Spring trolling

[peleebound]

I certainly enjoy the spring jig bite, but I have heard that there are bigger fish to be had trolling cranks in the spring. Apparently the numbers aren't as good when spring trolling but the size of the fish are much more impressive. Can anyone share any information on this theory such as timing, location, lure choice, speed, etc. Thanks!

[skipper9]

Location is any deep water along the reefs. Speed around 1.0 to 1.1 knot. Lure reef runners or crankbaits. leads 25 to 50 foot back. This is a good start. color try everything..

[wakina]

Location is any deep water along the reefs. Speed around 1.0 to 1.1 knot. Lure reef runners or crankbaits. leads 25 to 50 foot back. This is a good start. color try everything..

This is the classic and most used program for the big girls in the spring, and probably the best, there are a few things to consider while using this method and they are.
Your sonar will be about useless as far as marking active fish as they will most often be in the top 10ft of water, your boat will spook them some and they will move away from your boat out to the sides. Next if you are using an 800 Reef Runner back 50ft it will only be approx. 14ft deep under the most favorable water conditions and it will be running in your boats wake. My point is most successful programs use either in-line boards or the big boards to move those crank baits out away from the boat and into the area those spooked fish have moved to. Another thing would be to try and find the transition from dirty water to cleaner water and fish along that transition line, some days this can be impossible though. Your sonar may mark alot of fish down near or on the bottom, they can be very frustrating as they are not as active if they are active at all but you can see the marks and know that they are there but can't see any or very few marks of the fish that you are targeting.

[peleebound]

Thanks for the info guys. Think I will give it a try. Are these females post spawn or are they staging along the reefs to spawn on the shallow humps?

[wakina]

Thanks for the info guys. Think I will give it a try. Are these females post spawn or are they staging along the reefs to spawn on the shallow humps?

Should be both, although the post spawn females start to migrate away from the reefs shortly after spawning. I may try the jig bite again this year, I was never a very good jig fisherman so over the years I placed a target on the larger females as I can trawl much better than jig. But in the past my procedure for jigging was totally wrong. So now maybe I can catch a couple jigging this year.

[peleebound]

Is it best to target those females right after ice out or is it a little later? Thanks.

[wakina]

Is it best to target those females right after ice out or is it a little later? Thanks.

There are most likely some big girls there now, most will migrate away from the reefs by the 3rd or 4th week of April but will still be in the general area. The best time will be April 1 thur April 21. Those dates are ball park as the water temps will have the most influence as to when the peak will occur, remember, the peak is sort of like the grand finale at the 4th of July fire works that lasts only a few days at best and it is the conclusion of a lenghty build up to the peak, and it winds down fast after that. Those males, like all males, will hang around for awhile wishful thinking about those girl walleyes, big or small.