09-09-2002, 01:27 PM
[size 4]I mostly troll with a 15 h.p. kicker. In the spring, fishing for walleye I have caught wipers on spinner harness's and also vertical jigging grubs. A very slow presentation and one that doesnt get much use on willard. I think the depth is key here, a wiper can chase down a fast presentation so a slow one is just an easy meal. If the fish are deep, fish deep, fast or slow, who cares? let the fish tell you what they want. Now as far as the subject of lure distance from the boat, dont be fooled, on MULTIPLE occasions I have seen skeeter fish a lure ten feet out back of the boat right in the prop wash of my kicker motor and catch wipers. I think he even got a walleye one day. Now thats not to say you need to fish close, just keep in mind that there are fish there, and they will bite a hook. On the subject of big wipers, I have caught all my biggest wipers, and all the very big wipers I have seen caught, have been on the cast. By far, bar none, trolling will produce more fish through out the year, but in my years of expirience, the biggest wipers have come on the cast. Maybee I am just unlucky on the troll, or maybee there is something appealing to the larger fish about a slower presentation. A big fish to one guy is not a big one to another. When I say the biggest, I am talking bigger than the state record. Six plus pound fish. I have seen more than one in my day.[/size]