Bait walkers are specialized pieces of equipment that combine a sinker with a wire frame. The wire frame is usually V-shaped with a loop at the end of one arm of the V to attach a leader, and a loop at the point of the V to attach to your main line. The end of the other arm of the V will have a lead weight on it of varying weights, usually shaped like a banana. They work in a similar way to fish finder rigs.

When the bait walker is rigged up and dropped to the bottom, the lead weight “walks” along the bottom leaving the bait trailing above and behind it. The shape of the weight helps avoid hang-ups that more traditional sinkers would encounter. Bait walkers are very good for drift-fishing a bait along a flat for walleye or other similar species that hold near the bottom.