The only sound was the low gurgling of a small kicker motor. The surface of the lake was calm except for four 'V' shaped wakes cut into the water's surface by the forward progress of two sets of in-line planer boards. Each board was hard at work deploying an equal number of crankbaits.
Standing near the kicker motor looking back, I noted that the boards were staggered out to the side of the boat in a perfect formation. The sight reminded me of a squadron of jets cutting across the sky. Each yellow ski contrasted sharply against the dark water, drawing the eye directly to them.
As we admired the spread, a board jerked backwards and immediately dropped out of formation. As the board sagged further away from the others, I yelled 'fish on' and my partner pulled the rod free from its holder. The moment the line came tight it was obvious a heavy fish had been hooked.
CRANKBAIT TUNE Ever have a crankbait that tracked to the left or right or one that pops up to the surface periodically? A crankbait that's tuned properly should dive straight down and deliver the maximum action at a variety of trolling speeds.
Unfortunately, crankbaits are rarely tuned properly when you buy them. Most will run to the left or right of center when casted and retrieved or trolled straight behind the boat. While this may seem minor, cranks that don't dive straight down will not achieve their maximum diving depth and some of the lure's natural action is also lost.
Tuning a crankbait is easy, but it takes a few moments to do the job right. Attach the lure using a small round snap (not a snap swivel) and cast the bait 30-40 feet. Point the rod tip directly at the lure and reel in using a fast cranking retrieve. Problems with lure tune are more noticeable when the bait is run at a fast pace.
A perfectly tuned crankbait should dive straight down and the faster you retrieve it, the more wiggle the lure should generate. Lures that are slightly out of tune, tend to run either right or left of center on the retrieve. To correct this problem, take a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the eye tie (wire or screw molded into the lure's lip) slightly. A lure that's running right will need the eye tie bent slightly to the left and one that's running left will need the eye tie bent to the right. A little goes a long way.
Make an adjustment to the line tie and then cast and retrieve the lure again. Check to see how the adjustment impacted on the lure and try again if necessary until the lure dives straight down at a fast retrieve rate.
It might take half a dozen tries to get a bait properly tuned, but these are the lures that will catch the most fish. When fishing, periodically check the tune of your lures to insure catching fish or getting the bait caught in the landing net hasn't knocked off the lure's all important 'tune'.
Gaining line against the combined resistance of the board, the boat's forward momentum and the raw power of the fish proved difficult at first. A stand off between fish and fisherman lasted for several minutes before the steady pressure began to take its toll. As the fish tired, line could be gained and the board inched closer to the boat. When the board was within reach of the boat, I reached up and quickly removed it from the line.
It's at this point that the raw power and weight of a fish really becomes evident. Getting the board off the line is a major milestone, but the fish was still over 100 feet away and showing no signs of giving up easily.
Several more times the fish made stubborn runs shaking its head each time in classic walleye style. Each turn of the reel handle put us one step closer to landing the fish. When the line counter on the reel indicated the fish was only 20 feet away, I readied the net for action. The fish came up from almost straight below the boat. We timed the net job to coincide with the instant the fish's head broke the surface of the water. In one smooth motion the fish appeared on the surface, the net slid under the fish and into the boat.
A chorus of cheers let out as the net settled on the floor of the boat. Sprawled out before us was a huge walleye with every muscle, fin and spine flexed. The early morning light reflected off his shimmering gold body. Lodged firmly in the corner of his mouth was a colorful crankbait that would later be the undoing of several more fish.
Open water, crankbaits and walleye cry out for each other. Unfortunately, the shelves of tackle shops are stocked with every size, shape and color crankbait imaginable. Hidden in this endless selection, a handful of lures have cemented reputations for consistently catching fish. Among this short list, even fewer could be described as walleye classics.
The more water that's available, the more crankbaits become an obvious choice for both finding and catching walleye. No other lure type can be used to cover water quicker, more thoroughly or efficiently. With the help of planer boards, crankbaits literally flood the water column around the boat. Few other lures can make that.
With so many models, sizes and colors of crankbaits to choose from, the first chore in fishing crankbaits is narrowing down the choices.
It's important to note that any model of crankbait can catch any species of fish. However, time and experience has proven that certain lures have the size, shape and action that walleye seemingly favor.
WALLEYE CRANKS
The crankbaits that produce best on walleyes fall into three distinctive categories. Minnow type baits that feature long and slender bodies are a top choice for walleye fishing. Both shallow diving (small lipped) and deeper diving (large lipped) models in this category feature a subtle action that is best described as a top-to-bottom roll or rocking. As the lure is diving and swimming the action is more of a shaking or shimmering than a defined wobble. This subtle motion literally turns walleye inside out.
UNDERSTANDING
LURE DEPTH Most anglers do not completely understand the factors that control crankbait running depth. Two variables including lead length and line diameter influence how deep a crankbaits will dive. Trolling speed is commonly believed to also be a factor in lure running depth, but this is only true of sinking style lures. Floating/diving style crankbaits (the type favored by most anglers) achieve similar running depths at all common trolling speeds.
Research conducted by Precision Angling, has illustrated that when lead length and line diameter are carefully monitored the diving depth of crankbaits can be predicted to within a few inches! This is true of both lures that are trolled and lures that are casted to known distances!
"Two opposing forces control the depth of a crankbait as it passes through the water," says Mark Romanack of Precision Angling. "Water resistance pushing against the lip of the lure drives the bait downward, while at the same time friction and the natural buoyancy of the lure works to force the bait upward. The two opposing forces counteract each other, causing the lure to achieve a particular depth based on the precise line diameter and lead length involved. If this combination of line diameter and lead length is duplicated, the lure will again achieve the exact running depth."
By controlling line diameter and lead length variables and using scuba gear to observe trolled and casted lures underwater, Precision Angling has documented the running depth of virtually every popular crankbait and dozens of other types of trolling gear. The respective depth diving data is then displayed on a simple XY graph. Known as a 'Dive Curve', each of these charts shows at a glance the running depth of a selected lure based on common line sizes and lead lengths.
For more information on the lure diving depth Precision Angling Specialists has tested and documented, log onto the web site precisionangling.com. A full description of the testing methods employed is provided plus ordering details on all the depth guides produced by Precision Angling Specialists. There is also a toll free contact number for ordering their booklets and answering technical questions
Lures with an obvious shad shape or profile are another important category of walleye lures to consider. Shad are among the most common and widespread of all the forage species and these small fish end up in the stomach of walleyes often.
Shad shaped lures do an excellent job of imitating the profile or shape of these common baitfish, but they also incorporate some other important features. Most shad baits feature rather long and narrow lips that incorporate an action that's similar to that of minnow style cranks. A typical shad bait has a little more side-to-side wobble than a minnow lure, but the action on these lures can still be described as reserved.
The third group of crankbaits to consider are those that feature an aggressive action. Normally round body style cranks with a wide lip surface feature the most aggressive side-to-side wobbling action. A lot of these lures seem to stand up on their nose when retrieved, wobbling with a fast and wide stroke.
THE WHO'S WHO OF WALLEYE LURES
In the minnow category several lures rank as classics and some newer baits show tremendous promise.
Salmo produces two minnow style lures including the Sting and Minnow. Both are made from Salmo's unique high density foam that provides a balsa-like action, but lasts much longer. All Salmo baits have a lifetime performance guarantee, which is unheard of among other crankbaits.
Rapala founded the subtle action that produces so well on walleye. Their classic No. 9, 11 and 13 Floating Minnows are legendary for their ability to catch fish. Introduced some years later the Husky Jerk (made from plastic not wood) series of crankbaits has also become a major walleye player. These baits are produced in both shallow diving and deep diving models.
Storm's original Deep Jr. ThunderStick is another walleye classic. Discontinued for a period, Storm is now producing this classic again in several proven walleye colors.
The Deep Little Ripper and the larger and deeper running Reef Runner are also must have minnow style lures. Both of these baits feature the trademark banana shape and narrow lip design.
The Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue and the Deep Rattlin' Rogue are also baits that should be in every walleye tackle selection. Similar in design, the Rebel Spoonbill and Fastrack series minnows are also excellent baits.
Newer lures on the scene that are likely to become walleye classics include the many sizes of the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow and Dave's Lures Nitro Shiner. All are solid baits that given a chance will impress just about any walleye angler.
Shad style lures are very popular and dozens of manufacturers produce them. Ironically, only a handful of these lures have ever become 'popular' among serious walleye anglers. Rapala's Shad Rap series are without question classic walleye lures. The action of these balsa wood lures is difficult to duplicate with plastic lures. Even Rapala's RS series (plastic shad baits) has not completely matched the fish catching powers of the original Shad Rap series.
The Salmo Executor series is a new shad bait available in both a No. 5 and 7 size with both a shallow and deep diving model in each size.
Rapala's Taildancer series is a cross between a minnow style and shad style lure. The banana style body and narrow lip design yields a rather tight action that produces well on walleye. These baits are now produced in several sizes and depth ranges.
Reef Runner's Ripshad is a plastic bait that has only been on the market for a couple years. In that time period it has generated a surprisingly loyal following. A compact bait that dives to 17 feet, the Ripshad may well be the most productive plastic shad body crank on the market.
High action baits are most often marketed as bass fishing lures. Few round body lures have carved out a niche in the walleye market.
The Salmo Hornet and Bullhead are both high action baits with a wide diving lip and wide body profile. Each Salmo crankbait is hand made and features old world quality. This translates into lures that run straight and true right out of the package.
Storm's original series Hot n' Tots are perhaps the best example of high action lure with a walleye following. This lure was at one time produced in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 ounce sizes. Currently it is only produced in the 1/4 ounce size.
Dave's Lures has their Winning Streak, which features the same metal lip design of the original Hot n' Tot, with a slightly different body shape. This bait is a 1/4 ounce model and there are plans to add larger sizes as well.
Producers manufacturers a high action bait with a metal lip known as the Double Downer. Produced in a 1/4 and 1/2 ounce size, both of these lures are outstanding high action lures for warm water walleye fishing.
WATER TEMPERATURE AND WALLEYE TROLLING
LINE AND LINE
COUNTER REELS "Line diameter, brand and type is a personal choice, but I strongly recommend using a premium 10 pound test monofilament for most walleye trolling situations," says Mark Romanack. "Monofilament has the unique properties that make it ideal for trolling. It's relatively thin, strong, has good knot strength and enough stretch to make it forgiving."
The best monofilament lines for trolling are those that are highly abrasion resistant. If a line is marketed as being ultra thin or extra limp, it's likely designed for casting applications and won't have the abrasion resistance, shock or tensile strength required for serious trolling.
Monitoring lead length is best accomplished with a line counter style reel. Many manufacturers including Okuma, Daiwa and Abu Garcia produce competitively priced reels that incorporate a gear driven style counter.
As line is played out, a digital counter mounted on the reel housing keeps track of the lead length. To insure these reels offer accurate and consistent readings, it's important to fish using reels that are all the same brand and model. It's also important that each reel is filled to capacity with the same pound test line.
Since the manufacturers of line counter reels have no set standards for reel size or spool diameter, the best way to insure repeatable accuracy is to avoid mixing reels of different brands, sizes and line types.
Water temperature typically dictates which of these lure types will produce best and also the best trolling speeds. For example, early or late in the season when the water is cold, long slender minnow shaped crankbaits are without question the best choice. The subtle action these lures are noted for can be brought out at slow to modest speeds, further making them ideal for cold water fishing. The best trolling speeds for fishing in cold water range from 1 to 1.5 MPH.
Minnow style lures have a deserved reputation for producing well in cold water, but they also work in cool and warm water trolling situations. A little faster trolling speed is recommended when fishing these baits in cool to warm waters.
Shad style lures have what could be described as a moderately aggressive action and they tend to produce best in cool to warm water fishing situations. Not surprisingly a moderate trolling speed (1.5 to 2.0 MPH) is recommended.
High action lures require faster trolling speeds to bring out their action and as a result tend to produce best during cool to warm water periods. A typical trolling speed for high action cranks ranges from 2.0 to 3.0 MPH, but occasionally these lures will produce well at slightly slower or faster speeds.
TOUCHING ON LURE COLOR
Selecting lure colors often boils down to personal bias. Staying on top of the trend in 'hot' colors is a chore and also a lesson in frustration. Today's top color is likely to be as cold as yesterday's coffee by tomorrow. Recommending crankbait colors is risky business because color favorites change as quickly as light and weather conditions.
It's always a good idea to have an assortment of colors to pick from, but keep in mind that walleye frequent waters that are known for being clear to slightly stained.
In these waters natural shades and finishes that closely resemble common forage species are going to produce best. Paint patterns designed to represent suckers, shad, alewives and shiners are tough to beat in most waters. Simple chrome finishes with an accent color are also classics that should be packed on any fishing trip.
The more colorful or fluorescent finishes are best when fishing in heavily stained to dingy water. Bright colors show up better and can be seen at greater distances, making them the obvious choice when the water clarity is poor.
Accent colors can make a difference at times. A number of manufacturers who produce walleye baits have discovered that adding a little red on the lip or the front of a crankbait can make a positive difference. If your favorite lures don't have red lips or accents, they can easily be added with a felt marker.
SUMMING IT UP
No matter where you fish for walleyes, chances are a crankbait is going to be the right lure. A few carefully selected lures can reap amazing benefits when you're faced with the chore of not only catching fish, but also finding them first. The only problem with crankbaits is once you've caught fish on them, their addictive powers won't be limited to the fish..
The crankbaits that produce best on walleyes fall into three distinctive categories. Minnow type baits that feature long and slender bodies are a top choice for walleye fishing. Both shallow diving (small lipped) and deeper diving (large lipped) models in this category feature a subtle action that is best described as a top-to-bottom roll or rocking. As the lure is diving and swimming the action is more of a shaking or shimmering than a defined wobble. This subtle motion literally turns walleye inside out.
species are going to produce best. Paint patterns designed to represent suckers, shad, alewives and shiners are tough to beat in most waters. Simple chrome finishes with an accent color are also classics that should be packed on any fishing trip.