Crankbaits are a proven bait for zander during the fishing season.
The type of plug you operate, however, varies with the season. In cool water in spring and behind schedule fall, zander prefer subtle, sideways swaying to more lively action. As water temperatures rise and zander metabolisms pick up speed, plugs with an energetic action start to get noticed.
In summer, when water temperatures peak, walleyes are in full-time canyon feeding mode, so crankbaits that jig with a active twitch and tight swing at slightly faster speeds are the best option.
Walleye anglers who fish fall waters until ice forces them out can leave the same baits on their rods for early spring. Oversized, wide-swinging crankbaits that work well in cool, cool water exhibit a leisurely, enticing swing at leisurely trolling speeds. Productive speeds range from 1.0 to 1.5 mph. Walleyes in cool water are not very energetic, and when they decide to eat, they want to make it worth their while. The huge bait/huge fish theory definitely applies when the water is icy.
The pool of baits that consistently catch walleye in cool water is surprisingly petite. Jumbo stickbaits that work in freezing temperatures include Rapala’s Deep Husky Jerk 12, Bandit’s 5⁄8-ounce Deep Walleye, Smithwick’s Deep-Diving Perfect 10, Walleye Nation Creations’ Reaper, Live Target Smelt and Yo-Zuri’s Crystal Minnow.
Consider removing the front hook from three-hook minnow baits and replacing the remaining hooks with slightly larger premium trebles. You’ll find that you’ll have to deal with fewer fish with the wrong hook, and your landing rate will improve.
Hold these baits over the side of the boat at your preferred trolling speed and you’ll see they don’t do much. Ideally, you’ll see a inactive, exaggerated side-to-side roll that doesn’t seem to trigger strikes. Don’t be fooled. A leisurely, pathetic roll and an elongated profile are exactly what round walleyes want when water temperatures flirt with 40 degrees. Because they’re relatively inactive, cool, sluggish and close to frozen ice, walleyes won’t put much energy into feeding.
One thing that makes these lures unique is the exaggerated beak or lip. The long lip allows these lures to dive deep without the aid of additional weight even at very leisurely trolling speeds.
How deep? We can tell by the amount of line you’re putting out behind your board. Deep-diving rods can easily reach depths of 25 feet or more, making them ideal for targeting cool “eyes” in deeper water and covering the entire water column in most situations.
Crankbaits are commonly pulled behind in-line planer boards when fishing for walleye. It is not only the length of the lure’s bill that determines how deep the lure will sink, but also the length of the lead. In spring, when the fish are shallow, it may be necessary to have the lure as little as 15 feet behind the board. Now, when the fish are deeper, the lead length can be 100 feet or more to reach maximum depth. Add weights between the board and the lure to reach even greater depths.
As the water temperature rises, the metabolism of the walleye also increases. When the water temperature reaches 50-60 degrees, the walleye are a little more willing to chase. Lures that are a little more animated and have more twitching will attract attention. The lures that really start to shine then are the Rapala Tail Dancers, the original Reef Runner 800 series and Flicker minnows. There are many others.
There is no exact time when one class or type of walleye bait will start to work better than another. Some crankbaits will work year round, no matter how speedy you troll, because they are very forgiving of speed. During this post-spawn period, baits that have great action at speeds of 1.5 to 2.0 are preferred.
One of the advantages of trolling in most states is that you can operate multiple lines (check the regulations). You can put out different baits to experiment with. One bite on a particular bait may be a coincidence. Two bites on the same bait is a pattern. It may be the color, but often it is the specific action of that bait.
To get the most action from your crankbait, make sure you are using the right snap. Snaps with a round bend allow the bait to move more freely. There is no need to operate swivel snaps when trolling crankbaits because they do not spin. If your crankbait is spinning, something is wrong and you should remove it or try to adjust it.
Always check the action of crankbaits next to the boat before releasing them.
Make sure they are moving properly and not shifting to one side or the other.
Pull the bait forward vigorously to ensure the bait does not turn.
With swivels with a “V” the bait can get caught in the swivel cutout, restricting its movement. Companies like VMC’s Crankbait Snap and Lindy Duo Lock make swivels specifically for operate with crankbaits. An alternative to using swivels is to tie a loop knot, which will allow the bait to move freely.
As water temperatures begin to approach 60 to 70 degrees, walleye metabolism kicks into high gear and they are more likely to hunt. Anglers typically pull crankbaits at 2.0 to 2.5 mph, but you can go as speedy as 3.5 mph and catch aggressive fish. You can cover more water faster and target walleyes that are actively feeding.
Baits that exhibit a more animated, tighter twitch or shimmy pattern are best during the summer months. Shad-shaped baits seem to produce better than minnow-shaped crankbaits. This likely has to do with the change in walleye feeding patterns at this time of year.
Alewives, shad, white perch and similar fish are better imitated with shorter, thicker profiles.
The Flicker Shad is a favorite summer trolling bait and is very reasonably priced. Classic Wiggle Warts and Hot-N-Tots still catch fish. Also try Salmon Hornets, Mag Lips and Berkley’s Money Badger. There are dozens of other crankbaits that fill this niche.
