I have plenty of confidence in several baits for catching walleye, but few are in the same league as a lively leech for teasing bites from lock-jawed fish. Even an artificial leech can be a shoo-in at times when fished on a jig or drop-shot, for instance.
Here’s a refresher on the advantages of using live and artificial leeches for walleye, along with some reliable tactics worth having in your repertoire.
Leech season
“I use leeches primarily from the post-spawn period once water temps have crept up into the mid-50s, until I can’t get them anymore,” said Dave Bennett, a professional fishing guide on Lake of the Woods.
The cold-water periods bookending the timeframe Bennett outlines are typically off limits for leeches. Frigid water makes a leech curl up on a hook and pretty much renders it useless from a fish-attraction standpoint. Beyond this, though, you’re good to go with these aquatic suckers from mid- to late-spring to early fall.
Why leeches catch walleye
“Leeches are natural forage that’s plentiful in our northern Ontario lakes and an excellent choice for anglers looking to increase their odds of putting more walleye in the boat,” said Cameron Boake, an accomplished angler from North Bay who regularly uses leeches to fool bottom-oriented walleye.
A leech’s natural, undulating swim is another reason this live bait is almost foolproof for triggering walleye. Watching one move through the water is mesmerizing.
“Fish have a hard time saying no to leech,” Bennett said. “You get a leech in their face, leave it there long enough and a walleye is going to eat it.”
Walleye will hold on to leeches, which Bennett says gives clients more time to detect soft bites, set hooks, and put fish in the boat.
Soft-bait suckers
Soft-bait leeches are also great at fooling walleye. The three- and five-inch Berkley Gulp! Leech and Jumbo Leech are staples in my tackle bag and get used often when walleye need extra convincing.
Boake is also a fan. “Berkley Gulp! Leeches are a steadfast go-to when it comes to imitating leeches with their amazing scent dispersion and perfect shape. I often interchange sizes until I am able to dial-in the profile walleye prefer,” he said.
Other artificial options include the Lunkerhunt Leech and Northland Impluse Rig’N Leech.
Artificial baits also offer durability. When walleye are keyed in on a bloodsucker’s profile and eager to eat, a rugged soft bait will stay on the hook longer than live bait — both a time and money-saver.
Tough to beat a leech and a jig
“I make my living with a jig,” Bennett said. “My customers are going to have their best success rate with a jig, and a leech is definitely going to get bites when walleye are fussy.”
“From the start of June into July, the primary weapon is a leech on a 1 ⁄8-ounce jig,” Bennett said. “If I find fish extremely shallow rubble where there are a lot of snags, I may go to a 1⁄16 ounce. Or, if there’s a real specific weed edge in five to six feet of water, I’ll throw 1 ⁄16-ounce jig on the weedbed, pull it across and let it sink slowly off the face of the weeds. It’s deadly.”
When walleye push out to deeper water as spring gives way to summer, Bennett bumps up to 1 ⁄4 ounce. When jigging 18 to 25 feet in windy con- ditions, a 3 ⁄8-ounce jig may be needed.
Sharpshooting with leeches
I’ve written previously about the potency of live bait used in conjunction with forward-facing sonar for walleye, and Boake is all over this trend. He uses Garmin’s LiveScope to make quick work of locating bottom-oriented walleye cruising flats, prowling points, and relating to other structures on Lake Temagami, Lake Nipissing, and other waters around North Bay.
“When I fish leeches, I primarily utilize a drop-shot with a size 1 or 1/0 Berkley drop-shot hook with approximately a 12-inch fluorocarbon lead to a tungsten weight,” he said. “The size of the weight depends on water current, clarity, and depth.”
Using a drop-shot keeps the leech elevated off bottom. This helps it get noticed by walleye, which Boake said are often looking up to feed.
Trolling leeches
A reliable presentation is slowly dragging a leech on a floating jig head behind a walking sinker. Pull this set-up across points, sand bars, and flats, and you’ll catch walleye if they’re around.
A leech on a spinner rig is another option. It can be fished with a bullet sinker for walleye in shallow, sparse weeds, or pulled behind a bottom bouncer in deeper scenarios.
Don’t be shy about using an artificial with a bait rig. Think of it as a “Can I get away with it?” experiment. It’s definitely worth trying if running low on live bait.
There’s a lot to love about leeches. Real leeches are one of the best types of live bait but scented soft-bait leeches will also catch plenty of walleye.
Field tip: Go artificial when walleye are grouped with panfish, which are expert leech thieves.
Originally published in the May 2023 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
Tim Allard is a full-time freelance journalist and photographer based in Ottawa. He’s the author of the multi-award winning book Ice-Fishing – The Ultimate Guide. Reach Tim at: mail@oodmag.com
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