Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

[Army1717]

bought a 18.5 ft v hull starcraft. the boat has the berts rod holder tracks on each side. Came with 3 of the ratcheting rod holders. Im trying to think of the best set up. Seeing if anyone has any pointers or suggestions. My intial thinking was to buy 1 more ratcheting rod holder, and put 2 planar boards out each side. Most likely rig them with a 3 color lead core on the outside and 4 color on the inside and put 2 downriggers out the back. Use the rod holders on the riggers to troll 2 flat lines out the back to catch any suspended fish or use the riggers when trolling deeper. That would give me 6 lines out. 4 lead cores and 2 flatlines/2 riggers to go deeper when in deeper water. If this is indeed a good spread can I get by alright with using the same rod lengths on it all, because I am looking at getting a package of rod/reel combos and having all the same rod/reel combos. Or would it make sense to maybe use 7 1/2 footers for the 2 riggers and 2 inside planars and a couple 8 or 8 1/2 footers on the outside planars. Maybe later money permitting adding another planar on each side but most likely id stick with the 6 rod for at least the next couple years. If anyone has any suggestions or advice I would greatly appreciate it. thank you.

 

[cat311]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

It sounds like you have a lot going on there, We don't bother to run lead core on the planers, using a lure that dives +-15' has worked good for us. What time are you planning on fishing for them? After dark they are on the surface and the spread of the boards gives good cover. We run 2 riggers down, but the planers get just as many hits. As long as the outside planer lines are out farther than the inside line , u won't get caught up in the other lines getting the fish the boat. I have found it hard to land and net a walleye alone using a rod longer than 8'..... Really no need for long rods... good luck

 

[JEBar]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

when trolling/drifting for walleye, I use one rod which I hold in one hand .... I'd really like to be able to spend some time in a boat where I could watch multiple rods being used

Jim

 

[rodmasterusa]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

there are lot of rod holders out there wherein you can mount over 4/6 in one go...most of them I know are for only fresh/lake water fishing

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

when trolling/drifting for walleye, I use one rod which I hold in one hand .... I'd really like to be able to spend some time in a boat where I could watch multiple rods being used

Jim

Look into signing up and fishing as an amateur in a FLW Walleye your event on the Great Lakes or Green Bay next year,...I guarantee you will learn tons about trolling and shorten the learning curve from YEARS to 2 to 3 days,...

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

@ the OP,...

How deep are you fishing walleye that you think you need down riggers???

Most of the time I can get lures down to any depth I need using inline weights or snap weights,...

Down riggers are expensive and not really a walleye necessity,...

Unless you running segmented lead core you do not want to use lead core with planner boards,

Clipping the board to the lead will weaken the outer sheath of the lead core and it will shorten it's life and more than likely break when you have the fish of a lifetime on,....

I run 6 identical trolling rods with Diawa Sealine line counters for open water trolling with inline planner boards,....

I have two 10 foot rods and two 5 foot rods that are or full core lead that I can run off the sides of the boat without planners,....

I also have 6 segmented lead core setups 2 2 color 2 3 color and 2 4 color for running off of boards when I want to follow contours closer,...

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

...intial thinking was to buy 1 more ratcheting rod holder, and put 2 planar boards out each side. Most likely rig them with a 3 color lead core on the outside and 4 color on the inside and put 2 downriggers out the back...

That is a good plan.

Here in Vermont it's not quite like Ontario or Erie, though. I don't run any segmented colors for two reasons. 1) I have a 14' closed bow boat- so that limits how many rods you can store aboard before it gets cluttery. 2) I mix it up with salmon trolling more often than walleyes; my two full-core setups are therefor more versatile. I guess a third reason is my pockets aren't very deep for discretionary purchases and I can do with two setups rather than 6 or 8. That, and we are only allowed 2 rods per angler in Vermont.

As far as the riggers go- haven't used them much for walleyes. Slide Diver and Big Jon Mini Disks get you depth while getting you away from the boat a ways,

...If this is indeed a good spread can I get by alright with using the same rod lengths on it all, because I am looking at getting a package of rod/reel combos and having all the same rod/reel combos. Or would it make sense to maybe use 7 1/2 footers for the 2 riggers and 2 inside planars and a couple 8 or 8 1/2 footers on the outside planars. Maybe later money permitting adding another planar on each side but most likely id stick with the 6 rod for at least the next couple years. If anyone has any suggestions or advice I would greatly appreciate it. thank you.

I am BIG into having all matching stuff. BUT, from what you are asking, you would be more versatile if you are buying 6 rods to get 3 different length rods. Plus, the downrigger rods will be completely different than what you would set up for planer boards.

Your downrigger rods you will want softer than what you might pick for planer/ leadcore rods.

Nevertheless, all six or 8 of your reels should be IDENTICAL and if possible they should all have the same line. That way you can duplicate/replicate a successful program on both sides of the boat easily.

As far as leadcore on boards- if you fish like most people are able to (even if you are lucky) you only get out weekly. Leadcore line is dacron (polyester) so it is a little bulky but strong. If you are that good and fish that often that you are catching enough fish to wear out leadcore line in less than a year using snap-on boards you should quit your job, buy a 22' walleye boat, and earn a living winning tournaments every weekend. On the other hand, leadcore doesn't "board up" well becuase it very often sags and drags in the water when set any distance from the boat. That is probably the primary reason to run segments.

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

As far as leadcore on boards- if you fish like most people are able to (even if you are lucky) you only get out weekly. Leadcore line is dacron (polyester) so it is a little bulky but strong. If you are that good and fish that often that you are catching enough fish to wear out leadcore line in less than a year using snap-on boards you should quit your job, buy a 22' walleye boat, and earn a living winning tournaments every weekend. On the other hand, leadcore doesn't "board up" well becuase it very often sags and drags in the water when set any distance from the boat. That is probably the primary reason to run segments.

Funny you mention the "Pro" bit,...

Everything I know about lead core was taught to me by friends that are touring Walleye Pros,...

Your right the Dacron is strong,...

But you find that you often fish at the same depths thus clipping to the line at the same place over and over, The Dacron isn't so much the problem as eventually the inner lead core will break and that will start to destroy the Dacron outer sheath,...

And while I'm not going to turn Pro anytime in my future some of my best friends make their living or part of their living from competitive angling,....

 

[dingbat]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

I've got to ask, why use leadcore at all? The stuff is bulky and creates a lot of blow back which requires even more weight to compensate for.

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

I've got to ask, why use leadcore at all? The stuff is bulky and creates a lot of blow back which requires even more weight to compensate for.

The "blow back" is actually part of the magic of lead core,..

When pulling crank baits and you get a little too shallow you can speed up and raise the cranks to try to keep them out of snags,...

When pulling cranks with mono or supper lines speeding up cause them to go deeper,....

The other nice thing about lead core is it will follow contours better when trolling structure, Meaning it more closely follows the path of the boat,..

With regular line the baits are at a strait angle to the boat or planned boards missing part of the structure when you make a turn,..

If I am open water trolling on the Great Lakes I rarely use lead core, I can get the depths I need with inline weight or snap weights and following contours as necessary,...

 

[pdgs]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Lead core can be a handy little tool in your arsenal. It's very effecive this time of year when the fish are agressively moving around in the thermocline. Being able to adjust depth with either speed or number of colors in the water can be really helpful.

If you're a fly fisherman then you know the benifits of running a shooting head but did you know you can get very similar results with 80' of floating mono, one color of lead core and a 15' leader. It's an old trick for topline trolling that can be killer because it follows the contours very well.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Lead core can be a handy little tool in your arsenal. It's very effecive this time of year when the fish are agressively moving around in the thermocline. Being able to adjust depth with either speed or number of colors in the water can be really helpful.

Color codes are actually a rather cumbersome method of measurement. We count the travel of the level wind back and forth. Accurate and it works for any line on the reel. On your typical 3/0- 4/0 size reel 1 bar = 10 ft.

With regular line the baits are at a strait angle to the boat or planned boards missing part of the structure when you make a turn.

Ahh?.makes sense now. I thought people used lead core for depth the way we used stainless and monel until someone figured out that braid does the same thing with half the hassle.

When you troll as many lines as I do wondering lines would spell disaster. I want and need my baits to stay directly behind the planer boards or the boat.
As a compromise, I like to troll S-patterns. It keeps the baits in ?fresh? water and the turns raise the baits on one side of the boat while dropping those on the other side.

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Lead core dose help with getting baits down as well,...'

Figure between 5 feet and 8 feet per color depending on the manufacturer,...

I like it for inland lake trolling and on the Mississippi River,...

 

[pdgs]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Color codes are actually a rather cumbersome method of measurement. We count the travel of the level wind back and forth. Accurate and it works for any line on the reel. On your typical 3/0- 4/0 size reel 1 bar = 10 ft.

Now see, to me that sounds ridiculous but if that's what works for you then cool. I just know from looking at my spool and what's in the water so that's what works best for me. If I'm running a top line with a leadcore shooter then there's no guessing involved at all. Just vary the speed do the cursive e runs through an area and watch the rods go off, (hopefully).

 

[dingbat]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Now see, to me that sounds ridiculous but if that's what works for you then cool.

It works very well. It's not line type dependent, we run mono, braid and wire, and there is no problem instructing a customer to put this rod out X bars and put it in that holder. Put that rod out XX bars and put it in that holder. That frees me up to get the planer boards out and set the lines off them. Cuts the time to set lines to 15-20 minutes down from the 30 minutes if I have to do everything myself.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Between dingbat, teamster, and pdgs- here's an observation:

Each of you are from different regions of the country. So what you are fishing for and the techniques that are "normal" are varied as well.

Level-wind "passes" are a common way to replicate a successful presentation going back to when line counters weren't the norm and were more expensive enough that they were opted away from. Plus, fishermen learned to use what they had - made the tool work for them.

Leadcore colors give an angler a similar repeatability at a glance. At about 2 mph you get about 5 feet of depth per color. But 10 colors at 2mph might not quite be 50' due to the parabola created by water pressure. Leadcore also offers two key benefits that are sometimes critical to catching freshwater fish: the significant length to achieve depths give you a long lead from the boat and thereby avoid spooking skittish fish; and by its very bulky nature it imparts a slower directional response (as mentioned above), different movement, and a different action to your lure(s) which can sometimes by the only way to trigger fish like walleye for example. Because it is bulky the accuracy of line counters or level wind pass counts as the spool "drains down" but the colored segments will always be 30 feet long.

Counting level-wind passes is quite common in salt and the great lakes. For me, I have line counter reels 'cause the combination of a little ADD and a general impatience always seem to make me lose track. I even have line counter Okumas for my leadcore reels; I might set up by counting colors, but after that each deployment following a fish or a lure change gets run to a counter number.

I have a couple of "budget" rods for walleye bottom bouncers and my 10' 'glass rod that I almost always use for a Big Jon Mini Disk. Each of these rods has a spinning reel loaded with Power Pro's metered line. The line comes marked with a different color every 25 feet and a black hash mark every 5 feet. Handy stuff! While counting passes may be extremely accurate for repeatability, as far as line-out length- nothing is as accurate as metered/marked line.

The point is that each of you are familiar with your regional tactics. That doesn't mean one or the other of you are in some fashion "wrong."

 

[dingbat]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

The point is that each of you are familiar with your regional tactics. That doesn't mean one or the other of you are in some fashion "wrong."

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong. Just trying to get people to think outside the box. People get stuck in their "regional" ways and miss out on new tricks becouse of it.

That's the reason why I asked about the leadcore. You don't see the stuff around here. After hearing about the problems with the connections and its snake like tracking is not something I'd want to deal with when pulling large static lure spreads like we do.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

I hear you on the "snake like" bit. That would be a problem for that trolling style.

As far as problems with connections- that is only operator familiarity. Or unfamiliarity. Leadcore is easily tied to various terminators, etc. using a palomar knot or anything else you would use with braided line. The double-overhand connection to mono I mentioned isn't even on my radar as far as worried about what will fail. Its dacron line (similar to old heavy, soft, ice fishing line) so it does not wear as slowly as modern 'dyneema' / 'spectra' braids do but it does provide an option that is sometimes just the ticket!

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong. Just trying to get people to think outside the box. People get stuck in their "regional" ways and miss out on new tricks becouse of it.

Wasn't really a criticism - not specifically directed at you, either. It sounds like you already get it anyway:

...Just trying to get people to think outside the box. People get stuck in their "regional" ways and miss out on new tricks becouse of it...

I was just thinking of some of the tactic-bashing that goes on on the Lake Ontario sites and the 1000+ people that will at some time read this iBoats post if you know what I mean.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Interesting conversation amongst the members. Just keep in mind, the OP may not be seeing your posts. Hasn't been active since 8/17. Good conversation tho........

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Rod setup on boat for Walleye trolling?

Interesting conversation amongst the members. Just keep in mind, the OP may not be seeing your posts. Hasn't been active since 8/17. Good conversation tho........

I hate that when that happens. You spend a 1/2 hour typing something (or more...) to answer a question and then the OP never checks in again.