Trolling tactics

[Prkr314]

Don't over think it, You don't need dive curves if you plan on fishing the west end, good electronics and time on the water or one time out with someone that knows what they're doing will be your best bet.

[M.A.D. Eyes]

I appreciate everyone's input. I'm not completely blind of trolling and sure I could figure it out in my own but was just curious of the technology out there to maybe give me a Jumpstart this season. Never hurts to have a backup plan. Primarily I'm a drifter from way back. 1982 to be exact. I love to drift, however we all know there's times where you gotta change up. My wife and I invested in a new rig last season, starcraft 196 fishmaster with yamaha 150 , berts customs, hds 7, had an awesome season. Ready to drift again and pound those shorts of last year which should be growing shoulders. Lol. The wife asked me multiple times why we aren't trolling on dead dayskin, well, there ya go, and so begins my journey of trolling tactics. New boat, new gear, might as well have new ideas too. Thanks again everyone!!

[M.A.D. Eyes]

Appreciate the info prkr314.

[dgf2250]

You asked about books. I downloaded three kindle books that I found very useful when I decided to take this up as a hobby. I downloaded the kindle reader app for my ipad to read these, but I think you can get a reader application for almost any device including a pc. All these can be purchased from Amazon and it'll be less than $30 for a lot of information.

Trolling Big-Water Walleyes by Chip Gross $12.95
Walleye Spinner Fishing Secrets by Mark Romanack $6.99
Walleye Tactics Crankbait Trolling by Mark Romanack 6.99

The Romanack books go into great detail about the precision trolling book which has been replaced by the app. I enjoyed all three books. Each of them discuss using planer boards, how to get to depth, boat selection and rigging, and discussions on how tactics change with the seasons. The Chip Gross book really goes into depth on the different tactics for the different seasons and it's written from a western to central Lake Erie perspective.

[M.A.D. Eyes]

Thanks alot dgf2250, sound like great books at a much more affordable price!

[Mako212]

With the walleye being so plentiful, we have had no trouble catching with boards, dipseys and even flatline trolling. Each season we learn and get a little more efficient.

[dgf2250]

I'll add that prior to learning about planer boards, dipsy divers, and suspended fish, that the only fishing book I had read was 'Spoonplugging' by Buck Perry. Our first year on the lake, we'd go out and seek out structure to fish around based on the spoonplugging book. The first trip we camped on Kelly's Island and I found Kelly's shoal and Gull Shoal using my lakemaster chip. Very good 'structure' This was in early August. I went to a local bait store and asked what I should use to troll for Walleye and left with an assortment of reef runners and advice that it was 'out of season'. I would set my depth finder/gps to highlight a narrow depth contour, say 13-15 feet and we would flatline two lines. I'd let them out till they ticked bottom and then bring them in a little so they're run clean and then follow the coutour around the reef. Believe it or not, we caught 5 walleye that day doing this and I'd wonder to myself why no one was fishing around the shoals. We literally had the place to ourselves. I could see a pack of boats off to the Northeast (perch fishing), but no one was around the shoals. I believe we were catching the 'resident fish' that you hear about but very few fish for.

[Mdog1031]

As a newcomer to Lake Erie but wanting to learn I am just curious why no-one speaks about using downriggers. Seems to me that using a downrigger takes the complication out of what depth you lures are running at. also no need to put snap weights on. what am I missing here?

[wallybagger]

Basically downriggers are for deeper use. Lake Erie too shallow & fish spooked by boat that's why planer boards are used. You can catch occasional fish on downriggers but you'll catch more on planner boards, dipsey divers, tru trips etc

[dgf2250]

Last year, I got a pair of downriggers and a FishHawk speed/temp probe for salmon fishing. It's nice knowing the 'downspeed' (speed at downriggers all down vs surface speed). Anyway, I ran an experiment all last season. I'd run the downrigger about 12 ft off the bottom with a shallow diving crankbait (reef runner 500 series) back about 100 feet on light spin casting tackle. This put the crankbait about 3-5 feet off the bottom. This rod provided fair action with smallmouth, catfish, and large sheephead, but only a single walleye all season and that was on the Lorain Sandbar in September. I thought I'd pick up large bottom oriented fish, which I did, except they were not walleye