WB 6/3/2024

[Paddler]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks. Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.