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2/12/2001
- Article
Crank
it up for more walleyes
Norb
Wallock
Have
you tried cranking up a bunch of walleyes yet? If not, what are you
waiting for? Believe it or not, walleyes have a hard time resisting
crankbaits, especially when they when they show up in the wrong
place at the wrong time, (for the walleyes that is).
 There’s
some argument as to just what exactly crankbaits imitate. Do they
represent baitfish, crayfish, or something else? The answer is yes,
yes, and who knows. A crankbait’s shape and color certainly play a
role, but more importantly, it’s a matter of where the crankbait
is used. Baits that are worked across the top of a rock pile,
constantly banging into the bottom, probably imitate a crayfish.
Cranks that are run through the same area, but are only ticking the
top occasionally, are more likely to mimic a baitfish, especially if
it has a baitfish color pattern. Crankbaits trolled through open
water are most certainly imitating baitfish.
Photo
- The author with a walleye that fell hard for a crankbait
Whatever
the case, it really doesn’t matter, as long as the walleyes
approve. From ice out until ice up, crankbaits have proven to be
consistent producers. The key is selecting a bait with the right
profile and the right action, for the body of water and the time of
the year you are fishing.
The
wrong bait at the right time can greatly limit your chances for
success, and may leave you doubting their effectiveness. Therein
lies part of the problem that first time crankers run into. The
following is a few guidelines to help you put together a winning
presentation, and turn you into a true believer.
Angling
for walleyes during the early season generally means colder water
temps, and calls for slower presentations. Slower speeds require
baits that will continue to perform down to a near standstill, and
there really aren’t that many.
Top
early season crankbaits include the infamous Rapala, with it’s
balsa wood body, and the Storm Thunderstick. They both possess a
long, slender, minnow shaped body. Rapalas have the edge when it
comes to the slowest trolling speeds, as their balsa wood
construction helps to produce a enticing side to side wiggle with a
minimum amount of movement. The Thundersticks, on the other hand,
posses the same shape, but have a built in rattle. Rattles have
proven themselves over and over again, and have the ability to
attract walleyes from long distances. Both of these baits are
shallow divers, and can be run through the shallowest areas.
Another
good early season bait is the Shad Rap. Although it’s shape and
diving lip may indicate a bait better suited to warmer water temps,
it’s body is made from balsa. Much like the Rapala, the balsa body
produces a fish attracting wobble at the slowest speeds, making it
an extremely versatile bait that is effective from the earliest part
of the season through late fall. The Shad Rap will cover depth
ranges from shallow to deep, depending on the bait size you choose.
A
new introduction for 2001 is the Taildancer from Normark. The
Taildancer has a unique banana shaped body made from balsa, that
produces a seductive wiggle, and does it all with rattles. Early
indications are that the bait will pose a serious threat to walleyes
everywhere. The Taildancer’s limitations (if there are any), have
been yet to be defined, and should be tried throughout the open
water season.
As
water temps start to increase, the medium diving baits with shad
shaped bodies really come into their own. Plastic bodied baits with
bigger diving lips produce plenty of vibration, especially those
that have been fitted with rattles. The move to warmer water does
not mean that the previously mentioned baits lose all of their
effectiveness, as they will continue to produce. It’s just that
warmer water temps usually mean a seasonal shift to deeper water,
and the deeper diving baits are better designed to get to those
depths without adding any type of extra weight.
Vibrating
baits, like the Rattle Rap, become more effective with the onset of
warmer water temps, and are more limited to casting situations. The
baits can be cast across the tops of weed flats, or drug through the
rocks, and stay relatively resistant to snags.
The
next variety of baits are the fatter, deepest diving baits, with
giant lips that allow anglers to probe unbelievable depths. These
chubby divers were really designed for bass fisherman, who needed to
get a bait down as deep as possible on a cast. Walleye anglers have
found that the bass style plugs can achieve depths of forty feet and
more on a trolling run, and can get even deeper when using a braided
line. They also produce the most violent action, and violent is what
walleyes often want, especially during the hottest periods of the
season.
Another
bait that really comes on, during the heat of summer, is the Hot
‘n Tot. The Hot ‘n Tot produces a wild, side to side action,
that can turn walleyes into suckers. The key to using the bait is
making sure it’s in tune, which presents a little more difficulty
than other baits, because of it’s out of control action.
To
tune the bait, try dropping it behind the boat at trolling speed,
and wait and watch how it reacts. If it jumps side to side but keeps
coming back to center, you should be OK. But if it favors one side
or the other, it will need to be tuned. This can be accomplished by
bending the metal clip attached to the lip, one way or the other,
and then testing, again and again, until you get it right.
Every
crankbait you select should be tested, to make sure it’s running
properly. Employing the aforementioned method is the ticket, but
instead of bending the clip, you’ll need to bend the eye. A pair
of needle nose pliers are in order, as it usually takes a solid grab
and good deal of pressure to get the job done.
Tuning
your baits may seem like a hassle, but it’s a necessary part of
successful cranking. Baits that are out of tune will not achieve the
appropriate diving depth, nor produce the proper action.
With the cooling effects of fall, the seasonal process of
bait selection is reversed, and by late fall it’s the long slender
shallow running baits that get most of the attention. A slight
variation to late fall cranking over early spring, is the move to
larger baits, especially if you’re looking for a real trophy. Late
fall walleyes are more apt to be into a heavy feeding binge, as
they’re putting on layers of fat to help sustain them through a
long , hard winter. The females are already developing eggs, and
require even more sustenance, which makes them particularly
vulnerable.
Norb
Wallock
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