06-19-2008, 10:52 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Trolling is the "accepted" method of fishing for walleyes by many anglers. But, just like with macks or many other species, there are times when jigging will put more fish in the boat. This is especially true when the eyes are holding in and around cover or in a tricky bottom contour situation. Dropping a jig straight down and working it right will catch fish, whereas trolling will either result in a lot of snags or just washing lures in fishless water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fish from a float tube, so trolling all day is not an option for me. However, I do fish a lot by rigging with a Roadrunner, or other spinner enhanced jig, and "bottom bouncing"...lifting and dropping...while slowly kicking along and watching the sonar to keep me in the right zone. Then, once I find a fishy area, I will either vertical jig or cast and retrieve. Much depends on water depth and the apparent "mode" of the fish...active, neutral or negative.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As has been mentioned, finding the fish is a key element. They move around when feeding and you "can't catch them where they ain't." What is worse is that finding them is not a guarantee that you will catch any. We all see a lot of marks on sonar that never turn into fillets on the table.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, I got news for ya. Even the guys that host the seminars do not catch walleyes on every trip. They only crow about the good trips. When they blank they just mumble their usual stuff about "$#%& WALLEYES, cold fronts, moon phases", etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught enough walleyes...on purpose...over the years to flatter myself that I am better than most at pursuing them. But, I would never be so vain as to call myself a walleye expert. Yeah, I usually catch a few if I time it right and manage to find them, but I often have to be content with catching other species. Anybody who claims to catch walleyes on every trip will lie about other things too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I fish from a float tube, so trolling all day is not an option for me. However, I do fish a lot by rigging with a Roadrunner, or other spinner enhanced jig, and "bottom bouncing"...lifting and dropping...while slowly kicking along and watching the sonar to keep me in the right zone. Then, once I find a fishy area, I will either vertical jig or cast and retrieve. Much depends on water depth and the apparent "mode" of the fish...active, neutral or negative.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As has been mentioned, finding the fish is a key element. They move around when feeding and you "can't catch them where they ain't." What is worse is that finding them is not a guarantee that you will catch any. We all see a lot of marks on sonar that never turn into fillets on the table.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]And, I got news for ya. Even the guys that host the seminars do not catch walleyes on every trip. They only crow about the good trips. When they blank they just mumble their usual stuff about "$#%& WALLEYES, cold fronts, moon phases", etc.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have caught enough walleyes...on purpose...over the years to flatter myself that I am better than most at pursuing them. But, I would never be so vain as to call myself a walleye expert. Yeah, I usually catch a few if I time it right and manage to find them, but I often have to be content with catching other species. Anybody who claims to catch walleyes on every trip will lie about other things too.[/#0000ff]
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