Speed Control Walleyes | Mastering Trolling Speeds for More Fish – Jon Thelen’s Destination Fish

Speed Control Walleyes | Mastering Trolling Speeds for More Fish – Jon Thelen’s Destination Fish

Welcome to another action-packed episode of Jon Thelen’s Destination Fish, where we explore one of the most overlooked yet critical tactics in the world of walleye fishing—speed control while trolling. Whether you’re targeting early-season walleyes on Canadian shield lakes, basin roamers on Lake of the Woods, or mid-summer fish in Minnesota’s inland lakes, understanding how to control and adjust your trolling speed is the key to unlocking more bites, bigger fish, and consistent success.

In this episode, Jon Thelen shares his in-depth knowledge and proven methods for adjusting trolling speeds to maximize your catch rate. With decades of experience fishing for walleyes in northern U.S. states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Dakota, as well as across top Canadian fisheries in Ontario and Manitoba, Jon explains how small changes in boat speed can make a massive difference in triggering aggressive reaction bites.

Whether you're running crawler harnesses, bottom bouncers, or crankbaits, this episode will teach you how to fine-tune your presentation and stay in the walleye strike zone longer and more effectively.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode of Destination Fish:

The science behind trolling speed and how it affects walleye behavior
How to choose the ideal trolling speed based on lure type, water temperature, and time of year
Why walleyes react differently to slow presentations vs. fast-moving baits
How to use wind and current to your advantage when dialing in trolling speed
Best trolling speeds for spinners, crankbaits, and soft plastics
How to cover water more efficiently while still triggering neutral or pressured fish
Tips for using your Minn Kota trolling motor, GPS chartplotters, and sonar to control speed with precision

Why Speed Control Matters for Walleye Fishing

Speed is one of the most powerful variables in a walleye angler’s toolbox. In clear water, walleyes may prefer a slower speed like 0.8–1.2 mph to study a bait, while in murky or windy conditions, speeding up to 1.8–2.2 mph can trigger instinctual reaction strikes. Jon shows viewers exactly how to make these adjustments, when to change speeds during a trolling pass, and how to experiment with speed to locate active fish.

Whether you're trolling the expansive basins of Lake Winnipeg, the edges of Mille Lacs Lake, or river channels on Rainy River, the ability to tweak trolling speed gives you an edge over other anglers who simply “set and forget.”

Featured Locations & Water Types:

Lake of the Woods (Ontario & MN side)
Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
Rainy River & Rainy Lake
Devil’s Lake, North Dakota
Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
Lake Erie basin flats
Inland lakes across Wisconsin, Michigan, and northern Minnesota
Zippel Bay Resort and surrounding basin structure

These legendary northern walleye destinations each pose unique challenges and opportunities—many of which are solved by simply adjusting how fast (or slow) you present your bait.

Lures and Gear Used in this Episode:

Lindy Crawler Harnesses with #4 Colorado blades

Cotton Cordell Wally Divers and shallow crankbaits

Bottom Bouncers for staying tight to structure

Snap weights for depth control while maintaining speed

High-performance spinning and trolling combos

Line counter reels paired with precision trolling boards

All rigged and presented at different speeds to demonstrate their unique action profiles and effectiveness at various trolling tempos.

Trolling Speed Tips from Jon Thelen:

Start slow in the morning and speed up as fish become more active
Watch your rod tip and line angle—fish often hit as speed changes
Use zig-zag trolling patterns to change speed/direction and cover more water
In windy conditions, troll into the wind to better control bait speed
Use your GPS trolling motor to make micro-adjustments and stay consistent

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