j76

I just dove in head first into the game of trolling for walleys! New boat, tackle, electronics, the whole nine. Does anyone else here do this type of fishing? If so any input would be greatlye appriciated!!! I Live on a rather large lake wich has some great walleye fishing but they can be tough to get! Been out half dozen times and have tallied about 5 non keepers is all!! I NEED HELP!!!!

Phil from Maine

I can not speek of fishing for Walleyes but do fish lakers and landlock salmon. I troll for them with leadline to get down to where they are. I also ask some fishermen how far down they are. For instance last week the salmon they told us were down 5 colors. Each color will put you down to a certain depth and if your boat speed is the about the same the others are using it will put in the range of where they are holding at. The rest is up to the fish or a change of lures or bait can make a difference. Others use downriggers and that holds the bait or lure right exactly where you want it to be.
Good Luck to you.

MN_Deerman

Each lake is going to be different. Couple great sources though is the local bait shops - go and talk with them and they can usually get you in the right direction. Other thing to do is to just be observant of where other boats are. If the fish are on the bite, boats will flock to it like flies on stink. Youtube is another great source of walleye techniques. The draw of walleye fishing is that what works one day may not the next. Part of the game is being versatile enough to change things out when something is not working.

gxtmfa

I don't know too much, but I do know that trolling for walleye can end up giving you pike at the end of the day (if they're in the lake). It's pretty effective but from what I've seen it's difficult to really target one species of fish by trolling. If you want walleye and nothing else (except maybe sauger), I would just sink some leeches or minnow down the deepest holes in a lake at night or jig a plastic worm.

All I know for walleye trolling is river stuff. From what I've seen, a decent johnboat cruising with that perfect velocity that keeps a spinner running smoothly and hardly makes a wake is enough to wake up a predator. But don't zip down too fast because walleye can be spooked easily.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Tell me how it goes.

gxtmfa

Hey I was reading your post again and thought I should just point out that 5 walleye means you're doing a lot right even if they aren't keepers. Besides, walleye's under 20" are great eating and over 20" are worth some bragging.

You didn't mention gear or bait. Were you using light line? Walleye are tough because you can't use heavy line (which means you have to know how to fight the fish well and tie a dependable knot). If they see the line, they don't bite. Also, leeches and minnows are your best bet. Use live minnows and buy leeches that are so lively and writhing that they give you a shiver down your spine.

I've used 3 types of leeches (I HATE leeches, but damn are they great for fish!).
First time I went walleye fishing with my father we used ribbon leeches. They're small, lively, and hardy. I caught a nice walleye of about 16" (eating size). Next time, we bought elephant leeches. That was a mistake, and when we researched walleye fishing we even discovered elephants are a poor choice. They were larger but they were limp and unanimated. They didn't get many hits and they feel off the hooks. The only plus side was that we never got the willies while handling them. They're great for pansies like me who are nauseated by bloodsuckers. The last leeches were two that I found under rocks. They were gigantic. They were big that I thought they were mudpuppies. They were 6-7" long and about 2/3 of an inch thick. They were so big that their heads curled at one end. They looked like old, leathery belts. They were lifeless. They were soft and the fell of the hooks quickly under a barrage of bluegill before they were able to sink down.

BigBuck95

j76, since your new, I would recommend you do use leadline (Cortland or Cableas), but instead of downriggers, Try simply letting out the colors necessary and jerklining. We have had success with this on Oneida Lake and Canadarago Lake. Or you can do what these guys do....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bo9esK8MOc

BigBuck95

Chuck7

ALRIGHT ..you guys are speaking GREEK to me..and I've been fishing literally for 50 years..

What do you mean by colors..does the line have various colors on it according to depth?

What is lead filled line..does the line really have lead in it? must be awful stiff?

Please speak in concrete terms for us slow learners..
Thanks
c7

j76

Thanks guys!!! I like all the help i can get!!! And yes lead ine is LEAD line and its a pain in the but!!! Been experimenting with snap weights and have had some success. much easier to deal with than the lead line! Each color of lead is about 10 yrds and drops ya about 5 feet per color, depending on speed. Ive been having a ball on the lake with my new boat and am always eager to hear new ideas, so keep em coming!!! Thanks to all of ya!

Phil from Maine

Leadline is braded line with a lead core. It is a little stiffer than regular line but still easy to work with IMO. Each line strength can give you a different depth per color. On average with an average troll and water temp each color will be roughly 15 feet of depth. However with a faster troll like you would for salmon it can be around 10 feet of depth. So it verys greatly with the water temp and trolling speed. We also use a heavey wieght leader of mono and some big spoons when trolling lakers to get their attention when down so deep. It is a slow way of fishing that can be quite relaxing..

Chuck7

Thansk Guys,
You woujldn't think there would be so many different ways to freshwaer fish