A New Spin On Walleye Worm Harnesses

One bait you can count on for catching walleyes, whether in familiar or new water, is a heavy weight, a worm harness and a juicy nightcrawler. An over-simplification would be to say this bait is just a spinner in front of a nightcrawler fished deep, but the truth of the matter is there are countless combinations of blade colors and types, usually followed by a variety of beads, all of which draw attention to the nightcrawler in tow.

Two time-tested types of blades are the Colorado and Willowleaf.

The Colorado Blade has a round shape with a deep cup. They displace a lot of water when they rotate and you will definitely fee

l the throbbing resistance on your rod. Colorado blades are best for slow trolling or drifting, and they are very effective in stained or muddy water.

Willowleaf Blades are narrow and long compared to the Colorado blade. Willowleaf blades provide a more reflective surface, thus more flash to attract walleye visually. Willo blades run truer and are more effective at higher trolling speeds.

Color choices in either blade design are limitless and run the full spectrum of the rainbow. Chartreuse or orange have produced for years, but manufacturers have gotten very creative with multi-color designs that look as much like a piece of art or jewelry than a fishing bait. It's always best to have as many colors as you can afford because on any given day walleyes may prefer one color over another.

A new style of worm harness that I only discovered last summer (thanks to the staff at FishUSA) is the Northland Butterfly Blade Harness. The in-line propeller-style blade spins effectively at very slow speeds, with a great amount of flash and vibration. The Butterfly Blades are effective at trolling speeds as low as .25 MPH. There are 12 colors, each with two sizes to choose from. Matching colored beads follow the blade for added attraction. My favorite colors (or should I say the walleye's favorites) are the Clear Tip Chartreuse, Parakeet and Sunrise.

Last summer, on multiple trips on Lake Erie, I out-fished my host with limits or near limits of walleye. I was the only one on board with the Butterfly Blade Harness!

The Butterfly blades are plastic (polycarbonate) so they are very light. This is good news if you've been losing the heavier metal blades to snags.

For the creative angler, you can buy the components of the Northland Butterfly Blade Harness and build your own rigs. Pair the blades with beads like Mr. Derk's Tackle UV Shimmer Roe Beads, and you can create an effective, economical and original walleye bait.

Walleye worm harnesses have come a long way since the days of the old red and white "Dominion" June Bug Spinners. The choices of blade types and colors available today are amazing. YOu can't go wrong in any lake in any conditions having a good supply of worm harnesses to catch limits of walleye.