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GetNorth Fishing
Vacations
Cranktimidation
by Tom Neustrom
MNR Ontario Bass Report
By Emily Funnell
Better Technology for
Finding More Muskies
by Pete Maina
Facts of Fishing Show
Pro Angler, Host of Facts of Fishing THE
SHOW and Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer, Hits
the water with his buddy "Da Gooch" to catch
some summertime Walleye.
Off the Dock Toon
by Maureen Shelleau
White Birches Camp
Our lovely resort is situated on a peninsula between Wilson Lake and
Pigeon Lake, one of a chain of 3 beautiful lakes on the Pickerel
River System. Heated housekeeping cottages, park model trailers,
camping cabins, RV and tent sites, group camping and outpost
cottages, we have it all!
Lake Simcoe ... VHS
Positive Zone Could Infect Other Lakes:
The Aurora Bassmasters would like to remind all boaters and
anglers who visit Lake Simcoe, to be absolutely certain they
do not inadvertently transfer water from this lake to others
in the province.
Summer Pike Tips
By: Tyler Dunn
Late spring into early summer is quite possibly the best
time of the year to catch some unreal numbers of pike.
Learning the Walleyes’ Feeding
Triggers
By Keith Kavajecz and Gary Parsons
There are times when fish can be characterized as being in a
“neutral” mood (not in an active feeding mode) only to be tempted by
some outside influence which triggers an irresistible urge to eat.
Vintage Ad
(1930's)
South Bend Bass-Oreno
Feel
The Bite!
By Lawrence Euteneier
Exploring a Fish’s Sense
of Taste
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Cranktimidation
By Tom Neustrom
(Crank-tim-a-da-tion): A
fearfulness of crankbaits. Lacking the confidence to trust bodybaits.
To be utterly intimidated by hard-bodied lures. Ex: “Tom suffered
from cranktimidation, not having the confidence to employ the lure
even when the fishing conditions were ideal for casting or trolling
a crankbait.”
Seems we’re always hearing the term “confidence bait.” It’s the lure
you throw with your chest pumped and head full of self-assurance.
Might be a jig. Perhaps a spinner and crawler dragged almost
pompously along the bottom. Maybe even hanging a leech under a
slip-bobber with your chin held high. You’ve hooked walleye after
walleye on the technique over the years. It’s the first outfit that
hits the water…no matter what. Herein lays the fatal flaw: you’ll
stubbornly fish it even when the lake says it ain’t working.
I’ve watched guys drift a jig
and minnow infinitely without a bite. Even if another boat passes by
engaged in another technique and banging fish – say me trolling a
crankbait – they doggedly or lazily stick to their guns. Those would
be guns with the wrong rounds that won’t shoot.
Get on the boat, guys. When there’s the potential for catching
walleyes on crankbaits, or you’ve actually seen fish with balsa and
trebles hanging from their lips, do yourself a favor and make the
move. Courageously tie on a crankbait. They can be fished furiously
fast or subtly slow; are fun to burn through the water; get fish
angry enough to strike when not hungry; and come in such a wide
range of sizes, shapes and colors that experimenting becomes part of
the fun.
So to get cranked-up, not cranky and fishless, here’s a commonplace
summer circumstance where crankbaits rule: The spawn is long gone.
Water temperatures are hiking into the 60s and 70s. Walleyes are
roaming and ransacking baitfish. Getting fish to attack isn’t
science.
Put a bead on long shoreline points, one with inner pockets and a
notable plunge into deepwater. Beaten by wind? All the better. It’s
been well documented, but always worth restating: Onshore winds
relocate entire food chains. Zooplankton and other micro-edibles get
driven by the waves. Baitfish follow, and are also held somewhat
captive by the surging water. Walleyes come tumbling after. Or
rather, slinging around to impart dental-destruction on fleshy
minnows.
Rock,
gravel and or vegetation are always preferred over flat desert,
sandy bottoms. 8- to 16-feet of water is my is my go-to, starting
range, slipping deeper as warranted. There is one caveat to that,
however. If the wind is really howling, waves cresting, and clouds
thicker than thieves, I’ll explore waters shallower than 8-feet.
Something I’ve been doing to find structure without barging right
over it, scattering walleyes, is running Humminbird’s Side Imaging.
Structure located, and marked with a GPS icon, I can troll alongside
it, rod out, without busting up the spot with prop turbulence. Side
Imaging also reveals inside turns so I can alter my next pass to
cover the feature.
TECHNIQUE ALA TROLLING
Time to break a severe case of cranktimidation. Instinct, or maybe
second nature says to pitch jigs, maybe drift livebait rigs. Nah-ah.
We’re cranking and trolling. And here’s the recipe. Follow it and
you’ll be eating well.
To build that confidence, it’s prerequisite to operate with the
proper tools, and that begins with the reel. No deliberating, I’m
strapping a Daiwa Accudepth 17 reel to a trolling-friendly rod. The
reel was actually engineered for trolling walleyes – not a
repurposed saltwater dragging device. Being able to measure out
line, with utter accuracy, is crucial to control – and ultimately
staring down cranktimidation.
There are a number of trolling-specific rods to choose from. Lately,
a number or my buddies, including Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, have been
bragging about their St. Croix Eyecons. There are six models –
various lengths and actions – crafted explicitly for trolling, from
a five footer to a pole vault length 12-foot rod.
My
choice in fishing line is pretty straightforward as well.
Everything’s spooled with Sufix 832 superline in 10-lb, 4-lb
diameter. So sensitive you can feel a fish fart, not to mention the
deadness of a crankbait when it fouls with debris. Before welcoming
the crankbait, I tie in 6-foot span of 10-lb. Sufix fluorocarbon,
connecting the lines with an InvisaSwivel. The clear leader line
gives me the confidence that fish won’t get turned off by the
colored main line. Also, the fluorocarbon acts a shock absorber. The
InvisaSwivel eliminates line twist and keeps the crankbait running
like a champ.
Here’s where you get out the notebook. Eons of hours spent trolling
for walleyes has built a faultless mental library of lures to line
to depth. Picking a series of crankbaits is child’s play. Rapala
Shad Raps do it all. Mix the right size and pattern with an
established depth-range and you’re taking candy from babies.
I’ll cut to the chase. If the walleyes are working in 8- to 10-feet
of water, it’s a shallow-running #7 Shallow Shad Rap – one with the
bent bill. Let out 80- to 100-feet of Sufix 832 and let the games
begin. Go ahead and mess around with colors. But for me, it’s
Bleeding Blue Shad, straight blue/silver, or Firetiger.
Little deeper, say 10- to 12-feet of water? I’m pulling a #5 Shad
Rap – the classic elongated lip – with 80- to 90-feet behind the
boat. Same colors apply, but here’s where I make the switch to Glass
Shad Raps. Their foil skin echoes the aquatic surroundings, making
them spot-on realistic at all depths. Additionally, the concave lip
on Glass Shad Rap keeps it running straw-straight at trolling speeds
over 2.5 mph.
If walleyes have crept out to 12- to 14-feet, it’s a #5 Shad Rap
with 110- to 120-feet of Sufix pulling it along. Here’s an
opportunity to upsize the bait as well. Go to a full-figured #7 Shad
Rap and let only 70- to 80-feet of line out – same depth is
achieved, just with more meat and metal.
This particular Shad Rap trolling pattern taps out at about 16-feet.
So in 14- to 16-feet of water it’s a #7 Shad Rap with 110- to
120-feet of line behind. Hulking up to a #8 Shad Rap, just reel it
back to 70 or 80-feet of line. Again, more size in the same zone.
We’ve only scratched the surface. There are as many crankbait
techniques for walleyes as there are bass, but you need to get over
the hump. Leave the jigs and minnows on shore for a trip or two.
You’ll see.
Next time we’ll tackle even deeper water. Stay tuned…
Editors & Publishers
T.J. & Monique Quesnel
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