trolling for walleyes with spinner baits?

[jedimaster]

Just wondering how everyone trolls for walleye with spinner baits? I have heard of people doing very well with this tactic, but do you need to run a dipsy diver or just go really really slow, or just let it run near the surface?

[OhioFisherman]

I used Erie Dearies on the back waters of the Georgian Bay at times, like a worm harness, they are weighted and come in different weights. Slow trolled, sometimes with a stinger hook, safety pin(bass) spinner bait trailer hooks work. I wasn`t deeper than 15 foot though.

[Roy]

JMHO but I wouldn't use spinnerbaits for walleye. There are so many far superior baits out there to be wasting time on a bait designed for esox and bass. Again, just my opinion.

[Terry]

when the fish are in 12 ft of water or less and little weeds

spinner baits work real well.....about 2 miles an hour ..no dipsy or planer board

[lew]

Walleye are like any other fish and will often hit whatever bait comes close to them, including spinnerbaits.......even very large spinnerbaits for that matter.

 

Course it helps if the walleye thinks he can actually swallow something nearly as big as himself

 

[wallyboss]

I agree with Roy , that there are far better lures for walleyes than spinnerbaits ( yes I have caught eyes with a spinnerbait also but )) Spinner rigs ( worm harnesses) now there is a walleye lure. My go to lures for locating eyes in a smaller lake or river. In a bigger lake then I would probably troll around with a crankbait.

 

I found a add-on for a bottom bouncer on the weekend that slips over the weight part and then you move to one side like a rudder to get it to go away from the boat. i havne't tried it yet, but looks good.

[solopaddler]

Actually, jedimaster didn't specify exactly what he meant....

To some people "spinnerbait" could have a more general meaning and could easily

refer to these

which happen to be deadly walleye catching rigs fished in a variety of different ways....

Edited August 7, 2007 by solopaddler

[Roy]

You're right Mike. I might have assumed too much there. But the baits you show are generally referred to as "worm harnesses".

[wallyboss]

Solo that's what I call spinner rigs or worm harnesses. So if this is what he meant by spinnerbaits then he is right on the money. But they are not called spinnerbaits.,

[solopaddler]

I know exactly what you guys are saying, but not everyone who fishes has all the lingo down pat you know .

Anyhow, what'ya say jedimaster, what exactly did you mean anyway?

[Muskieman]

Walleye are easily caught on a worm harness, I usually use them while backtrolling at night, for deeper water you can " lindy rig" your harness.

But as for " spinner baits" i've caught the hungry ones by accident on a spinnerbait while fishin for pike . But if you ask me ..

there are better baits out there for consistantly catching Eyes.

Going back to the harnesses, dipsy divers or planer boards , i usually use them in clearer water or when the bite is "OFF" , but generally behind the boat is where i catch mine trolling .Usually I'm a jig & minnow man , and do very good.

right now I'm using a wally minnow silver/black on a lead core with a 8 foot fluoro leader and am just KILLIN'EM! I'm outfishing my jig&minnow combo 10:1 ... and deep water , 80 foot of water walleye @ 35 feet . Lake Nipissing . lots of catch & release , most are in the slot managed to take home 8 above the slot on Sunday{ I rarely do this , I usually catch & release, but I was guiding} and was paid good $$$.

anyway .

 

Take care be safe and keep a tight line...ZZZZZZZZZING!

 

Randy

[Terry]

I don't know

 

but I know a lot of people who call both spinnerbait inline spinners..like mepps...spinnerbaits...

 

 

so I think we do need jedimaster to clarify

[solopaddler]

Walleye are easily caught on a worm harness, I usually use them while backtrolling at night, for deeper water you can " lindy rig" your harness.

But as for " spinner baits" i've caught the hungry ones by accident on a spinnerbait while fishin for pike . But if you ask me ..

there are better baits out there for consistantly catching Eyes.

Going back to the harnesses, dipsy divers or planer boards , i usually use them in clearer water or when the bite is "OFF" , but generally behind the boat is where i catch mine trolling .Usually I'm a jig & minnow man , and do very good.

right now I'm using a wally minnow silver/black on a lead core with a 8 foot fluoro leader and am just KILLIN'EM! I'm outfishing my jig&minnow combo 10:1 ... and deep water , 80 foot of water walleye @ 35 feet . Lake Nipissing . lots of catch & release , most are in the slot managed to take home 8 above the slot on Sunday{ I rarely do this , I usually catch & release, but I was guiding} and was paid good $$$.

anyway .

 

Take care be safe and keep a tight line...ZZZZZZZZZING!

 

Randy

 

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but that's some interesting info there Muskieman.

It's not very often you hear about guys fishing for deep suspended walleyes.....at least

on inland lakes. Not many people do it, I believe they're pretty much untapped fish.

On my cottage lake there's several large deep, seemingly featureless basins over 80' deep

that I've just recently started to fish. On my lake there's no doubt these fish are schooling

up and chasing big schools of shiners...

What are the suspended fish on Nip feeding on?

In any case, very interesting!

[jedimaster]

hey great info, I was meaning the normal spinner baits that we all use for bass and pike. I have a bunch of worm harness spinners that I use with a lindy rig setup with a worm, Was hoping to try it with a leach but couldn't buy any.

I heard and saw some people using spinnerbaits so I was just wondering how they did it. I know a guy on scugog had a big stringer full trolling a white spinner bait.

 

What else do you guys tip a worm harness with other than worms? Normally I am a jig and minnow guy as well but when I am out camping I have a hard time keeping the minnows alive long enough to bother.

[wallyboss]

I use Berkley Gulp Nightcrawlers on my worm harnesses and Up north I outfished my buddies 5 to 1 and they were using live minnows on a single hook spinner rig.

[2kj]

Leeches

[solopaddler]

I've experimented with the Gulp crawlers and Powerbait crawlers on my spinner rigs. They do catch fish and they're definitely more durable. Worth a shot during the summer bite when the fishes metabolism is at its highest and they'll hit a faster moving bait (more of a visual thing).

For most of my spinner rig fishing though nothing beats a nice big fat juicy conditioned crawler!