Thread: The Walleye Channel

Awesome write up Kev.

Yes, I'm willing to head out at camp. It is always nice to be able to compare products. I have a Pre 2017 and, like Kevin said, I would like to pull my 45ACP or 9mm S&W MPshield and put a bullet in it's head when using spot lock. That said, for trolling, the only way I'm getting rid of it is if I can confirm that there is something better on the market.

I really wish these companies would not link themselves with one fish finder technology. As a whole, they would sell a lot more units if they were compatible with Garmin, Lowrance, Hummingbird, or any other fish finder. It is a computer afterall and they run similar operating systems. It isn't that hard for Lowrance to give you an update that would let you hook to a MinnKota if the technologies were allowed.

Speed:

Pound for pound, when you make comparisons between things that are most important when trolling (not just for walleye), speed is probably the single most important aspect.

If we were all trolling in a bathtub where you have zero environmental considerations, speed would be an absolute. Bathtub speed is not impacted by anything. The bait is traveling at whatever speed the boat is traveling at. This is what I would call an absolute value. The thing is, we don’t fish in a bathtub. In the real world there are many different environment variables that effect our trolling presentation. Wind speed, wind direction, current speed, current direction, the previous days winds, waves, and weather, all will contribute to the actual speed of the bait.

We should not be concerned with what our boat speed is nearly as much as the speed that our baits are running. Too slow and floating baits will not effectively dive. Their action is greatly reduced. Baits on bottom bouncers will have a tendency to fall to the bottom. Lead core and copper rigs will not operate at their optimum depth. Conversely, if the bait is traveling too fast, the speed could affect the desired action of the baits. Lipped crank baits might dive deeper than the expected curve, spinner blades could spin out of control, and sinking style lines could plane out higher in the water column.

Boat speed or “Speed over Ground” is utilized as a good starting point. From here we have to rely on a few things in order to ensure that our baits are operating at their effective level. Have you ever been trolling, not catching anything, and then you make a lazy turn and half of your outside baits get hit? If so, you were traveling too slowly. The turn caused the outside baits to speed up. These baits were probably not operating at their optimum trolling speed (under the water). Once the turn was made, this sped the baits up and caused the strike. If however you’re inside baits were to go off, this would indicate that you were traveling too fast!

I know what the next question is going to be: “How do I know how fast your baits are traveling”? Although we will discuss equipment that will tell us this, we must first understand that the only speed we care about is the one that catches fish. Is it faster than our starting point or slower than our starting point? Confused yet? If so, don’t worry, the picture should start to become clear.

As a rule of thumb in the salmon fishing community, spoon fishing was always done at a speed equal to around 2.2mph speed over ground. This was always a good starting point. Before the advent of GPS technologies, we simply relied on our ears to tell us if we were going to slow or too fast. The downrigger cables made a musical noise when running in the water. Too high of a pitch told us we were traveling too fast, too low of a pitch or when the pitch went away meant that we were traveling too slowly. Sure it was a crude science but it did put fish in the boat. Often times we would rely on our ears to get the boats starting point, from here we would troll in a straight line. If we did not get any bites, we would start to make a lazy “S” turn. As stated before, fish on the inside told us our baits were traveling too fast. Strikes on the outside told us we were going too slowly.

Later in life, a product hit the market that totally changed the way we did business. This new technology (although pricy at the time) probably put more fish in the boat and helped more fisherman understand environmental impacts (such as current) than any other product previously designed. I’m talking about the Fish Hawk speed and temperature sensor and probe.

Fish Hawk came out with a dash mounted device that, with the aid of an external transducer, displayed the surface temperate and surface speed. Additionally, you had a probe that hooked to a downrigger and went in the water just above your cannon ball. This probe sent information back to the surface which told the user what speed and temperate readings were at that depth. Having two numbers quickly told the fisherman whether he needed to speed up or slow down to reach his target starting speed (at the bait).

The first time I used this device I was blown away. I set the boat at 2.2mph speed over ground according to the digital readout. I was trolling with the wind when I lowered the probe in the water to a depth of 45 feet. Within a second I could tell that we were traveling way too slowly for the baits to operate effectively. The speed at the cannon ball read 1.3mph. I had to bump my surface speed up to a staggering 3.4mph speed over ground in order to get my baits to the desired starting point speed! The current down below was so strong that I had to speed the boat up way more than anticipated in order to reach the speeds I needed to be effective.

Although I was accustom to always keeping a log book on board, I had never actually plotted speed information. Over the course of that summer I plotted speeds going into the wind, across the wind, with the wind, and every other variable I could think of. I noted when fish were caught at what speed and water temperature. At the end of the day I would go back, look at the wind, wave, and weather reports from the previous five days, and see if I could figure out or predict what the current would be. Eventually, with the help of all of my data, I learned that you could predict with pretty good certainty what the current would be like on any given day (before you ever put your boat in the water). This information became invaluable as I could determine when colder water would be pushed in, temperatures would change, or currents changes that cause movement in fish. I was able to utilize my maps in order to select key areas that fish should be holding in based on wind, wave, weather, and current patterns.

Does one need a Fish Hawk to effectively fish areas? The answer is NO. But you need to understand the effects that Mother Nature plays on surface currents, bottom currents, and the effects it will have on your trolling.

In the attached “Fish Hawk” Photo, the top number is the depth of the probe. The second number is the surface temperature. Below that is the surface speed. The second to last number is the temperature down 101 feet. The last number is the speed the bait is moving at 101 feet. NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE!!!


TO BE CONTINUED:

Speed: Part Two

With the wind:

The common rule that most people utilize for trolling is to go with the wind. This allows you to utilize the least amount of battery in your trolling motor while providing the greatest overall range of adjustment. Under normal circumstances, this is the recommended method. You can control your speed based on the wind. Unfortunately, this is where many people get lost.

They decide they are going to troll crank baits and they know that they want to start at a speed of 1.5SOG. What they do not realize is that the surface currents might be pushing them slower than the currents residing at the depth of their baits. If there is a strong undercurrent, their baits might only be traveling at 1.1mph. Much too slow to actually get the baits to operate correctly. Obviously, trial and error plays a big part in the fishing equation but I value my time on the water and want to make the most of it. By understanding the effects of the environmental changes, I can quickly see the adjustments that need to be made.

Not catching fish is one way we use trial and error. The problem with this however is the fact that you really don’t know where to go from there. Is it another bait color that will work better? Another sized bait? Am I running too deep? Do I need an entirely different bait altogether? Or, is it simply a speed adjustment that needs to be made?

Before I ever hit the water, I take a look back at the previous weather patterns in the area. I make a note of the last 24, 36, and 72 hours. Was there heavy winds? Did the wind come out of one particular area and then make a dramatic change? Was there big waves in the area and then it all of a sudden the wind died off? All of these factors can play on what the under currents are doing in the water. Understanding the weather patterns before I get on the water puts me ahead of the game. It allows me to know that I probably need to be traveling at a much faster surface clip in order to get my baits to operate effectively.

So, how do I know (without a Fish Hawk) what my baits are actually doing? The truth is that this really comes with experience. The more you fish (and catch fish) the more you will be able to visually understand when the baits are operating effectively. For me, I use both sight and sound as a good indicator.

For planer boards, I know when my boards are operating effectively based on my experience. Dragging too far back in the water is usually a good indicator that I am traveling to slowly. Conversely, if they are riding too far forward, then I am going too fast. My rods (and the line on those rods) make a distinct noise when trolling. Normally, my speed is just below where they start to whine. Once they start whining, it is an indicator that I am traveling too fast. When I am running down rods off the back corner, I know the normal bend in the rod. Too slow and the bottom bouncers drag. Too fast and the rods lay back too far. All of these indicators come from experience on the water. The biggest telltale sign to me however is whether I am catching fish or not!

If I am not catching fish in straight line, the first thing I start to do is make a lazy turn. This will usually tell me what I need to know. If the outside boards start taking fish, I need to bump my speed up. If however the inside boards take fish, I need to slow down.

Trolling in to the wind:

This is probably one of the least used tactics on the water today. The majority of the guys trolling do not use this to their advantage. They prefer to setup at the top of their trolling pattern, make a long troll, reel up their gear, and then motor to the top of their trolling setup. Unfortunately, this often wastes time and, in many cases, trolling against the wind can produce much better results!

The issue with most people is that they think they need to travel faster than what they really do. If the weather has been consistent for a few days, and the currents are traveling in the same direction as the wind, chances are most people need to SLOW DOWN when trolling in to the wind. In the previous Fish Hawk Photo in chapter one, I told everyone to make a note of the surface speed and the bottom speed. This tells me that the user in this demonstration was traveling in to the wind. His boat speed on top was slower than his bait speed on the bottom. Those currents on the bottom have an opposite reaction to the speed on the top. If I was traveling at 1.5 going in to the wind, chances are, my baits on the bottom might be more than 2.1mph. Way too fast for what I am trying to accomplish.

I’ve caught more fish going in to the wind than going with the wind if that tells you anything! The key here is to have something that can push you. Whether it is your big motor or a kicker motor, the advantages of gasoline propulsion are huge. I’ve fished like this with an electric trolling motor and had to cut many trips short due to loss in battery life. Although I am traveling slower on the surface, my trolling motor still has to work harder to keep my boat moving forward. Again, visual cues are what I commonly use to tell correct speed.

Side cutting the wind:

Some professional anglers (and outdoor writers) will tell you that this is a no-no. These are the same people that tell you that trolling in to the wind is a no-no. In most cases however, these guys have never utilized a Fish Hawk. They don’t have experience or understanding of the effects of bottom currents.

If I were to use their theories, there would be several areas on any given day (based on the wind) that I would not be able to target or fish. Fortunately, I do not agree with this. If I have a fishing area that runs North and South and the wind is out of the East, their theory would be that I could not effectively fish this area!

Knowing and understanding what the currents are doing on any given day will allow you to setup for a troll in these areas and effectively target the fish. Who cares what the wind is doing? Sure, in the above example, one side of my boat might be traveling at a slower speed. Heck, they might even get pushed to one side or the other. By moving my boat slightly, I can still put all of my baits in the location I want to be at.

Use the weather tools to your advantage. Take note of the previous day’s weather, wind, and waves. Watch your lures when you set them out, watch your planner boards, watch your rods, and listen to the noises. It isn’t hard to determine what the bottom is doing if you have visual cues to reference. Knowing and understanding speed versus current is the number one thing when putting walleye in the boat. Having a starting point and knowing the factors gives you the best possible odds to understand the bottom, what the water is doing, and how to effectively fish the area.

Example:
I wake up at 4am and wipe the sleep from my eyes. I put on my slippers, grab an energy drink, and slide in to my arm chair. I take a look at the weather buoy and note that the winds are light out of the North and the waves are less than 1 foot. The current down 20 feet is coming from the Southwest at a little more than 2.3mph. I know that they have had some serious wind conditions over the last several days with high winds from the Southwest. Today is the first day that the weather is favorable to fish.

I arrive at the ramp shortly before 7am. The sky is clear with a light breeze in my face when I head out of the boat out of the harbor and set my heading at 280 degrees. I turn on my VHF radio and put the power down. I’m to my first fishing spot in a little more than 10 minutes.

I setup from the Northeast and prepare to troll southwest. My plan is to fish a spread of 8 crank baits on planer boards. I set my speed at 1.2 mph SOG. I do this because I know there is currently a strong 2.3mph current running from the southwest. I take note of the first board that hits the water. I adjust down to a speed of 1.0. Before I can get my third bait in the water, my first board goes off and I am rewarded with a healthy walleye.

This scenario repeats itself for the next few hours. I never did manage to get all my rods in the water. With 24 fish, we are done for the day. As we are packing gear I happen to catch a comment on the radio followed by more chatter. Everyone is having extreme difficulty catching fish. I was not alone in the area I was fishing. There were several boats all around me. I was not on a hot school of fish. In fact, I never even turned around. I kept the boat traveling the same direction the entire time.

Guys start talking about color, and depth, and setback, and that the fish just are not biting. One guy says he is traveling at 1.6mph. He said he has tried several speeds and no luck. He is traveling with the wind so he assumes he needs to speed up. As I put my last rod in the locker, I come on the radio. I tell everyone to SLOW DOWN. I advise them of a big current traveling in the opposite direction. I flip the radio off and head for the dock.

Later in the day I hear that “The fish turned on”. The truth is, the current finally switched around to the direction the wind was blowing. They were finally trolling the correct speed to match their baits. It didn’t have anything to do with the fish turning on or off. Just a matter of them not understanding the environmental effects that had been caused by several days of wind and waves traveling in the opposite direction.

So Rich, or Kevin, Jimmy,

Since you are our GO_TO Walleye guys, I was reading (I know, get off the floor and back in your chair, I can actually READ) and found this interesting, and wanted your take.

Crankbait Vibration For Walleyes - In-Fisherman

In this article they talk about snaps for your cranks. I was doing some research because, on my one and only trip to Saginaw, Gramps actually hooked into line that still had a fish on it, and it was with a DDHJ, but was attached with a DUO Lock Snap. In the very first picture, they show TWO DUO Lock snaps in use on the single crank. (Later they mention that it reduces dive curve as well) Even though I caught some using a single barrel swivel snap, would this DUO Lock snap be more effective?

Although they talk about vibration, etc via Lead Core, the same can be produced via proper line, and lure action I would think. They also mention 30 foot leaders, as short Mono leaders will "Deaden the Action" of the lure. That's quickly enough rectified by adding a 30 foot Mono leader to anyone running Braided line.

Tie directly to a Berkly Flicker Shad (And others, and assuming Flicker Minnows would be included) reduces vibration as well.

This whole question came to me last night while looking at the DDHJ, and the Duo Snap, and removing the snaps I bought that I thought were junk.
No one that I have read has said to remove the split rings, and only one person has said to replace the split rings with the oval split rings to Duo Lock Snap for increased or more improved action.

Thoughts?

OE

I read the article. I agree with some of the information. Some of it I found to be junk and others of it I simply discarded.

When trolling cranks for walleye, I only use DuoLock snaps. I do this for several reasons. One is that the bait does not rotate. If it rotated, it would cause line twist without a swivel. Two, the majority of our target fish don't barrel roll. You will know what I am talking about when you hook a drum, white bass, or channel cat. They like to roll in the water which causes line twist! The DuoLock has the largest overall design to allow for free movement of the lip of the bait. Snaps tend to have a slight bend at the end which creates a pinch point.

Rapala actually has reference to a special knot that allows for free movement of the bait. Because of this, I prefer to have a DuoLock to more closely immitate this loose connection.

As far as split rings, I have some history and information on that as well. During my Salmon days, I was talking to Pete over at Dream Weaver (before he passed). We were having a discussion with several other charter captains about split rings. EVERY one of them added split rings to ANY bait that came without them. I asked Pete why Dream Weaver seemed to be one of the only companies that they came with. He simply said "Other's were Lazy". Our lures operate best with the split rings. That said, all spoons are so similar that they should operate the same so others should have them.

That said, I look at it this way regarding cranks: These companies test them with what they come with. In theory, anything could cause issues with fish biting (IE Vibration). Whenever I want to get that finite in the details, I think I'll find another hobby!

As for tying a leader to my braid, I think that quickly negates the whole point of using braid to begin with. Dive curves are created with braid OR mono. Mixing an matching is a recipe for disaster in regards to dive curve.

Lots of variables here. Vibration can becaused from the motor on your boat, the wind blowing across your rod, static electricity when there is high humidity in the air, running a planer board or not running one, and so on down the line.

Tip of the week:

Oftentimes, when you first get to an area, your fishfinder lights up with fish. This can be the best time to capitalize on putting fish in the boat before they become boat wary. I've had this happen too many times to count. I get to a spot, and before I can get my entire spread in the water, I have two or three fish in the livewell. It finally dawned on me the reason why and I am going to share it with you. This is a trick that both Kevin and I used as well as my dad and I used during tournement fishing. One that I do not see many people do in a tournament.

My goal when I get on a location is to get a bait in the water as quick as possible. Although my plan might be to run ALL crankbaits, the reality is that they take time to get in the water. The majority of the guys we fished against have three people in the boat. They can get rods in the water fast. Kevin and I both only had two guys in the boat yet we are still dealing with the same number of lines (6).

When I get to a spot, the FIRST two rods I put in the water are over the side or "down" rods. These have 3oz bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses on them. Within a few seconds my partner and I can have two baits in the strike zone. Once these are down, we both start setting our outside boards. Usually, before we can get both of them set, we have a fish banging one of the bouncers. Once we each get our second offering in the water, we will then decide whether we pull our bouncers or keep them running.

The key to all of this is that we got two baits in the water within 30 seconds of finding and marking fish. I can run crank baits pretty quick but not in 30 seconds! Next time you hit the water, make sure you have a down rod ready to go. Put that one in the water first while you are adjusting your speed and getting ready to set your planer boards. You will be surprised at how many fish you pickup before you get your entire spread out!

I have to agree to this, as I fish mostly by myself and generally always run bb without planer boards, sometimes. I will try planer boards if the fish are not bitting good ad we knowv with heavey boat traffic fish become spooky or clear water

For me with 3 lines that's the only advantage using planer boards, I hate setting boards when the farm animals are out