Old trolling question still relevant.

[capt.dan]

Djwedzel wrote: ↑Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:59 pm
Old Post but still good advice.

Started fishing Saginaw Bay last year and it was a struggle tried wiggle warts and hot n tots didn't seem to get deep enough now I'm being told junior thunderstorms with 100 feet of line out will get me 18 feet down. Does it sound like I'm on the right track? Any help would be greatly appreciated getting a little discouraged slot of hours not many fish

Hey Newbie, Capt.Dan here. Unlock your walleye deep water mind set to begin with. Most of my walleyes were caught in 14 FOW or less virtually ALL SUMMER LONG LAST YEAR and in most of the many years I've fished the inner Bay. Also consider that during the summer, many walleyes will suspend over deeper/colder waters looking for food, some as shallow as just below the surface itself, narrowing and using this permanent barrier as a wall against baitfish escapement as the bait fish themselves search for food in all parts of the water column. Its simply up to you to ascertain where in the water column they are foraging, get the right trolling speed down and leader length to offerings, to both trigger and target those fish at that PARTICULAR depth.

Keep in mind that walleye look up most often for their forage. Having eyes on top of your head kinda dictates that. So if possible never fish below suspended fish. That's why I will seldom start out with ALL LINES at the same length out. But always put the longest lead out on the end board and shorten as you come in. This will lesson the chance of tangles on turns or with rampaging pike or frisky walleyes if running tight trolling groups. If you see A length Pattern develop, jump on it with all offerings. These recent and Slightly cooler then usual summer temps, keep a large biomass number of Bay walleyes in the shallower inner Bay areas, versus heading INTO those deeper outer Bay haunts.

Number 7 Flicker shads, number 9 Flicker Minnows and Long A Bombers cover all water depths from 3 to 15 foot for me, especially if your strictly a plastic man. Deeper then that, try AND tie in the smallest (half dollar sized) Big Jon Mini diving discs 30 inches or so ahead of your cranks or use in-line snap weights anywhere ahead of your crank bait, or use either depth aide while using Stinger Scorpion spoons once that bite begins. Then there's always harnesses with keel sinkers, Bottom bouncers and crawlers, but I personally hate the mess that entails. There still exists a Hot & Tot and Rattle Tot bite on the Bay, but the forage base and water clarity has changed things since these cranks ruled the catches.