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Was up on Erie Thurs. 9th. Went out to Bass Islands and tried to set up to troll, first attempt ever. 1oz. Inline with crawler rigs 30 ft back on boards, reef runners 60 back, spoons on 1oz inline 30 back. Caught two fish on crawler that's it. Got a bite and lost one on crank, zero bite on the spoon Speed 1.2-1.4 Had many problems but I will touch on a few to see if you "seasoned" trollers can help.....lol.

1-How to clip boards on the braid, they keep coming off had to wrap braid around clip several times to hold. Then hard to get off w/fish

2-How far back to set line, only did 30 cause that's what a guy at bait shop said to do. I know it's based on how deep you want the lure to run but do you try to run just above any marks? I marked fish from bottom(30'+) to about 15'

3-How far out do you send the boards away from the boat?

4-do you check your lures every so often? (trolled for awhile decided to quit and reeled in 6" trash fish on one rig and zebra's on the other)

That will do for now...lol
The lake was flat so my 17' Lund did great





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I run braid and switched the front clip on my boards to the OR 18 adjustable tension clip. I still put one loop of braid around to hold.
My leads vary from 30' to 100' depending on how deep the fish are and what weight I am running. You should be able to print out a reference chart at rednecktrollingweights.
I run my boards pretty far from the boat when lake conditions allow, the flatter the further out I go.
When running crawler harnesses I do a bait check every 15 minutes to check for trash fish.
Hope this helps some. I have a lot to learn yet too.

 

Thanks for posting. My first trolling attempt with 4 guys on board will be this year. I'll be using snap weights and Church Walleye boards. Lots of good info on OGF and Here: http://www.offshoretackle.com/questions.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/churchtackleco?feature=mhum

Installing new deck first.

 

http://www.dwfonline.com/articles.htm
There are quite a few articles that will help you with some basic's. For me, you need to set up your boards with tattle flags ( see article), that way you can read your boards. The depth charts for inlines are only a basic idea of where your baits are as the many currents out on Erie and the direction your trolling with the speed your trolling affects the depth of your inlines.
Always start out covering the water column. Some good basic numbers for 1oz inlines would be 30,45, 65 and either a bouncer or a 3 oz inline cranked up a few cranks after touching bottom. Depending on the water conditions, sunlight, and boat traffic 10ft back from the board will take the biggest fish of the day. Remember, 5 ft of line out is only 1 to 2 ft deeper so if your running more than 4 lines, 25, 35, 45 , 55, 65 etc your really covering that section of the water column.
Water clarity is a very important aspect everyday. Most of the time I look to where I can see my cavitation plate to maybe my prop while stopped. To me that's perfect. If you cannot find that, run your boards way far way from the boat but that will make it tougher for you to read your boards and keep an eye on them.
Once you start to take fish, are they on the outside boards? inside boards? this not only tells you the depth the fish are active, but how far from the boat you should be running your boards. There are a lot of days I can run my boards from just a couple feet from the boat on out or other days where they have to be 100 +ft to the first inside board.
I run church adjustable super clips on my boards as I find they are the easiest to attach and release, they hold braid and you can set the front clip very light so when a fish hits the front clip releases and the rear clip will hold and you don't have any fight to the board anymore even if a the fish takes the board under. IMHO this is how things work for me.
That's enough typing for now I sent you a pm.

 

I think it would be best for you to learn one program at a time, fishing harnesses, cranks and spoons simultaneously can be tricky. If, for example, you are marking fish 25' down in 40' of water and are running four lines with harnesses I would start this way:

port inside rod: 2 oz 60 back
port outside rod: 1 oz 90 back
starboard inside rod: 3 oz 30 back
starboard outside rod: 2 oz 40 back

This is assuming a trolling speed of 1.5 mph, slower means shorter leads, faster means longer. You want your baits running approx. 5' above the fish in my opinion. It doesn't hurt to run one of your outside rods considerably shallower than the others either, i.e., 1 oz 20 or 30 back. Hope this helps.

 

yea 1.2-1.4 is WAYYYYYYY to slow for spoons they were probably just bein dragged through the water at that speed. Better to wait a lil bit for that.

 

@ebijack - Good post but I didn't understand - "Depending on the water conditions, sunlight, and boat traffic 10ft back from the board will take the biggest fish of the day."

 

Wow thanks guys ! A lot of info can't wait to get out again.

I catch, photo and release all walleye.

I dont have a kicker I use my bow mount terrova to troll with. Had a couple times when wave/wind/current stalled me out a far as speed but tried my best to stay constant.

How fast you guys run spoons? What kind of weight on them and leads?

I only get up to Erie a few times a year so I'am trying to maximize my success for me and any guest on board. Down side I won't get much practice in....lol

Thanks again






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@ebijack - Good post but I didn't understand - "Depending on the water conditions, sunlight, and boat traffic 10ft back from the board will take the biggest fish of the day."

On a nice sunny calm day, good water color, not much traffic I have taken a lot of fish over 10lbs with a1oz inline 10ft back from the board in 45 f.o.w. Surprised quite a few guys doing that. They said I was waistin my time till 2 over 10lbs were the next 2 fish in the boat. Now they run the same program when conditions are right. Most tourney guys will tell you as I have, the biggest fish of the day will come up high. You won't get as many bites but the ones you do will be the biggest of the day. I just don't fish tourney's anymore but I'm still fishin in that tourney mode.
I hope that explains it.

 

How fast you guys run spoons? What kind of weight on them and leads?]

Typically I run spoons from 2 to 3.5 mph. Jets, mini dipsies, inline weights with a 4 to 6 ft leader to the spoon.

 

you don't like to eat walleye or what? I love eating them!!


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Purchase the Precision Trolling "The Troller's Bible". Read it twice. You will pick up a couple of tips on the 2nd time you read it. Then just keep practicing. FYI - Walleye are higher in the water column than you think!! Good Luck

 

Thanks ebijack. Flags are a great idea. I just ordered the Church's Double Action Flag System for my walleye boards.

 

Typically I run spoons from 2 to 3.5 mph. Jets, mini dipsies, inline weights with a 4 to 6 ft leader to the spoon.

Ebi,
good to see ya posting dude! been awhile!

 

I have an 18ft Lund with autopilot trolling motor .Works good going with the wind and waves and cross wind you will move as much sideways as forward.As far from the boat do you run ,the waves will dictate that.When the mayflies hatch the fish will be up high so farther from the boat the better

 

These are based on one side of a triangle. I printed them and glued them to a thin piece of plywood from a hobby shop. I sprayed the print out with a clear acrylic to water them. Hair spray works if you do not have an acrylic spray handy.

After your line is out but not attached to a side planer yet, you can measure the depth your lure etc is running. Like all trolling aids, if a crank bait or diving diving device is used behind a snap weight, the bait will be slightly lower since it runs at an angle below the snap weight compared to a worm harness.

I have used this trolling on inland lakes to target what was seen on fish finder screen.

 

Ebi,
good to see ya posting dude! been awhile!

Howdy Mike !! Yep, been quite awhile. Hope things are goin good for ya!

 

Nice charts FISNFOOL. Since I'm an electrician I have used these multipliers for years for the purpose of bending conduit. The 30 degree angle is simple. 2 times the depth you want to run at is one you can easily use in your head. The 45 degree one is not so easy to do in your head, is it. 1.41 times the depth you want to run is not simple unless you're Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rainman.

Here's what I do on the construction job site which most employers don't allow cell phones because we might talk instead of work. That's where my calculator is by the way. Add half the depth to the depth you want to run at and subtract 10% of the depth you want to run at and you've got it. Here's an example:

Depth to run at-----30 feet. Add half that depth, which is 15 feet, to it and you get 45 feet. Now subtract 10% of the depth wanted to run at, which was 30 feet, and that figure is 3.0 or 3. So take the 45 feet, that came from adding half the depth to the original depth of 30 feet, and subtract 3. You come up with 42 feet. Your chart shows a figure of 42.5 feet. My method that me and many of us here can do in our heads is within a half a foot of the chart you supplied us. In my book that's close enough.

 

Very cool charts i printed it out. Thank You!


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I just got the braid clips that off shore sells, can't wait to try em out.
Now I'am wondering how to troll with dipsy, jets as I see people talking about catching them using that program.


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In my opinion dipsy's are the easiest way to troll for new troller. We troll 6 dipsy's at a time with no problems. They come with depth charts in the package.

 

Since you already have the boards, might want to focus on learning them.

You can run jets (especially 10's and 20's) off inline boards. The jet takes the place of the weights. Jets float so the side you are turning into will rise in the water during turns. Weights do the exact opposite.....they sink on turns. Jets can be helpful keeping baits off the bottom when fishing shallower water.

Good luck....be safe out there.

 

you don't like to eat walleye or what? I love eating them!!


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HAHAHA thinking the same. If I'm in the area I would be more than happy to eat your walleye Orrrrrrrr you can even take a picture of me eating them !

 

I like to eat them but I'am the only one that does, so I just get a eye sandwich or platter at one of the restaurants. I'am just saving more for you meat eaters!!!....lol


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yeah,i didn't understand that part about high taking the biggest fish,but will sure try putting a lure there when i have those calm conditions next time.I fish with guy that has big boards and we have been using 40tru-trips with a 6ft leader to spinner/spoon.Think i would need to go less than 10 count with tru-trip or just use 1oz inline sinker.Last time used the inline sinkers on big boards got some tangles though.Thanks for advice on the high big fish.

 

Nice charts FISNFOOL. Since I'm an electrician I have used these multipliers for years for the purpose of bending conduit. The 30 degree angle is simple. 2 times the depth you want to run at is one you can easily use in your head. The 45 degree one is not so easy to do in your head, is it. 1.41 times the depth you want to run is not simple unless you're Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rainman.

Here's what I do on the construction job site which most employers don't allow cell phones because we might talk instead of work. That's where my calculator is by the way. Add half the depth to the depth you want to run at and subtract 10% of the depth you want to run at and you've got it. Here's an example:

Depth to run at-----30 feet. Add half that depth, which is 15 feet, to it and you get 45 feet. Now subtract 10% of the depth wanted to run at, which was 30 feet, and that figure is 3.0 or 3. So take the 45 feet, that came from adding half the depth to the original depth of 30 feet, and subtract 3. You come up with 42 feet. Your chart shows a figure of 42.5 feet. My method that me and many of us here can do in our heads is within a half a foot of the chart you supplied us. In my book that's close enough.

Great advice. :T