Fishing for Walleye can be challenging, and the bait can make the difference between a great day of fishing and going home without any Walleye to show for your effort. Commercial bait can be used, but the cost of using this type of bait can really add up, especially if you are an avid fisherman who fishes frequently. There is a cheaper solution, and that is homemade bait. There are many different bait recipes that can be followed, and almost every fisherman knows one or two recipes handed down to them from a more experienced sportsman.
Walleye eat smaller fish in their natural habitats, and a bait made from chopped up bait fish is a great enticement that you can make yourself before you head out to your fishing spot. Not all Walleye bait recipes contain other fish, some may be dough baits or made from other meats instead. There are three tried and true recipes that can really help you catch your limit of Walleye if the conditions are right. The next time you go fishing try bait you have made and see what results you get, you may be very pleasantly surprised.
Worm And Liver Bait:
24 night crawlers
½ pound of chicken livers, frozen (turkey livers may be substituted instead)
1 can of Copenhagen, finely cut
2 teaspoons garlic salt
Cotton balls, as needed
Flour, as needed
Cornmeal, as needed
Puree the night crawlers and liver until liquefied. Add this liquid and the Copenhagen in a bowl, stirring evenly. Mix in the garlic salt. Soak the cotton balls in the liquid, using enough cotton balls to soak up almost all the liquid. Add flour and cornmeal as needed until the dough resembles pizza crust dough. Use the cotton balls as bait, and this also keeps your bait from being stolen.
Sweet Dough Fish Bait:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
10 Tablespoons of thick molasses
Mix all three ingredients until a stiff dough forms. Roll the dough into appropriately sized bait balls, drop into a pot of boiling water, and boil for ten minutes. As soon as these bait balls are done, remove them from the pot and put into cold water. Use in place of other bait options for Walleye fishing.
Blood Dough Bait:
1 cup blood, any type (acquired from a grocery store)
1 cup flour
¼ cup salt
1 tsp oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
Add all the ingredients in a pan and stir thoroughly. Cook the mixture on medium until it is smooth, with no lumps. Cool the bait mixture. Knead this mixture until it firms up, then place in a container which is airtight. This bait can also be kept in the refrigerator, and it will last significantly longer if stored this way. Blood dough seems to work very well with Walleye fishing, and this bait can be made in large batches for future use, eliminating the need to make bait before every fishing adventure.
