Walking is not only deadly for
largemouth, stripers cannot resist a good walk either
Lines: When it comes to line there are two camps, those that prefer
braided lines and those that still prefer mono. Personally I now use 30+ lb.
braided line for all my walking bait work as I prefer the no-stretch for working
baits as well as instant hooksets the second that the lure lands, which
definitely will happen once in a while the more you commit to the technique. In
general I find it is easier to impart the right rod tip action directly on most
walking baits when using braid, and to help disguise brightly colored braid I do
not hesitate to take a permanent marker to the first 15-20 feet of line, or top
shot with a fluorocarbon leader.

I prefer braided lines for most of
my walking but heavier mono is also an option