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Okay everyone I guess I am in a Walleye rutt using the same things trip after trip. I need some new ideas for catching Walleye or more important bigger Walleye.
I generally start my day trolling cranks and do generally catch my bigger fish doing that. After the sun comes up I visit breaks that usually hold fish and try different tactics jigging, bottom bouncing, dragging spinners and jigging with jigging raps. I notice with the majority of these tactics I catch fish but the size of fish seem to run small. Now in my mind there could be a couple of different factors that is causing this to happen, one Starvation has a lot of small Walleye, two possibly the bigger fish are in deeper water during daylight hours or of course three I don't know what I am doing. I really hope it's not the latter.
I am for sure missing something, I have always thought that I should not leave fish to find fish but I have had a change of heart. I think tomorrow morning on Starvation I am going to change things up a little while I am going to start my day out the same trolling cranks because I have had success with that and my fish run noticeably bigger. Then when the sun comes up I am going to hit the usual honey holes and put some eaters in the basket. After that, that's when I am going to head a different direction and change things up a bit. I think I will take my cast net and get some bait ( I will make sure they are dead before I use them) and do a few different things. First off I will try a slip bobber and second I think a perch fligg with a 1/4 oz weight in much deeper water (25 to 35 fow). I plan on also using a #9 jigging Rap in the deeper water and possibly a Lindy Rigg with a 4 oz walking sinker with a 4ft leader and a fligg. I hope I get some different results especially on size of fish but only time will tell.
For those of you that are fellow Walleye enthusiast I would love your feedback because I feel the need for BIGGER FISH!!
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I am not the guy to offer Walleye advice but I am going to watch this thread close and learn a bunch for my future efforts. Please update us on how the change in tactics goes. Hopefully a big old hog will swallow the minnow tipped flig and put a  to match on ya.
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I'm in a similar position, in that I'd like to shift gears to walleye now that the kokes are slowing down. Truth be told, I'm a trout and salmon fisherman first, so I've not caught a walleye all year.
I've had success for big walleye in years past trolling crankbaits 20 to 30 feet down on the downrigger. It's not what I'd call fast fishing, and this method probably stems from my salmon techniques, but it does work.
I've also had success for big walleye fishing nothing but a 1/4 oz. Jig head with a Gulp leech on it. I've noticed when I run out of leeches and switch to worms, size goes down.
Hoping you can give me a few pointers on where to find the eyes this year since I'm coming in cold. Still trying to talk myself out of floating around strawberry all Saturday coaxing the couple of salmon that are still willing to bite.
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Trolling cranks does produce bigger fish and I could definitely see the benefits of using a downrigger but that's a luxury that I don't have on my toon. I have flirted with the idea of adding a downrigger on my back deck. I really think deeper water during the day will produce bigger fish I will keep you posted on how it goes.
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Randy, my biggest eye came finess jigging 30 ft of water on a 2 and a half inch gulp minnow. That was 2nd week of July on Starvation at 1030 in the morning. Just twitching enough to make the tail wiggle slightly. I have noticed 2 inch minnows cruising in the weeds lately on Deer Creek. I might be going back to soft plastics in the weeds next week on Deer Creek. Generally in years past I have to go deeper fishing during daylight hours. Rocky areas near transitions like rock to dirt are good targets. Good luck.
Gabe
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Gabe, good luck I think we both have the right idea targeting the deeper fish. I still haven't made my mind up whether to go to Starvation or DC, I guess I have to sleep on it.
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I have found some good success fishing down to 50 ft of water at starvation. But I'm not using a down rigger. I think on a tube the way to get down is a lindy rig with a 3 oz. Weight or bigger, depending on how fast your moving.
I like a plan jig and worm, or gulp minnow, using 3/8 or 1/2 jig head. Even a spinner harness with a 1/2 oz three way rig is good.
Last year I found some18 inch walleye and ssome 13 inch perch.
This year I have not even been to starvation, and Im  😔.
I would like to team up and make a trip real soon.
When several people go they can phone or radio each other when they get success.
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Heavy walking sinker/three way swivel/ double digit sized floating Rapalas.
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Love it I will give it a try.
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Myself I have a hard time time just dragging something around, I like casting and reeling or jigging, I think its more they want a big easy meal then they just sit around most the day,
When I target then I wait for the best conditions to try to make my odds better, but with that I have had a lot of skunks, but when it happens it dont get much better. Its about the quality not quantity.
I go with big stuff, for me its 3 or 4 inch swim baits got me some 5 I want to try. pop and drop across the bottom. bounce them down a rock pile or off a break,
They aren't always deep, under 10 or less at the right times,
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The real hard part is feeling the bite, when just dragging things around especially when its deep. I try to hold the rod, not using rod holders.
For sure casting and working it back is The Best.
Loved your big eyes, looks like its post spawn fish. I want some!!
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Those are pre spawn, I have done the best early or late in the year, the fall is a great time, about mid September it should start getting better,
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Try pitching jigs - Gulp minnows in the large size, 4" Moxi ringworms from BnF and swim baits. You can easily troll the Moxi and swimbaits if you wish. Just bounce them along the bottom. I'll be heading to Starvy now since Jordanelle has dried up for Kokes.
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Good to know. I like walleyes and I'll be on Deer Creek Sunday and might get in a little fishing time though mostly Air Chair fun.
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Do you have success trolling cranks in mid to late September? If so, which lake? Starvation?
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I do have success trolling cranks in September on Starvatuon and i definitely catch bigger fish. Planer board trolling i believe is the most effective at night. During the day the fish are deeper and downriggers can be effective, i personally dont have one yet on my toon but like a mad scientist I am playing with the idea. There are several methods to get your bait down deeper these are a few that I have used in the past. I have used different size stinkers to get me deeper, lead core line, jet divers or any other devise that was made to get your bait deeper. I really think lead core is the most effective option without a downrigger but that is just my opinion.
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I was viewing a Chinook Salmon Fishing video, that a member posted on the Saltwater fishing board, when I noticed this video on catching walleye. This guy has a few techniques for putting more eyes in your boat but what I really liked was his idea of using small cannonball weights instead of bottom bouncers. Check it out and see what you think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCM2Y-bdokE
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Have you tried trolling the suspended fish bite? Most eye fishermen never figure it out but a small deep diver trolled over very deep water. Another unshared tactic on starvation is simply drifting with sassy shads on deep flats.
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Great video Curtis, that video has a lot of good info.
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When I am marking fish suspended I think they are the most active fish and trolling with deep divers and lead core line can be very effective.
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