Trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses through the upper reaches of the water column great for taking fish in particularly lucid waterways.
There’s nothing more awe-inspiring to me than to look over the side of my Lund’s gunwales and be able to see the lake’s floor while floating 30-plus feet above it. On the contrary, there’s also nothing more frustrating than trying to catch a walleye from a waterway that sports such clarity.
Along with the invasion of water-filtering zebra and quagga muscles that’s been taking place throughout the Midwest comes cleaner water, which has been overtaking the stain in many lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
And it’s this cleaning up of the H20 that has changed the tactics anglers must use to get fish to bite.
One technique, however, still shines through when it comes to catching most any species of fish that swims in particularly lucid lakes, especially walleyes, and that’s trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses in the upper reaches of the water column.
That’s right, pulling lures well (and I mean well) above bottom, sometimes literally skimming the surface over hundreds of feet of water; right where most anglers would never even think to let a line out.
Overall, this high-riding trolling technique is quite simple to employ. All it takes is a little bit of specialized equipment and a limit of clear-water walleyes could be coming your way.
Confidence
Generally, when fish are at bottom, I don’t start fishing until I mark them on my Lowrance sonar. It’s a little different when it comes to the techniques I use for fish swimming just below the surface, though. For me it’s more about finding the forage of the forage that game fish feast on.
Keep reading and you’ll see what I mean…
Because of how most sonar signals work (a wide swath of signal returning from bottom, yet very narrow return from up top) it’s impossible to mark fish near the surface unless they are directly under the transducer. And because fish often spook out from under a boat in motion, it’s rare to actually mark fish.
What I look for, instead, is what I call the “thick water”.
Thick water is the denser, warmer water near the top that has dust, dirt and plankton suspended within it. And it’s the colonies of the latter microorganisms that larger aquatic insects, minnows and young-of-the-year fishes feed on, which in turn the walleyes come here to eat.
Once thick water is seen on my Lowrance sonar, I have confidence that predator fish are in the area.
So what’s this thick water look like on standard one-dimensional sonar, you ask? It’s that “clutter” you see in the upper 1/3 of the water column.
Many anglers adjust their sonar so that this clutter disappears. That’s a big mistake.
I, on the other hand, turn the sensitivity up so that I can see it. And it’s right at the depth where the clutter meets plain screen on the sonar—which is the thermocline (where the cold and warm water meets)—as well above it where I want my lures to be.
Another way to actually see the baitfish and even game fishes when they are swimming up high is to use a Lowrance unit that sports StructureScan HD.
StructureScan HD is a two-dimensional look at the water to the sides, as well down, in which I am able to look several hundred feet in both the right and left of me and spot fish, whether they are schooled up or swimming singly. StructureScan is a real game changer, for sure.
Pick and choose
To tell you the truth, I never really know what the fish want any given day until I’ve applied a little trial and error to my tactics; that is using either crankbaits or crawler harnesses (one or the other, never both at the same time) until I figure out which one trips their trigger.
Speed is what it’s really all about.
If the fish want something offered slowly, say, in the .07- to 1.4-MPH zone, that’s when crawler harnesses shine through. Anything faster and crankbaits will produce best.
For the most part, I use Northland’s Live-Forage Crawler Hauler in clear water as the life-like finish on the blades emulate the very forage walleyes feed on to a tee. And the Colorado-style blades give off a lot of “thump” in the water and will get noticed from afar.
As for the meat, it’s either going to be a lively whole crawler fresh from my Frabill Crawler Cabin or a Berkley Gulp! Crawler – the later especially convenient to use in waterways where panfish have a tendency to nip the tails off of live bait.
And to get crawler harnesses down to the desired depth, I like to use Church Tackle’s K-1 In-Line Bead Weights, attached about 3 feet above the spinning blade; which is about the average length of line that a harness is tied on. Again, it will be trial and error of adjusting speed to get these 5/8-ounce weights dialed in to the correct depth.
When it comes to crankbaits, however, nothing in my opinion works better than one of the many styles of lures from Rapala.
All Rapala crankbaits run true right out of the box, and are coupled with super-sharp hooks that don’t need sharpening until damage has been done on rocks and the like. (Hint: Once my crankbait’s hooks have been damaged to the point of no return, I only use high-quality Daiichi hooks in the same size that was originally on the lure as changing size could alter its action.)
One of the most overlooked lures when trolling high in the water column is Rapala’s Original Minnow. No, they don’t swim deeper than 6 feet. However, they are the perfect choice when walleyes are literally swimming just under the surface. The times of twilight during dawn and dusk are when walleyes will feed most often in this range and the Original Minnow is a sure bet for getting bit.
And, of course, nothing beats the wiggle of a Rapala Shad Rap. Depending on their size, these lures will dive from 4 to 15 feet. Check out Rapala’s website (Rapala.com) for the dive charts of all their lures.
I’m outta here
Getting lures out from under my boat and into the faces of fish that have spooked to the side is crucial. And here’s where the specialized equipment comes into play – and that’s in-line planer boards, rods and reels as well rod holders.
First off, I use Church Tackle’s Walleye Board most often as it’s the perfect size for pulling both crankbaits and crawler harnesses. And when I do so, I use a Fenwick Eagle Telescopic Trolling rod together with an ABU Garcia line counter reel that’s filled with 10-pound-test Berkley Trilene XL (Extra Limp).
But there’s enough torque on a rod being trolled with in-line planer boards that I definitely don’t want to be holding it very long. And that’s why I have several rod holders attached all along the gunwales of my Lund. Rod holders allow easy retrieval of a rod after a hit, and take the torque out of hanging onto a rod by hand.
Get with it
Last but not least, I’d like to mention something most anglers overlook, and that’s to make sure you always troll with the wind, not against it.
Now, I must also admit I sometimes don’t realize just how windy and wavy it really is when I am trolling because I have Smooth Move Seat Mounts installed instead of standard pedestals, which soften the blow of each and every wave I ride over, whether going fast or slow.
But once I get a grip on the wind and its direction, I make sure to always motor quickly upwind and then deploy my lures and in-line planer boards and troll with it.
Seeing is believing
Is catching walleyes from clear water difficult for you? Well, things are looking up… including the fish.
Give trolling either crankbaits or crawler harnesses a try in the upper third of the water column, and you’ll be surprised of the fish you’ll catch. I promise.
Mark Martin is a touring walleye tournament professional and instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools, who lives in Michigan’s southwest Lower Peninsula. Check out his website at markmartins.net for more information.
Mark Martin is a professional walleye tournament angler and instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools, who live in southwestern Lower Michigan. Visit his website at markmartins.net for more information.
[easy-social-share]