Trolling swimbaits or other soft plastics for walleyes?

[Traxion]

I saw some stuff that the Next Bite had coming out on trolling swimbaits for walleyes. I did not see the episode though. I've read for years in In-Fisherman about swimbaits but haven't used them much. I don't do enough casting and the few times I have the results have been iffy. But trolling them (or other softbaits) does intrigue me a bit more. I watched a Linder video where they were pulling swimbaits between 1-1.4 mph. Also read an article that said the big difference when trolling them was you still had to set the hook.

Anyone try it? A 3/4-1oz head should get it down there at the slower speeds. If not a Guppy or other trolling weight would work too. Not sure that it would really be any better than a crankbait at times, but would not mind to try it.

 

[Fisherman25]

I don’t think you’d have to go that heavy. I think a 3/8 or 1/2 oz would be more than suffice. If you have multiple people fishing you could try different weights and line angles to see what’s working best. At the speeds you’re talking that would be more of a late June to mid summer bite. Otherwise I’d slow that down to .6 to 1ish mph. I’m more of a pitching guy but if the fish are spread out along a break line this would probably be effective.

 

[Traxion]

Yes I'm talking more spread out fish. Big flats that you'd usually run cranks over. It would be slower and less efficient though. In shallower water, I do agree that lighter would work. Obviously as speed increases or depth, bigger would be better.

 

[Migrator Man]

I saw some stuff that the Next Bite had coming out on trolling swimbaits for walleyes. I did not see the episode though. I've read for years in In-Fisherman about swimbaits but haven't used them much. I don't do enough casting and the few times I have the results have been iffy. But trolling them (or other softbaits) does intrigue me a bit more. I watched a Linder video where they were pulling swimbaits between 1-1.4 mph. Also read an article that said the big difference when trolling them was you still had to set the hook.

Anyone try it? A 3/4-1oz head should get it down there at the slower speeds. If not a Guppy or other trolling weight would work too. Not sure that it would really be any better than a crankbait at times, but would not mind to try it.

I try to pull jigs sometimes when pulling other live bait rigs. Key thing it to either use a really heavy jig, let a ton of line out or to just slow the boat down til you can feel bottom. I used to use live bait while pulling jigs on Sak back when it wasn’t so easy to catch fish. If it is snaggy I’ll use gulp or plastics to avoid losing bait and have caught some dandy’s with this set up. I think those big fish love the bait banging and bouncing off the bottom.

 

[NDSportsman]

I've pulled mimic minnows once in a while but prefer to cast them and troll cranks. I use plastics on spinner rigs all the time, gone completely away from live bait during the warm water period because I fish bullhead infested water and live bait is too much of a hassle.

 

[raider]

i just got into swim baits last year... i use them as a second presentation almost all the time now... if i'm vertical jigging on a point, i'll throw that rod in a rod holder and pitch around the point with a swim bait... if we are pulling rigs or cranks, i will pitch in front and off to the side and get a different speed and pattern on the retrieve... i also seem to get a lot of follows all the way to the boat which is pretty cool and different...

the other thing they do is allow people without the equipment or boat control ability to keep fishing when the wind comes up or current is tricky... you can put the kicker down and just go and control the speed and direction with casting and retrieving instead of trying to keep that perfect 1.3 mph and the boat straight...

 

[Sum1]

Growing up about the only way we fished was trolling twister tails on jigs behind the boat at the family cabin. We caught a ton of walleyes doing this.

 

[Browneye]

When I'm alone in the boat I put one rod with a smile blade on a bottom bouncer in the rod holder. Than I jig with one of the heavier jigs I have with a paddletail on the other side of the boat about .8 mph. Some days I catch more on the jig and sometimes I catch more on the bouncer. I need to get in the habit more of stopping on more likely spots and casting, always have good intentions on doing that but never do.

 

[guywhofishes]

I’ve tried it a lot. Not once did it work. Gave up.

 

[dschaible]

sure it works if you are bored and curious what a walleye will bite on when the walleyes are biting but 9/10 times its not going to out catch more traditional methods. Pitching/working a paddle tail is a different story though.

 

[guywhofishes]

Even when I've tried it where pitching is working (and I pitch a lot) I haven't been able to make trolling paddle tails work (tried it to make it easier for mom, wife, young kids, etc.)

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pisses me off that others have had success : )

 

[eyexer]

Eons ago we trolled them just bouncing them off the bottom. But in weedy lakes it is a pita. Still use that technique on Canadian rock shield lakes.

 

[Vollmers]

PITCH, THEN PITCH SOME MORE & WHEN YOUR SICK OF THAT KEEP PITCHING! Swimbaits are absolutely deadly in the spring in ND!