Trolling Crankbaits For Lake Erie Walleyes – Part I
By Chuck Bailey
Most of a charter boat’s customers are looking for one thing at the end of the day – a cooler full of walleyes. They come to the Walleye Capital of the World to enjoy a great day on the water, have fun with their friends and family, and catch a few of the nearly 20 million walleyes estimated to swimming in Lake Erie in 2009.
The boat captain’s daily goal is to meet, and if possible, exceed those expectations; to both entertain the clients and put a limit of walleyes in the boat. When it all comes together, the process looks almost effortless. A few customer’s may be so naive as to assume it’s a relatively simple task in which the captain just runs around the water dragging crankbaits behind the boat, and catching fish. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Trolling is a thinking person’s game. Between giving fishing instructions and tips, telling amusing stories, and answering questions, the captain’s brain is constantly churning; analyzing light, wind, and wave conditions, measuring water temperatures, depths, and clarity, ...computing both boat and underwater current speeds.
As the captain gives instructions to their first mate as to what techniques to set up on what lines, they're taking into consideration fish migration patterns, their sonar feedback, (are those blips sheepshead or walleyes?), seasonal patterns, and approaching weather fronts. The captain is utilizing years of experience and knowledge about crankbait “depth curves”, line diameter and types, rod design, reel gear ratios, drag settings, crankbait profiles and actions, the effects of color and speed on baits, and depth control through leaded lines, weights, Dipsy divers, downriggers, and planner boards.
All this, and more, is constantly being computed in a captain’s brain while their customer’s enjoy the day, focusing perhaps on which beverage to select, what story to tell, or deciding who’s turn it is to reel in the next fish. The clientele don’t detect any signs of the invisible pressure the crew feels to put fish in the boat regardless of the conditions. It is highly unlikely that the passengers will reflect upon the fact that every time the boat goes out - the reputation and livelihood of the crew is on the line.
The fact is, Lake Erie charter captains are serious fishermen. Every walleye angler would benefit greatly to get inside their heads and learn the basics of trolling from such professionals. And that is exactly what Captain Ken Nulph of Buckets Charters has graciously agreed to do for the readers of Crankbait Central – share the basics of trolling for walleye in large bodies of water.
Knowing Your Water
Lake Erie provides a multi-species menu for the sportsman who visit its shores. “On Lake Erie we troll for steelhead in April, and in May we fish strictly for smallmouth bass,” says Captain Ken. “Next the walleyes arrive, (being migratory fish), and so in June, July, August, and sometimes September, we fish mainly for walleyes, with a little bit of steelhead and perch fishing mixed in. Once the walleyes leave in September we fish for steelhead in the fall.”
So while other species act like bookends to the primary fishing season, 90% of Captain Ken’s summer is spent targeting walleye.
Lake Erie was named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore. Its northern shore belongs to the Canadian province of Ontario, its southern shoreline is shared by the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Its western shore belongs to Michigan.
Most people are unaware that Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes, (average depth = 62 feet or 19 meters, maximum depth = 210 feet or 64 meters). Naturally its shallow waters contribute to its being the warmest of the Great Lakes.
“Because it is so shallow, a lot of people say it is one of the most dangerous lakes because it is easily affected by wind.” Captain Ken explains why this is an important factor in fishing Lake Erie. “You have to pay close attention to the weather. Wind is your biggest enemy here. It has a prevailing current of southwest to northeast, and of course the worst wind is going to be a northeast which would make the waves big. So for safety’s sake you have to pay attention to the weather.”
Migratory Walleye
“In the springtime,” says Ken, “the majority of Lake Erie’s walleye population spawns in the Western Basin which is in Ohio and Michigan. Deep water over there is only 30-35 feet. You’re not going to find much deeper water over there. A lot of big rivers empty into Lake Erie in that area, and a large portion of the walleye population runs up those rivers in order to spawn. The Western Basin also has lots of artificial reefs built out on the lake and many walleyes choose to spawn there as well.”
“So in April and May the walleye are spawning in the Western Basin. But when the spawn is over, they put on their ‘feed bag’. The water temperatures continue to increase until it is too warm, and the bait begins to move - causing the walleyes to start their push eastward towards us in Pennsylvania. All they are doing is following the bait east.”
As they begin to arrive in local waters, their specific location is often a mystery to beginning fishermen – after all, there are thousands of acres and knowing where to start is an intimidating challenge. But not for Captain Ken, “When it comes to walleye fishing in the what we call the spring, (which is June), the walleyes are close to shore within that 20-30 foot range. The water is in the 60’s at that time of year.”
“Later, as that water warms up, those walleyes will move progressively deeper throughout the summer time. So we just follow them deeper.” What constitutes ‘deeper water’? “Anywhere from 60 to 100 foot, depending on water temperature, winds, fish migrations, etc.”
The Feed Bag
The ‘feed bag’ is Captain Ken’s term for the feeding pattern of active walleyes as they dine upon smelt, alewives, gobies, and emerald shiners. “And the bigger walleyes will eat steelhead smolt and perch. There is a huge forage base in Lake Erie, huge! The formula is simple; find the bait, and you will find the fish.”
What’s Down Below?
In describing the lake’s bottom, “There’s not much contour to it,” explains Ken. “The gradient is fairly shallow, it doesn’t drop off very fast. The majority of it is sand and mud. There are some rock fields, and there are some hard bottom shell areas, because the geography around that area is mostly shell.”
Does the make up of the bottom ever play into some of the seasonal patterns? “More so in the spring,” says Ken, “Those walleyes will relate to some of those rocky areas, or transition areas where sand meets rock, or mud meets the shells. And there are some little crevices in that shallow 20-30 area that we target that traditionally hold walleye every year.”
The Two Trenches and The Mountain
But as the fish move deeper during the summer the bottom becomes very flat. Even so, the locals know where to go. “There are three distinct areas in Pennsylvania waters that anglers normally fish later in the year. The first two are called the 1st and 2nd Trenches.” But Captain Ken does not want anglers to be fooled by the terms ‘trench’. “You are only talking about a difference in depth of 10 to 15 foot verses the surrounding lake bottom.”
How large are these trenches? “If I had to guess, I’d say 10 to 15 miles long, and perhaps a mile or two wide as they run east to west.”
And the third area is a popular area called ‘The Mountain.’ “Basically The Mountain is a giant underwater island, with its shallowest depth around 40 foot. But all around it drops off quickly into very deep water - 90 to 100 feet. And a lot of people target that area around The Mountain because it congregates forage fish.”
Secret Spots? No – Secret Adjustments!
As to ‘secret spots’, open water rarely permits such luxuries. “No, it’s all pretty well known,” admits Captain Ken. “The biggest secret is being able to find the exact depth that the active fish are feeding at. I think a lot of people will look at their fish finder and see that the majority of fish are holding at 50 foot so they try to target that 50 foot area, but you have to find where the “active” fish are feeding at. Sometimes it is a little deeper, and sometimes it is a little shallower, so that is where trial and error comes into play.”
Whether you are fishing near the 1st or 2nd Trench or out on the mountain, finding fish is not always the biggest challenge. Seeing fish on the sonar is not difficult – but separating the active from the inactive fish can leave an angler frustrated. “They will make you pound your head on the steering wheel sometimes," laughs Ken. "The fish-finder can look like it is on ‘simulator’ but no matter what you do, no matter what you change, no matter what speed you choose, what colors you put out, how deep you run them, …there are times when they just don’t want to bite.”
“So that is when the search begins to look for ‘active’ fish. I don’t believe it always beneficial to leave fish to find fish. When I have them underneath me and I know they are walleyes, I’d rather focus on doing ‘little things’ in an attempt to make a ‘big difference’.” Some days the secret to walleye fishing is not finding fish, in as much as it is making the proper adjustments to find the ‘active’ fish.
The Boat
Before getting into the specific details of lures and techniques, let’s take a look at Captain Ken’s boat. It’s a 27 foot Sportscraft which has some obvious advantages for a charter boat captain working on a big lake. “Yes, not only is it safer, but you can accommodate up to 6 persons on the boat (plus me and my mate which I call “crew”). Big boats definitely makes fishing on big water safer. There are deaths every year on Lake Erie because people make poor boating decisions or try to beat the weather. Like I said, out here weather is our number one concern. It’s important to pay attention to it, and don’t try to second guess it.”
Regulations and Limits
It is also important to pay attention to the local fishing regulations. “In Pennsylvania waters you are allowed to run two rods per person,” shares Ken. “So if we have 6 guests on the boat plus me and my mate, that’s 8 people, which means we are allowed to run up to 16 rods, which we do quite often. Now, if we just go out on the water ‘fun fishing’ with family and friends, we may have more than 8 people on the boat and we will often run 20 to 22 rods. (I also have friends who have bigger boats and we can run 24 to 28 rods).”
“Here walleyes have a 15 inch minimum size limit, and you are allowed 6 per person.” This healthy limit is what keeps customers coming back again and again throughout the season. And for an easily understood reason – “I don’t know if you have ever eaten walleye but they make excellent table fare.”
Of all the Techniques…Crankbaits!
There are a host of different techniques and equipment available to walleye anglers today, and Captain Ken is familiar with all of them. “There are times when we put a little bit of everything out, but that depends on the time of year. Early in the springtime, when we are fishing that 20-30 foot of water, we fish strictly crankbaits. We flat-line them off of planer boards.”
“But keep in mind, all we do is troll. We don’t drift for walleyes because the walleyes are over deep water and it’s difficult sometimes to get down to them. Because our customers want to take fish home to eat, we cover as much water as possible to put that meat in the cooler for them. And trolling crankbaits is the best way to do that and cover water.
Later in the summer Captain Ken is open to trying other techniques but only if crankbaits aren’t pulling their weight. “Yes, we broaden out horizons a little bit later in the summer. But in the last couple of years I have discovered that trolling crankbaits was the ticket to putting walleye in the boat.”
“Now, anyone who knows anything about walleye trolling usually pictures the use of crawler harnesses. We have used those, but the last couple of years they pretty much stayed in the boat. And we have strictly pulled crankbaits.”
Pulling Cranks in a Variety of Ways.
“Naturally, we can pull crankbaits in a variety of different ways. We can pull them on downriggers, flat-line them off of planer boards, we can flat-line them with added weight on the line, we can use leadcore which is pretty popular, (though the newest and greatest thing is copper – a great alternative to leadcore. Copper is a lot heavier than leadcore and you can go a lot deeper. So when those walleye are down 70- or 80 feet you can get to them). And also we use directional divers, (Dipsy Divers specifically). We will troll shallow running crankbaits and stickbaits behind Dipsy Divers to get them down deep.”
In the Spring… Flat-lining with Planner Boards
When the first walleye of the year arrive and are cruising in 20 to 30 feet of water, the crew begins by flat-lining crankbaits on planner boards. “We typically run 5 rods to a side, (so we’ll run 10 rods on planer boards.) And we use the ‘big board’ system, we don’t use the little inline boards too much. We use the big planner boards. There is a big mast mounted on the front of the boat, and one tow line goes off the starboard side, and one tow line goes off the port side to a set of big boards.”
“What you do next,” explains Captain Ken, “is let your crankbait out as far as you want it to go (according to its dive curve and according to what depth you want to target). Say you let out 100 feet of line; you then clip it on the tow line with a little neoprene release. That clip then slides down the tow line, getting further away from the boat, until it reaches the desired location.”
An Underwater Rake
When all the rods are set up correctly the crankbaits are spread across a wide path - they cover a large expanse of water. “What you have, if you can imagine, is a giant rake under water. Therefore you can cover a wide area. Should you hit a couple of active fish while trolling, you can turn the boat around and come right back through that same area, following your GPS plotter.”
Begin With Your Fish-Finder.
When a charter crew starts their day in search of walleyes, they have the advantage of having been out the day before and can rely on their recent experience to inform them as to location, set up, depth, patterns, colors, etc… But Captain Ken recognizes it is different for anglers who have just arrived with their own boats and are hoping to locate and catch fish in the 2 or 3 days allotted to them.
“If I were to go out there blind, I would utilize my fish-finder, (always trust your fish-finder - it does not lie to you). From it, get an idea of what depth the fish are running at and try to target a foot or two above them. A fish will come up for a lure 9 out of 10 times, but they will not go down for a lure.”
How Do I Know if They Are Walleye?
“I know my sonar so well it seems that the walleye ‘mark’ a little bit differently than the sheepshead or smallmouth. If they are walleye, the hooks on the screen tend to be a little skinnier, and they don’t show as strong as a signal as say sheepshead would. Lake Erie is full of sheepshead and you can get into huge numbers of those too.”
Experimenting With Crankbait Depth
After locating a school of walleye, the path to success begins by putting a crankbait at the depth the active walleye are stationed at. This often takes some experimentation. “Remember, we will put one side higher than the other. We may put the port side of crankbaits out a hundred feet, and on the starboard side we’ll put out 70 feet. And whatever side turns on the most, we go ahead and try to match that to the other side, and that way it increases our chances of filling up our walleye cooler.”
Naturally this means that an angler must know where their crankbait is at all times in the water column. “It takes a lot of trial and error to learn that,” observes Ken, “but recently, an important book has come out entitled ‘Precision Trolling.’ And it lists the diving curves for crankbaits. It’s pretty accurate and a beginner can take that book out with them and have a pretty good idea of what depth their crankbait is running at.”
Captain Ken rarely needs to turn to the charts in the Precision Trolling book when fishing his tried-n-true favorites, but “If I want to experiment with a new one that I have never used before, I go straight to that book. And then, I’ll play with it from there. If I noticed that the fish were holding at 20 feet, I’ll look up the dive curve for that new lure, and I’ll put out the suggested length of line.”
It’s important to remember that ‘dive curves’ are very dependant on variables like speed, and line diameter. But several unique variables to be contended with on Lake Erie are wind and current. These two factors also affect how deep a crankbait runs.
Current and Wind
Captain Ken knows there are several factors that will influence current. For example, “You have a lot of tributaries coming into Lake Erie, some are small and some are big, and those will cause an undertow.”
The wind also creates current. To aid in reading what is really happening down below, Ken says “There is a speed and temp probe that a lot of manufactures make that go on the downriggers. After lowering them down they can tell you how fast you are going at the depth your downrigger is at.”
Why does current speed matter? “Say you put that downrigger down to 30 feet. Your probe speed may indicate you are only going at 2 miles per hour, but your GPS speed says you are going at 3 miles per hour. That discrepancy tells you there’s a current down there. And what you want to do is find the true speed beneath the surface that the fish are actively feeding at. The probe will tell you that. Unfortunately a lot of us get stuck on observing the bend of the rod, listening to the whine of the downrigger cable, or reading the speed on our GPS, but what is happening on the surface does not always indicate what is going on down below.”
Ken emphasizes the importance of studying underwater current speeds with an example. “Say you have a strong left wind for two days blowing at 30 miles an hour coming out of the west, and then the next day - it is calm. Even though the lake is flat as a pancake, you’re still going to have that current going to the east. The effects are the same as if you are trolling a crankbait in a river; your lure is going to dive deeper when you are going against the current than when you are going with the current.”
Trolling Can Be Complicated
By now, it may becoming apparent to beginners that whoever said trolling was easy - didn’t know what they were talking about. Captain Ken laughs at the suggestion. “There's so much more to trolling than just putting a lure out there and driving around.”
Apparently it is a very easy and common mistake to make - getting hung up on 'GPS boat speed' only. It is wrong for an angler to think they now have everything necessary to know what is happening down below.
Captain Ken elaborates, “All too often we read, hear, or watch walleye fishermen on TV suggest we should be trolling at 1.2 or 1.8 mile per hour. (Ignoring the effects of underwater current). Whereas I often find myself going at 2.8 or 3 miles an hour according to the GPS speed, and yet the fish are just coming in the boat one right after another. Success has a lot more to do with what is happening underneath the surface, and not just on what the wind and waves are doing on the surface.”
<To be continued...>
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In Part II - Captain Ken explains some of the basics effects of wind and waves on trolling, proper boat control, and discusses the correct rods, reels, and line to use. We explore how to set multiple rods up on planer boards, how to set line lengths, and select crankbait colors. We'll dive into how light conditions affect fish activity, how to add weight to flat-lining, when and how to use Dipsy Divers, and how to determine boat speed and D.O.T. - direction of travel.
In Part III - Captain Ken shares with us his favorite crankbaits, discusses the importance of Crankbait profiles, and shares detailed instructions for fine tuning trolling baits. We'll explore color selection, the importance of confidence, when to downsize, and the effects of various weather conditions on fish activity. Our guide will discuss the effects of moon, wind, and light conditions on walleye fishing, and give some solid advice to those desiring to visit Lake Erie to fish for walleye on their own.
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Captain Ken Nulph fishes professionally on the PA waters of Lake Erie. He operates a charter boat for Buckets Charters out of Presque Isle Bay, Erie, PA for walleye, steelhead, smallmouth and perch. His career has also taken him to the salmon and trout-rich state of Alaska where he guided for the Alagnak Lodge. He is also a representative for Renosky Lures.
Feel free to contact him at: captken_renosky@verizon.net
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