what is a good speed for trolling for wipers and walleye

[Captain Dan]

I have been catching wipers and walleye trolling a rattletrap at 3.2 MPH. that runs the trap at 4.6 feet down with 12# line. Wipers will come up from 12-15 feet and slam the tar out of it.
Boated a 24" eye last week on a chrome trap. Last evening only boated a 14" eye just before dark.

[jackie53]

Thats all I have heard the last couple of week,s Kansas, White tail ,Kansas Turkey,150, 2 lb crappie from Kansas strip pits last week now its walleye and hybrid strippers.Before you know it all of Arkansas hunters and fishermen will be moving to Kansas.Just kidding!!!!! Can we send some of our JET skeers up their too???? ' Great post" Guess I will have to join um!!!! MY Wife said weres Kansas?

[shane]

Trolling....

I pull crank baits, slow death, and spinners all the time. My rule for spinners and slow death on bottom bouncers, (.8-1.2 mph.) Crank baits (2.2 - 3+ sometime up to 5mph depending on the year)

In the early spring I will use long stick baits and pull them very slow so they can give the wide presentation of the bait. As we move into late spring and the fish grow more aggressive, I will move to a faster running bait with a very tight wobble. As summer comes along and the fish are very aggressive, I will pull baits about (2.8-3.2 mph for walleye) and if I am catching wipers or whites at that speed, than that’s great. If I am turning my boat and a fish hits the outside bait, that tells me that they want if faster. Slower for the inside bait. Also keep an eye out for how the fish are biting. Are they taking the bait at the end or are they taking the whole thing in and ready to crap it out? Another key for speeding up or slowing down. Another thing to remember, walleye will follow a bait for a long time. Sometimes by stalling the motor and then engaging the motor will produce a strike. I have done this on many occasions and it works.

I can go on for hours about trolling as there is a lot to know. Everyone thinks you go out and drag a lure around but that’s not the case. If anyone wants to know more, you can always come to El Dorado and we can go fishing....

Hope this gives you a start...

[laltec]

thanks guys... Cant wait to give it a try... I'am not sure that what I called a trolling bar is the right term. Not sure if anyone is interested or not but I hate to drill holes in my boat unless there's no way around it. So all my pole holders I designed for easy removal and figured I would post some pictures just in case there's someone else that's kinda the same way. I made the trolling bar bolt onto the jack plate and curve towards the front of the boat to make impossiabe for the engine to hit it while allowing my locker to open. It was all made for driftmaster rod holder and lantern holders with eight slots. I also made a 3 rod holder that clamps onto the cleats and tightens down. Easy to remove and does no damage to anything. I made one for each cleat in the boat for catfishing or when ever i think i need them.

[shane]

Very nice job. You need that in the front for crappie fishing.

[laltec]

Ya, Got something else im working on up front for spider rigging

[jackie53]

Great thread sometime any of ya down Greers Ferry Arkansas way give us a shout would like to learn some walleye tricks.We catch Walleye fishing for hybrids and white bass.Sorry about crashing your thread.Learned some good stuff to try. Again down this way give a shout!!!!!

[KAG]

Trolling....

I pull crank baits, slow death, and spinners all the time. My rule for spinners and slow death on bottom bouncers, (.8-1.2 mph.) Crank baits (2.2 - 3+ sometime up to 5mph depending on the year)

In the early spring I will use long stick baits and pull them very slow so they can give the wide presentation of the bait. As we move into late spring and the fish grow more aggressive, I will move to a faster running bait with a very tight wobble. As summer comes along and the fish are very aggressive, I will pull baits about (2.8-3.2 mph for walleye) and if I am catching wipers or whites at that speed, than that’s great. If I am turning my boat and a fish hits the outside bait, that tells me that they want if faster. Slower for the inside bait. Also keep an eye out for how the fish are biting. Are they taking the bait at the end or are they taking the whole thing in and ready to crap it out? Another key for speeding up or slowing down. Another thing to remember, walleye will follow a bait for a long time. Sometimes by stalling the motor and then engaging the motor will produce a strike. I have done this on many occasions and it works.

I can go on for hours about trolling as there is a lot to know. Everyone thinks you go out and drag a lure around but that’s not the case. If anyone wants to know more, you can always come to El Dorado and we can go fishing....

Hope this gives you a start...

Good info I plan to use. Been pulling cranks and rattle traps. Different diving depth crank baits and dragging large white jigs over the flats. I definitely might have to call you and see what your schedule looks like later in the month

laltec: very nicely done on the set up

[shane]

Pulled crank baits at El Dorado last night. We had our limit in about 35 minutes on walleye. Then we went after the big boys (wipers) and man was that a mistake. These fish were breaking off hooks, ripping off our arms, am I complaining? No, but it was fun. Fish were in 16 FOW and smacking the crank baits at 2.8 to 3+mph. You talk about stopping a freight train.

Sorry about the pictures, a guy was very nice and took them for us but he wasn't going to make a living at it.

[fishingtim]

Shane pretty much summed it up, the fishing was awesome! A lot of the time we had to troll 3+mph just to fight the wind and large swells and keep the boat from swinging around. But this let us vary the speed some and find how the fish wanted it. The walleye definitely had there feeding time period, then the wipers came later toward dark.
Fun night of fishing.

I'll have to see if I have any better pictures on my camera.
Tim.