Trolling Plugs. How close to bottom Q & A.

[Walleye Express]

Greetings,

I have a question for folks that pull plugs for walleye in deep water. I've had some really good luck on the Columbia River over the last few years pulling deep running plugs like hot-n-tots, tail dancers, and reef runners. I use line-counter reels so I have a pretty good idea on how deep I'm running and when I need to get a bunch of line up or let more out. My question is, do you think it matters how deep you are as long as you are "close" to the bottom.

Let's say a big bench is 30 feet deep and you know there are walleye there. Like most big rivers these fish rarely suspend especially in the summer. Do I want the bill of my plug to be digging into the bottom? Much of the bottom I fish over is clean enough I can do that with minimum snags. Maybe I should be running my plugs at 25 or 28 feet?

Reason I ask, is I'm pretty careful to take in 10 feet of line or let out 10 feet every time the depth changes a foot. My bride tends to set her line counter at a depth that allows her plug to clear the shallowest point on a bench and just leave it there. At least some times she catches as many fish with her plug running at 24 feet as I do running at 30 feet.

So what's your preference when you are flat lining: tweak the depth every time the depth goes up or down, or just hold in constant? And do you want your plugs lip to be banging on the bottom?

Thanks all,

John Esler

(Mr Fish From Oregon)

John.

I've recently have had to adjust my own feelings on this subject. My own successful decision to run cranks close and behind keels this summer pretty much proves that. In shallow to moderately deep rivers where there is a constant current, walleyes (for the most part) when not drawn to baitfish near the surface or traveling up or downstream, will lay or tread water almost dead on bottom. This inherent trait gives them the best protection and overview of the water column and any forage they might want to eat in the river system. I've only noticed them suspended at times in the few very deep rivers that I've fished. And most times only even with or at the tops of the shallowest bench (as you call it) to hide behind or expend less energy behind or in front of these current breaks. This makes sense to me as I'm sure they are less spooked and more at ease in deeper rivers versus shallow ones when swimming over shallow areas and obstacles, where they would be more exposed.

For many years (when fishing in open waters) anything dead on the bottom usually meant neutral or negative fish. But now for many reasons this seems to have changed. Back then, the suspended fish was what we were looking for and when you found them it was Game-On. With walleyes (like so many other prey species) having their eyes on top of their heads they cannot see anything below eye level unless they pivot tail up. But active/feeding walleyes in any system will move a long way up in the water column to grab a bait. So I'm thinking your mates idea of setting lines to clear the most shallow bench (as you call it) while trolling is a sound idea. But constantly adjusting and gouging bottom now and then can also trigger strikes from bigger and less aggressive walleyes IMV. My personal preference when trolling in rivers is to hit bottom with the crank and reel in a couple of feet. I then pump the rod as I troll. If I hit bottom then, most often I simply hold and pump the rod at a higher angle off the water without having to reel in any line. Capt. Dan.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Walleye Express