Crankbaits work wonders year round, but choosing the right one as the seasons change is crucial.
Whether I’m casting or trolling, by far my favorite lure to use is a crankbait. One flip of the lid of any of my Plano tackle totes will prove that. They are filled with Rapalas of all shapes and sizes, each with a specific action of its own. I use them often, late summer through fall, no matter what species I am targeting; whether it’s in reservoirs, rivers, natural lakes or the Great Lakes.
But not every crankbait is perfect for every situation. Take the lures I use throughout the transition of late summer through fall, for example. While one lure may take more fish due to its shape, size and dive curve during the month of July, a totally different one may work better by late September.
With the loads of lures on the market today, the deliberation of choosing the right one for the time of year you’re fishing can be overwhelming. But it’s not as difficult as you may think.
With that said, I’ll dissect the basic late-summer-through-fall seasonal patterns of walleye and how choosing the right crankbaits will help you catch more walleyes no matter where and how you fish.
IN THE NOW, IN THE KNOW
By midsummer, the majority of walleyes have moved to main-lake basins. They’re here because most of the forage is here. Oftentimes, baitfish will suspend high in the water column over deep water. Some, however, can be found along weed lined in the shallows. Either way the walleyes will follow. And one crank may work better than the other in these different situations.
In general, I like to troll when fish are suspended. The technique allows me to cover as much water as possible so as to get my lure in front of as many actively feeding fish as feasible. The key to catching success, however, is to get a crankbait into the same section of the water column as the bait fish.
Before even letting out a line from within the gunwales of my Lund Pro-V, I’ll watch the screen of my Lowrance sonar, taking note of where I’m seeing forage. This is usually within the top third of the water column. Once determined, I’ll pick out lures I know dive into that same realm.
Because I never know what speed will get fish to strike day to day (sometimes hour to hour), I’ll employ lures that can run at slow speeds, say, 1.5 MPH, as well ripped at 2.5 MPH. Rapala’s number-2 Deep Tail Dancer, for example, has a great action at both sluggish and rapid rates, and dives to 15 feet with 100 feet of 10-pound-test monofilament line out. (Berkley’s Trilene XT my preference for this technique). Others in the Deep Tail Dancer series dive to 20 and 30 feet.
Another Rapala that trolls well is their new Scatter Rap series of crankbaits. These lures don’t dive nearly as deep as the Deep Tail Dancer, thus works well if the walleye are in 5 to 15 feet. The Scatter Rap has an erratic action that emulates a minnow or shad scurrying for its life, which fish can’t pass up.
When trolling, I like to use as many lines as the law allows. And using Church Tackle in-line planer boards allows me do just that, all the while never tangling. And when using in-line boards, my crankbaits are pulled out to the side of the boat’s path and in front of fish that may have been spooked.
THE WANING WORLD
As summer wanes and falling nighttime air temperatures cool the water, the majority of forage starts to move shoreward. And of course the walleyes pursue. This is the time of year I start casting crankbaits around shallow structure during the daylight hours and pull crankbaits at night.
Rapala’s Shad Rap RS is a plastic version of the original Shad Rap. It’s slightly heavier, which allows me to cast it farther, even into the wind. Another crank that’s overlooked is the Rattlin’ Rapala – a lipless crankbait that vibrates madly and rattles on the retrieve. Both work well when fish along steep breaklines that have rock, wood, and weeds.
If the walleyes are in tall weeds, or in water 6 feet or less, I’ll cast a ‘crank that runs shallower yet. And the new Rapala Shadow Rap does just that, diving only 2 to 4 feet. This is a great lure for casting during the twilight hours as the unique opaque colors reflect light, making the lure easy to zone in on in low-light conditions.
When casting crankbaits, I use a 1-piece 7-foot medium-action Fenwick Walleye Elite spinning rod and ABU Garcia spinning reel filled with 10-pound-test Berkley FireLine. The longer rod allows me to cast further, no matter the lure, and the FireLine’s thin diameter permits the lure to dive to its maximum depth. The low-stretch properties also help me achieve a great hook set, even with a lot of line out.
After dark in the late summer/early fall, I’ll often deploy my bow-mounted electric trolling motor and pull small crankbaits along the first breaklines off shore. The electric motor is a must for this technique as I am trying to pull my Lund along as stealthily as possible.
The number-5 original Shad Rap is habitually clipped onto my FireLine when employing this method, as well the number-7 Minnow Rap and the number-6 X-Rap Shad. I let out just enough line so the aforementioned lure just tap the bottom every so often.
FALL’S FANFARE
By mid-fall, both the forage and walleye have migrated shallower—sometimes in just inches of water—on rock-strewn or weedy points.
But the water’s cold and the fish can’t move as quickly as they could when it was warm. Especially at night; which is when I prefer to fish them. This is when I cast lures that suspends and can be fished uber slow. And the Rapala Husky Jerk is my go-to lure for this situation.
My fall casting technique is unique; it employs a cast, followed by a quick reel in of only about three feet of line, and then letting the lure set as if I were fishing with live bait.
Once the lure has been sitting motionless, suspended in the water, up to a minute, when a walleye strikes it. After a few moments I’ll twitch the lure, and reel it in slowly, allowing for several long pauses before it is back to the boat. Often, it takes me up to four minutes to retrieve from start to finish in this situation.
OVERALL
As you can see, there’s a crankbait made for every walleye-fishing situation under the sun (or moon). Cast one; troll one (or more); fish it fast or slow; deep water, shallow and all points in-between.
The key is understanding the transitions walleye make from summer through fall. Just follow the migration, and use the lures that get into the fish’s strike zone.
Mark Martin is a touring walleye tournament pro, and, instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools found throughout the Midwest. For more information on Mark, the schools and all the equipment listed above, check out his website at markmartins.net.