Using light line, especially when jigging, is the right presentation to use, but most fishermen are doing it for all the wrong reasons. Stop and really think about it! Is heavier line really easier to see than light line? I can see the lighter line just as well as the heavy line in water, and I think a walleye can as well. As a simple and logical fisherman, I can't believe a walleye is smart enough to judge the weight of different fishing lines. The walleye doesn't even know what it is! I also can't imagine a walleye saying: "There's a fishing line which has a deadly bait that will catch me."

Another statement I often hear from fishermen about light line is that walleyes have a harder time feeling light line. These fishermen say that "walleyes feel the heavier line and spit out the bait." I have difficulty assigning any merit to this thought. Why would a walleye worry about a tiny piece of fishing line when there are similar things in his environment like weeds, moss, and reeds? What if the walleye feels the fishing lines in his mouth. Who cares? By the time a walleye would realize that this is a fishing line, he probably already has a Wally Diver, a jig or a hook in his mouth.

If light line didn't make a difference, I would use 25-pound test all of the time. Not only would this allow me to pull the fish right over the side of the boat, but I could also save hundreds of dollars a year in tackle. I'd probably never lose another crankbait or jig, and fishing nets would be history.

The most important reason we use light monofilament line for walleyes is because of its small diameter which allows a bait to flow easily into the walleye's mouth. To understand this better, we must again look at how walleyes eat.

Knowing that a walleye inhales a bait rather than biting it, we can present a bait to the walleye that will allow them to eat it. Light line is the answer because it allows the bait to flow easily into the fishes mouth when he inhales the water surrounding it. This is where light line or a smaller line diameter plays its part in walleye fishing. Walleyes like to ease up to within a few inches of the bait. By flaring their gills and opening their mouths at the same time, they suck in the surrounding water, and the bait flows with it into the open mouth.

If the bait weren't attached to a fishing line, it would easily move into the walleyes mouth. But, we do have line attached. The heavier the fishing line, the more resistance it creates and the more difficult it becomes for walleyes to suck in the bait. This simply adds up to a "short-hit." A "short-hit" merely means that the fish is sucking in the water that surrounds the bait and not getting any of the bait.

If lighter fishing line with a smaller line diameter is used, resistance becomes less, and the bait will now flow easily into the walleye's mouth with ease and eliminate many short-hits. When the line's resistance has prevented the bait from moving to the fishes mouth with the flow of water, all the walleye gets is the tail end of your bait - the end without a hook! Remember, fish never try to eat just half the bait. The fish has tried as hard as he could to get the whole bait into his mouth. The bait started to move with the flow into the walleye's mouth, but that heavy line resistance only allowed the free end of the bait to move.

Whenever you have a "short-hit," it's your fault. A short-hit is a very strong message to lighten up, use smaller diameter line, lighter jigs, and lighter baits. My line choice for early spring walleyes on small jigs is four or six-pound Silver Thread monofilament line.

A common problem you'll experience with light line is difficulty with setting the hook and landing the fish. The remedy is to use long rods. With long rods, you can put more pressure on the fish and eliminate shock on the line. Their are dozens of long rods from which to choose; I personally like Quantum's Tour Edition 7' medium action (TS704F).

Remember, all you have to do is keep an open mind, apply common sense, and search for simple answers. Smaller line diameter is one of those simple answers to catching "short-hitting" walleyes.

What Kind of Line Should I Use?
What kind of line should I use was probably one of the first questions I was ever asked at a fishing seminar. It still remains one of the most frequently asked. Much has been written and said about the new super lines over the past several years and after trying it along with several other pros have gone back to using plain old premium monofilament fishing line.

In the last 20 years, monofilament fishing line has improved by leaps and bounds. Although huge advertising budgets keep fishing line in the forefront of anglers' thoughts with words such as "new," "improved," "sensitive" and "super," the truth is that today's premium monofilament fishing line is close to reaching the point of "near-perfection."

Choose whatever brand you like, the one in which you have the most confidence. I use Silver Thread. I won't tell you that it's the best, but I'll guarantee that I won't switch. I learned many years ago (through the school of hard knocks and broken lines) that your line doesn't break because of bad line, but because of bad maintenance. Take care of your fishing line and pay attention to the details. Keep your fishing line away from as much direct sunlight and excess heat as possible. Make it a habit to test your knots. Periodically run your thumbnail down the last few feet and check for nicks. By all means check the line after each boat ride or trip in the truck. It's easy to check your line for strength: try to break it. If you think it may have broken too easily, compare it to a spool of new line. If there's a difference, it's time to change your line and check your reel drag!

Maintenance and paying attention to detail is the secret to good fishing line. When selecting fishing line, line size (pound test) and its handling characteristics are far more important than brand name. Select the line size that will offer you the qualities that best supports the type of fishing you'll be doing. Just as a rule of thumb I use four to six-pound test line for jigging, six or eight-pound for rigging and ten to twelve-pound test monofilament for most trolling and bottom bouncer techniques.

Walleyes Aren't Smart
Never give walleyes credit for being smart or being able to relate a fishing presentation to a dangerous situation. If walleyes had this intellectual ability, we wouldn't have to worry about the illegal netting occurring. Wouldn't you think that if walleyes could see and identify fishing line, they would surely be able to recognize a deadly gill net?

Editors note: Be sure to check out Mike's book "Walleye Trouble-Shooting" available right here on Walleye Central.