When slithering a rig between sparse weed stalks, keep snell length short -- 18 inches or less. Longer snells tend to wrap around stalks and are prone to snags. Also, consider switching hook style from an open hook to a weedless one to further reduce snagging.

Maneuver the boat slowly along, using a slow lift-drop of the sinker to occasionally touch bottom, but avoid dragging, which promotes snagging. As you feel the line rub against weeds, wiggle the rod tip up and down or side to side, to slither the bait through or along them. Properly executed, you can tickle an edge or penetrate a sparse perimeter with few problems. If your hook fouls, a heavy feeling indicates that you should reel up and clean off the weeds.

Quick -- When walleyes are a bit more aggressive, move your bait more quickly to trigger rather than tempt strikes, if the fish are on or near an outer weededge. Use the same livebait rig style but in a quicker fashion, or switch to a tiny #1 or #2 blade spinner harness for added flash, vibration, and attraction. Keep snell length short to minimize the snell's winding around and snagging weeds, rather than slipping between sparse stalks. The rotation of the tiny blade will help deflect some weeds from the hook as the sinker skips across bottom.

Above -- When weeds are more of a carpet variety, like sandgrass (chara, actually an algae), present your rig above the weeds, rather than through them, skimming it across the top of the weed mat, while keeping your bait in view. This could be as simple as holding your sinker above the weeds most of the time, occasionally dipping the rod tip and sinker to brush the tops of the weeds to ensure that your rig is near bottom.

It might be easier, however, to switch to a floating jighead, or to add a sliding float to the line ahead of the hook and bait. This causes the bait to slowly rise during pauses, and to resist sinking below horizontal when the bait is pulled ahead. A slightly longer snell, say 3 or 4 feet, can be used for fishing above weed carpets. But stick to a shorter snell if the sandgrass borders tight to taller weeds like cabbage or coontail, which will snag a long snell and exposed-hook rig.

If the fish prefer a faster-moving rig, switch to about a 1 1⁄2-ounce bottom bouncer, providing the weed carpet is only a few inches tall. The wire leg will skim across the tops of relatively short weeds, but will penetrate and foul if weeds are taller. Position a short spinner harness or floating jighead to dance, bob, and weave above the weed tops. Lower the rod tip and touch the weeds to confirm that the rig is in the fish zone.

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