Crankin' 'Eyes

One of my favourite ways to catch both numbers of and quality walleye throughout the warm-water period is to troll crank baits. Trolling crankbaits allows me to cover water quickly and effectively by running different styles of baits at different depths while searching out fish. Throughout the summer months, I'll troll anywhere from 2mph up to 3mph and will fine tune my trolling speed based on fish activity and success. Pulling crank baits is a far faster method to locate fish than traditional live bait trolling presentations which can often be restricted to slower speeds less than 2mph. My typical crank bait trolling setup is a an 8'3" or 8'7" Rapala North Coast Hot Shot Series rod matched with a smaller-sized line counter reel. I'll spool the reel up with 4 pound diameter/ test pound test Sufix 832 braid and attach a 6 foot lead of 12lb Sufix Fluorocarbon leader material. The North Coast Hot Shot Series rod is a critical component in my trolling program as this series of rods features a very specific tip that reveals if a lure is running properly. If I don't see rapid movement or vibration in the tip and the tip goes stationary, I know that my crank bait has picked up some debris and isn't fishing properly. The line counter reel is also an essential tool as crankbaits run at different depths depending on the amount of line let out. As a bit of crank bait junky, I've come to learn the approximate running depths for most of my go-to cranks and more or less know how much line to let out to ensure my bait is running where I want it to. The "Precision Guide to Trolling" is a great reference tool for learning diving depths of most popular crank baits on the market. Utilizing this book will increase your effectiveness when using crank bait trolling presentations. Some of my favourite cranks for trolling walleye include Rapala Minnow Raps, Taildancers, Jointed Shad Raps and Deep Husky Jerks. I've also had a ton of success with the Storm Smash Shad series of baits, particularly those baits featuring the UV bright finish when fishing stained water conditions. Leave the bait behind this summer and do some precision crank bait trolling on your next walleye adventure!