TROLLING WALLEYE | BASIC DEPTH CONTROL
Trolling is one of the best ways to catch walleye wherever they live. Trolling works in shallow water, in cover, in deep water, in open water and around structure. Being able to cover a lot of water quickly and efficiently, with multiple baits, has been proven to catch walleye, and some of the largest walleye in a body of water.
One of the MOST important parts of a successful trolling presentation is to have your lures at the right depth – what we call “depth control”, depth control can be achieved in many ways
In this short video Captain Lance shares his thoughts on depth control and the 5 basic depth control options every walleye angler needs to knowDepth Control for Summer Walleye Trolling
Hot summer weather means hot summer walleye fishing. As the water heats up the metabolism of a walleye increases and they begin to feed more, but bait is at it’s most plentiful, which can make fishing tough. During the summer time, getting your baits to the correct depth is crucial to fishing success. Unlike cold water periods where anglers can miss by several feet with their presentation and still catch fish, summer demands much more precision in depth control with your lures. Let’s check out some of the basic ways walleye anglers need to learn to control lure depth in the summer time.
1) Unweighted Crankbaits: Every crankbait has what is called a “dive curve”; a depth it dives to with a specific amount of line out. Each lure is different with some only reaching 5-6’ deep and others getting all the way down to the 30-foot range. Unweighted crankbaits are simple to use, but some need long amounts of line to get to summertime fish which can be inefficient and create tangles.
2) Inline Weights: One of the oldest methods of getting lures deeper, inline weights can be as simple as split shot sinkers, torpedo sinkers or fish shaped inline weights. Inline weights in the 1-3-ounce range are the most popular, but smart anglers may carry them as small as ¼ ounce and up to 8 or more ounces. Inline are permanently attached to your fishing line, so they can only be placed ahead of the lure at a distance no more than the length of the rod being used. Inline weights can be used to get crankbaits, spinners or spoons to the proper depth.
3) Snap Weights: Adding a weight AWAY from the lure affects the action in a different way than using inline weights. A weight that is attached a good distance from the lure needs to be removable so anglers can reel the fish close enough to be landed. Snap weights are a great option for depth control with crankbaits, spinners or spoons. A “Snap Weight” is simply a weight, usually just an ordinary inline weight, attached to a removable release like the ones used on inline planer boards. After letting out the lure to a specific distance, the snap weight is attached to the line then more line is let out to get the lure to the right depth. When a fish is caught the weight is quickly removed from the line and the fish is reeled in!
Learn the “50’ + 2” Method with this video
4) Jet Divers: For close to 50 years anglers have been using Jet Divers to get lures deep. The unique design and shape of the “Jet” lets it float when no pressure is applied making it easy to set over other lines. When tension is applied to the diver, it dives nose down and reaches depths up to 60’ based on the size of the Jet and the amount of line let out. Jet Diver work with spoons, spinners and shallow diving crankbaits. Available in 5 sizes, the #30 and #40 seem to be the most popular with walleye anglers.
5) Bottom Bouncers: What would walleye fishing be without the simple bottom bouncer! Developed in the Dakotas decades ago, a bottom bouncer is simple an “L” shaped piece of wire with a weight attached to one leg and a lure (almost always a crawler harness) to the other leg. I would venture to guess that more walleyes have been caught on a bottom bouncer/crawler harness/nightcrawler combo than any other walleye lure ever! Designed to fish lures close to the bottom without snagging, bottom bouncers were designed to be fished with crawler harnesses, but shallow diving crankbaits can also be used. Bottom bouncers are designed to be fished within 3’ or less of the bottom, so they are not an option for suspended fish in open water.
Is your bottom bouncer really bouncing bottom? – Learn the details for fishing bottom bouncers here!
All the above methods for depth control should be standard for all walleye anglers. Each one can be used with basic walleye rod/reel/line combinations and are easy to use. Master these five basic depth control techniques and you can catch walleye anywhere you fish.