Anybody ever used downriggers on Walleyes?

[glassyeyedPaul]

I'm curious to know their effectiveness on the deep bottom hugging walleyes. Any tips? Anybody use minnow crankbaits such as smithwicks, Storm jr thundersticks etc on downriggers catching 'eyes who have not come out of their winter spot? This is in relations to Deer Creek, Starvation, Yuba etc.
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[fish1on]

I have been reading up on the use of lead core lines versus downriggers for trolling fish that are holding deep. Still in the learning stages so I do not have much to tell you other than it might be something to consider??
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[glassyeyedPaul]

I've read that too fish1on, my feeling is you can get your normal line down with downrigger and fight it normal while leadcore line is abit heavier, ya know. I thought that lead core would be abit harder to keep down in the certain water column while trolling abit higher speed. Downrigger ball with 10 pound weight will keep it in the strike zone. This is my visualization.
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[fish1on]

I agree with you, but I was looking at $10 compared to $200 as well. Downriggers will definitly provide you the opotunity to fight your catch without the added weight and keep your depths alot more consistent. Lead core tends to bow a little and is harder to know how deep you are. From what I have read it takes a little practice and the markings on the line will help you get back to the proper depth once you are on the fish.

I am not sure if trolling gear is something that I will be investing in any time soon, I am more of a "still learning" type of fisherman. When I do troll I usualy long line it behind the boat and work my way in to get on the fish. As I learn the sport more then I will definitly invest in the gear.

Check out this link for another idea?? It came from an earlier post here!

[url "http://www.lureleader.com/lureleader.htm"]http://www.lureleader.com/lureleader.htm[/url]
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[kokeking]

[size 2]I have fished for walleyes useing a downrigger on boysen resavior in wyoming.We were useing j-13's rapalas trolling slow 1 mph and bounceing the downrigger weight off the bottom.running the lures about 50 ft behind the weight.We never caught anything huge but did catch lots of fish.this happened 4-july weekend three yrs ago,not enough water to fish there last year,maybe this year.As for useing lead core line from my experince it has to much guess work as to how far is it down.how far back is it,any change is speed even a small change affects lead core to easy.[/size]

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[Lundman]

Look into snap on weights - in the spring the eyes are up in the shallows - 8' to 10' deep then progressively head to deeper water with them ending up in the 40' in late fall - even at 40', we successfully targeted them with 3 oz. bottom bounce weight and snap on weights.

The BIGGEST depth control element is a good line-counter Reel.

Downriggers - which I own two electric Scotty's, are best used at Flaming Gorge, Strawberry, and Bear Lake - targeting kokanee, trout, and laker's.

Once you fish the kokanee at the Gorge and trout at Strawberry you will be very happy you went with electric downriggers.....
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[glassyeyedPaul]

Lundman, Good ideas there. Have you ever tried downriggers on those fall eyes when they are deep? I am open to experimentations. I saw a guy win the rocky mountian walleye classic at Starvation about two years ago with a downrigger. He was from Wyoming and he equipped his lund boat with six fish sonar/finders and four downriggers. Baddest boat I've ever seen!
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[prov17]

I agree with lundman. Downriggers are a little tricky for walleye. Use bottom bouncers, they come in a variety of sizes for different depths. Its pretty easy to feel the bottom with them. Let enough line out so that the wire hanging down off the weight occasionally ticks the bottom. (you dont want to drag the bottom) If you hang up in the rocks they are fairly inexpensive, as opposed to a downrigger ball and they'll keep you right where those big eyes are all day.
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[glassyeyedPaul]

I wondered about the effectiveness of bottom bouncers at 60 plus feet while trolling, there are going to get laid up on the upper water column that it doesn't touch bottom even at three or four ounces.

If you watch your bottom on the sonar, and study your map, then you can effectively put your ball right in the strike zone without running into rocky structures that will hang up your ball, then you can really score at 60-90 feet.

The guy that won the rocky mountian walleye fall classic said he pulled his up at 70 feet with his downrigger... I am trying to do the same thing he is doing. Huge nice walleye I've ever seen pulled out of starvation totally won the tournament! It is interesting to note that he used a 1 and 1/2 ounce bottom bouncer with the downrigger set at 60 feet. It is followed as 15 feet of line attached to bottom bouncer with the quick release clip.

As for the size and color of the crawler harness, that shall remain a secret as it seems to be the best working color of all...
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[glassyeyedPaul]

check this link on downriggers... very good reading indeed.

http://www.outdoorsite.com/site/go.cfm/o...AB8FCCFFD8
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[glassyeyedPaul]

Here's a better one-
http://www.walleyecentral.com/chief-Nov99.htm
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[PREDATOR]

I have used them at starvation for walleye.

I rigged a spinner harness with a crawler. Most fo the time you would use a bottom bouncer, but the fish were suspended about 20 ft down, but the bottom was 60 ft down. So, out came the riggers, and I cant remember how much line we let out, but the downrigger was the best way to present the bait to those fish.

Those were also the biggest fish we caught that trip. We cast to the shore and got lots of smallies and little eyes, but the bigger ones came from deeper water.

We didnt pull any cranks off them.

I mostly walleye fish willard. No need to use a rigger there. your crank will get you all the way to the bottom with no help. But at staravtion it does work.
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[prov17]

I guess I didnt pay enough attention to what I read in your post Paul, I didnt realize you were targeting fish that deep. You are right, a bottom bouncer would definitely plane out way to far at those depths.

That is an interesting strategy using the BB with a downrigger, never thought of doing that before. Guess you have given me something else to try this year.
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[glassyeyedPaul]

Had a thought, would it help to add a fishfinder right next to the downrigger so to keep a eye on the bottom so your ball doesn't run into underwater canyons? Or would one fishfinder on the console be sufficent?
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