“Jig fishing is all offense,” says veteran walleye pro Tommy Skarlis. “When you feel a bite, you’ve got to pull the trigger immediately.”

He pulls the trigger with a Fenwick Techna AV 7-foot, medium-fast spinning rod. The quick, sensitive graphite rod helps him detect light bites, as does the highly visible 10-pound Flame Green FireLine he uses for jig fishing.

A stinger snell with a No. 12 or 14 hook ensures that short-striking fish wind up in the landing net. “It’s incredible how those little hooks find a piece of skin to latch onto in a walleye’s hard mouth.”

When he’s pulling a sinker rig, Skarlis opts for a medium-light rod.

“You have to feed walleyes with a live bait rig,” he says. “A rod with a soft tip lets you do that without the walleye feeling you.”