(06-08-2022, 04:53 PM)Paddler Wrote: Got lines in just before 4:00 yesterday, trolled for three hours for nothing.  Well, not nothing as a nine-inch yellow perch bit off more than he could chew south of the lightpole.  I was fishing the same area at the same time of day as Sunday when I caught twelve.  Weird.  Things picked up later but only ended up with four, as a net malfunction rescued a nice fish.  

I didn't quite circumnavigate the place, but at least half.  Once, while putting out an SR5, I was putting a planer board on with 45' out when an 18 incher hit.  According to the book that lure runs at about 6', but that's off of the board with 45' in the water.  It surely was running shallower than that, never heard of topwater walleye before.  Maybe I should walk the dog with a Zara Spook next time.

(06-08-2022, 07:14 PM)Redrebel Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 04:53 PM)Paddler Wrote: Got lines in just before 4:00 yesterday, trolled for three hours for nothing.  Well, not nothing as a nine-inch yellow perch bit off more than he could chew south of the lightpole.  I was fishing the same area at the same time of day as Sunday when I caught twelve.  Weird.  Things picked up later but only ended up with four, as a net malfunction rescued a nice fish.  

I didn't quite circumnavigate the place, but at least half.  Once, while putting out an SR5, I was putting a planer board on with 45' out when an 18 incher hit.  According to the book that lure runs at about 6', but that's off of the board with 45' in the water.  It surely was running shallower than that, never heard of topwater walleye before.  Maybe I should walk the dog with a Zara Spook next time.

You troll faster than most. My guess is that puts more action and depth to your lure as long as it’s not too far out. No expert just my opinion. Seems the hot bite has been earlier in the day? Usually has “slowed “down after 11am for me

(06-08-2022, 09:33 PM)IPaddler Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 07:14 PM)Redrebel Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 04:53 PM)Paddler Wrote: Got lines in just before 4:00 yesterday, trolled for three hours for nothing.  Well, not nothing as a nine-inch yellow perch bit off more than he could chew south of the lightpole.  I was fishing the same area at the same time of day as Sunday when I caught twelve.  Weird.  Things picked up later but only ended up with four, as a net malfunction rescued a nice fish.  

I didn't quite circumnavigate the place, but at least half.  Once, while putting out an SR5, I was putting a planer board on with 45' out when an 18 incher hit.  According to the book that lure runs at about 6', but that's off of the board with 45' in the water.  It surely was running shallower than that, never heard of topwater walleye before.  Maybe I should walk the dog with a Zara Spook next time.

You troll faster than most. My guess is that puts more action and depth to your lure as long as it’s not too far out. No expert just my opinion. Seems the hot bite has been earlier in the day? Usually has “slowed “down after 11am for me

Yep, I troll faster than most, maybe 50% from what I've seen posted here.  So I cover 50% more water.   I can go slower but my alternator doesn't seem to put out enough amperage to keep my battery charged below about 660RPM.  My engine will go down to 550RPM, so about 2.0MPH.  I have two sets of drift socks, a larger one for kokanee and a smaller one.  I may take the smaller set up and see what my speed is with them deployed at 700RPM.  I'm honestly not sure if I'd catch more walleye at slower speeds.  

Are you familiar with Precision Trolling?

https://precisiontrollingdata.com/

The book is out of print now, my copy is over 20 years old (Fourth Edition, 1997).  Now you have to pay by the crankbait on the app.  They explain that most crankbaits follow the same dive curve between 1MPH and 3MPH, so I'm in that range.  They standardized the data using 10# Trilene XT, so that's what I use.

As far as time of day, it's a mystery to me.  One day recently we trolled from 10:30 till 4:00 with little success, then things turned on after that.  Another day I got lines in at 4:40 and caught 5 walleye in the first hour, and another 6 in 1:20 a bit later.  Then just about nothing before 7:00 last evening.  

I don't really like getting up early but may on Friday.  I got off the water about 10:00 last night, which puts me home pretty late.

(06-08-2022, 10:02 PM)Redrebel Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 09:33 PM)IPaddler Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 07:14 PM)Redrebel Wrote:

(06-08-2022, 04:53 PM)Paddler Wrote: Got lines in just before 4:00 yesterday, trolled for three hours for nothing.  Well, not nothing as a nine-inch yellow perch bit off more than he could chew south of the lightpole.  I was fishing the same area at the same time of day as Sunday when I caught twelve.  Weird.  Things picked up later but only ended up with four, as a net malfunction rescued a nice fish.  

I didn't quite circumnavigate the place, but at least half.  Once, while putting out an SR5, I was putting a planer board on with 45' out when an 18 incher hit.  According to the book that lure runs at about 6', but that's off of the board with 45' in the water.  It surely was running shallower than that, never heard of topwater walleye before.  Maybe I should walk the dog with a Zara Spook next time.

You troll faster than most. My guess is that puts more action and depth to your lure as long as it’s not too far out. No expert just my opinion. Seems the hot bite has been earlier in the day? Usually has “slowed “down after 11am for me

Yep, I troll faster than most, maybe 50% from what I've seen posted here.  So I cover 50% more water.   I can go slower but my alternator doesn't seem to put out enough amperage to keep my battery charged below about 660RPM.  My engine will go down to 550RPM, so about 2.0MPH.  I have two sets of drift socks, a larger one for kokanee and a smaller one.  I may take the smaller set up and see what my speed is with them deployed at 700RPM.  I'm honestly not sure if I'd catch more walleye at slower speeds.  

Are you familiar with Precision Trolling?

https://precisiontrollingdata.com/

The book is out of print now, my copy is over 20 years old (Fourth Edition, 1997).  Now you have to pay by the crankbait on the app.  They explain that most crankbaits follow the same dive curve between 1MPH and 3MPH, so I'm in that range.  They standardized the data using 10# Trilene XT, so that's what I use.

As far as time of day, it's a mystery to me.  One day recently we trolled from 10:30 till 4:00 with little success, then things turned on after that.  Another day I got lines in at 4:40 and caught 5 walleye in the first hour, and another 6 in 1:20 a bit later.  Then just about nothing before 7:00 last evening.  

I don't really like getting up early but may on Friday.  I got off the water about 10:00 last night, which puts me home pretty late.

I am interested to read that article. I’m not being argumentative but I wonder with crank baits have changed over the years and that’s that he may be slightly off with a different technology that is out now but looking forward to the read. I don’t like getting up early either but I have to take kids to sports in the afternoons so I’m trying to hit it up in the morning. I know my flicker shad was rated to only dive to 7 feet but was hitting bottom at 9 feet with 12 pound test.