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Oh Those Erie ‘Eyes
By Mark Brumbaugh and Bob Riege
Trolling is probably the most universal methods for catching walleyes
on Lake Erie. Trolling and covering as much water as is necessary
to find active, biting fish. Far and away the most conventional presentation
of trolling for walleyes is by anglers forward trolling them on handheld
rods. In most conditions it would simply look like the anglers are
just towing their lures behind the boat. As with anything that appears
to be so apparently basic, there are a number of variations that enhance
the productivity of the presentation. The first of these is lure
selection. In shallow water presentations anglers will want to run
small lipped floating stickbaits ( Rapalas, Rebels, Storm Lures etc).As
they find the need to work progressively deeper they will move from small
sized crankbaits to larger lures with bigger deeper diving bills. The color
of the lures will often prove a key as well. Under bright, clear
water conditions the natural, lifelike lure finishes are likely to be your
top producers. On dark days, or at night , the brighter chartreuse,
Firetiger, and phosphorescent colors will be the best. At this time of
the year combining spinners and crawlers along with Rapala Sad Raps will
give the angler a variety of baits in the water when fished in conjunction
with snap weights and
planer boards. Boards give you the option of fishing multiple lines
and covering lots of water fast and with this variance in depths you cover
all columns of water for both suspended and bottom feeding fish. Trolling
is used in covering certain structures and precise trolling means catching
fish. One way that I have solved the problem with boat control is by using
a
l
sea anchor. A sea anchor is a cone-shaped under water windsock, similar
to those at airports that detect changes in wind direction. Drift
Control sea anchors aid boat control in two ways. First of all, they
slow your drift in strong winds. Secondly, you can use them to fine-tune
subtle boat maneuvers in rough seas or heavy current. Most anglers who
fish large expansive lakes or rivers carry a sea anchor with them daily.
The rule is usually that one Drift Control sea anchor is adequate for most
boats and conditions. Sometimes on Lake Erie when the wind is really
stiff I will attach two Drift Control sea anchors, one to each cleat off
the bow section both starboard and port. This will increase my control
and allow me to run my engine at higher
rpm’s to combat the waves. When fishing alone in a console boat in
heavy winds, I troll headlong into the wind with a sea anchor tied off
the bow
according to which side the wind is coming from. By letting out about
8 feet of rope, the bag trails next to the console. I can yank it
out of the water with a safety cord if I need to without getting out of
my seat and I never lose control of the boat. Walleye fisherman on Erie
aren’t the only ones using this method. Bass fishing has virtually
exploded over the last few years. In the early season it is not uncommon
to find smallmouth bass in good numbers along the rock, and shale reefs
of the islands that dot Lake Erie. Boat control is as essential when
fishing for bass as well as for walleyes. As many anglers know, fish are
usually most active near the windblown shore, but probably presenting a
bait to them can prove a trial.
Anchoring limits you to a single spot when the fish may be someplace
else or spread along the breakline, and short wind drifts have you motoring,
casting and reeling most of the time. Bass anglers therefore, want
to slow down their presentation and not be blown off breaklines. Here again
the Drift Control sea anchor is used. By tying off two Drift Control sea
anchors to the windward side of the boat the boat drifts perpendicular
to the contour or breakline. Occasionally the bow mount trolling motor
will correct the drift or in some circumstances the kicker motor will have
to be nudged into gear to compensate for gusty winds. All in all the walleyes
and bass can be easily caught on Lake Erie. By using some simple
techniques of trolling and boat control it won’t be
long before you will be saying. "Oh Those Erie ‘Eyes." Hope to
see you
on the water soon!
Walleyes Inc. website is maintained
by Randy
Tyler Fishing the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Circuit, Masters
Walleye Circuit and the Team Walleye Circuit. All rights reserved.Copyright
1999/2000
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