As winter blankets, and blankets, and blankets the region with snow, it is becoming more apparent that it will be a long season indeed. That’s not a bad thing if you need some time to get your tacklebox ready for one of open water’s early quarries – prespawn slab crappies! If you remember the excitement of picking huge specks out of the reeds in April, those memories of last spring should spark your efforts at the vise!

Once active crappies are found, a quality crappie jig is all that is required to catch them. I don’t recall an outing in the past year where I needed live bait to haul in a dinner’s worth of crappies; they all came on custom crappie jigs and doll flies which are easily replicated at home. What follows is a tutorial on how to make your own custom crappie jigs for use on your favorite water. From here, you can tie walleye jigs, bass jigs, or big bucktail jigs for pike – just let this column serve as a gateway to a winter full of fun lure-making projects!

Custom Crappie Jig Materials (Figure 1):
Jig – 1/16 ounce jig, with no barb or collar
Thread – 6/0 to match pattern
Body – Medium Chenille
Tail – Marabou and Krystal Flash

In this example we’ll be tying up a jig with a chenille body and marabou tail with Krystal Flash accent. I’ve included some pictures of other modifications and combinations that you can put together as well. Use this pattern as a guide and then test the limits of your imagination.

Secure the jig in your vise and form a base layer of thread next to the head (Figure 2). Take a pinch of strung marabou and tie it on the top of the hook shank, wrapping several times along the shank to secure the material to the hook (Figure 3). You can shorten or lengthen the marabou tail by using a shorter or longer pinch of marabou.

Rotate the vise and select another pinch of marabou the same length as the first. Tie it in on the bottom of the hook as you did the first portion (Figure 4). Once completed, wrap the marabou down firmly, forming a thread bed. Select a couple strands of Krystal Flash material to accent your marabou tail. In this instance, I’m using silver.

Pinch the Krystal Flash strands on either side of the hook shank and tie them in place securely. They should run down the middle of the marabou tail. Wrap the tail materials into place one more time and advance your thread about half way down the hook shank (Figure 5). Apply head cement to the tied-down area to secure the marabou and Krystal Flash in place.

At this point, cut a four-inch piece of medium chenille to wrap around the hook in order to form the body. You should be able to pinch and scrape one end clean, revealing the string in the middle of the chenille. Tie the chenille in by this string, advancing your thread right up to the jig head (Figure 6).

Wrap the chenille evenly up the hook shank, each wrap sitting against the other, until you reach the head of the jig. Tie down the tag end of chenille with the thread several times near the jig head and trim the tag end of the chenille as close to the hook shank as possible (Figure 7). Whip finish and apply a drop of cement to the back of the head, it will sink into the thread and the last wrap of chenille, binding them to the hook. Your jig is ready for action (Figure 8).

There’s more than one way to dress it up, as there are a lot of different materials to work with (Figure 9) and a variety of jig styles and sizes. For even smaller crappie jigs, you can skip the chenille body. Shorten or lengthen the tails to adjust to what the fish want. See what fish-catching combinations you can come up with this winter to try on those hungry slabs next spring…in our outdoors.

This is a 2-part series on a beginners guide to trolling for walleyes.

Also see the 2nd part of the series – Walleye Trolling Boards and Trolling Deep

Author with a nice walleye caught while trolling deep with planer boards

My newest passion in walleye fishing the past couple years has been trolling. I will admit it, I flat out love trolling for walleyes. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something special about a thump on a jig, a slip bobber dropping, or a tap on a live bait rig; but when I see a rod whack backwards from a big hit, it sends an adrenalin rush like nothing else.

Trolling for walleyes is nothing new, but it’s taken awhile to catch on. I think the biggest reasons are either the cost of adding the equipment or some simply don’t want to change from their traditional techniques. But in my opinion, trolling for walleyes can be one of the most productive methods for not only seeking walleyes, but for producing BIG walleyes. There are a lot of resources available on trolling for walleyes, but I felt there wasn’t a great resource that is meant for beginners. I will go through all the equipment that we use for our walleye trolling arsenal and how it applies to our fishing.

Rod Holders

I think rod holders for walleyes are so crucial I will start with them first. If you’re looking to get into trolling for walleyes, you’re going to need some good rod holders. There are a lot on the market but I’ve had fantastic results with the Atwood 2-in-1 Adjustable series in the past, and last year I converted to all Folbe rod holders.  These are probably the slickest rod holders I’ve ever used. I’ve used these deep, shallow, with boards, and with dead sticks. They are easy to use and it’s easy to get your rod in and out. Opinions will vary on rod holders but I have 8 of these in my boat and it’s all I use.

A simple 4 rod spread

Rod holder locations are critical in a boat, especially when it comes to drilling. Making a mistake can be costly and quite frankly, I don’t like to drill in my boat anymore than I have to. I like to have 6 in the back and 2 in the front. The 6 in the back should be spaced out couple feet if possible. This allows more room between the rods when maneuvering through a trolling system. If you see by the diagram, this will allow the 2 front rods pointed out and the 2 back rods to be angled at 45 degrees. This should allow a good spread. You can also run 2 more rod holders further up the boat, and these rods you can run on planer boards (just one of many rod position scenarios). One thing you should watch out for, especially if you run a side console instead of a tiller is the rod holder location by the driver. You’ll want to have it further enough behind the drivers seat so you’re not bumping into it.  I really believe you get what you pay for in rod holders, so take some time and investigate what works best for you.

A 4 rod spread using long walleye rodsseat that when you're turning around you're not bumping into the rod. This is a common mistake and knowing this ahead of time could save your sanity. If you are in this situation, I would look into the Jason Mitchell Elite Series #JMST80MF trolling rods. This has a shorter butt section which will eliminate this problem.

Walleye Trolling Rods

There are a ton of great trolling rods out there and they won’t break your bank. Before you look to purchase your rods, you have to ask yourself how you want to troll? Are you going to run lead core? Planer boards? Dipsy Divers? These are all important to know so you purchase the right rod the first time.

A great all around rod that I use are the Cabelas TXSXXXIII trolling rods. These are 7′ 6” trolling rods in Medium action, and are telescopic which makes it easy to store. And they are only around $50 so it won’t break your bank. I run 2 always on the back of the boat.

If you want to avoid planer boards, the latest craze is to go LONG on the top set of rods. There are now rods as long as 14 feet long which will allow a longer spread between the lines. I will be honest, I’ve used 10 foot rods and I ended up selling them. I found them to be a nuisance when trying to net fish as I’d literally be near the front of the boat while the fish is being netted in the back. I went to planer boards and haven’t looked back. To each his own, this method suits me best.

If you plan on running Dipsy Divers or planer boards, typically a longer rod is what you’ll want but you can get away with most fiberglass rods. For these I run the Cabelas TXSXXXIV trolling rods. These are 8′ 6” in Medium action and have a lighter tip. Myself personally, this is as long as I want to go. I don’t normally use a 4-rod spread in the boat without boards, I like to spread the lines out.  I also purchased a pair of 5′ trolling rods last year and I absolutely LOVE them.  Not only are they great to allow a further spread of your lines, but catching fish on them is enjoyable as well.  You can feel the fish fighting all the way to your hand, and even 3-4 lb. fish feel like lunkers.

A decent rod and rod holder are important for trolling

A small tip to consider when trolling your rods in holders is to be patient when a fish strikes. It’s an easy reaction when you see the rod whack backwards on a hit is to grab the rod and set the hook. This is not a good idea for 2 reasons. First, depending if you’re using no-stretch line, it may rip the lure right out of their mouth. When a fish hits a trolling treble hook, that should be a solid hookset in itself. Second, your best bet is to not mess with the fish as it’s trashing and trying to swim sideways. Wait until the rod bend is more consistent and that means the fish is parallel or in line with the boat. From there the fish will come up easier and without resistance which could make the difference in you losing the fish. Smaller fish will come right up to the surface and you can literally “ski” them in. If the line is staying down, take your time, it’s a big one.

There are a lot of great trolling rods for walleyes on the market from makers such as St. Croix, Shakespeare, Berkley, Jason Mitchell Rods, Cabelas, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops models. Choose the size and action that you prefer and I’m sure you won’t go wrong.

Walleye Trolling Reels

I have only used the Daiwa Sealine trolling reels for walleyes and I have no intention of switching. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a wide selection out there, there is, and I’m sure you’d be happy with other options. But these reels are just flat out reliable and as they say, if it’s not broken…don’t fix it. I know some anglers who choose not to use line counters for trolling but myself personally, I can’t troll for walleyes without them. Knowing exactly how much line is out is crucial to knowing exactly how deep your bait or lure is running. When the bite is on I think you need to know exactly what’s going on and dial in your presentation to the proper depth. The difference between 80 feet back and 100 can be huge, depending on the lure or presentation. And at times, we’ll have as much as 200 feet out and you need to know where your bait is running. Pay close attention to the depths that are producing fish and adjust your reels accordingly.

Also, I should note the importance that all of your reels have the same amount of line on the spool.  This ensures that all your reels/line counters are identical and you can have precise control over the amount of line let out compared to your other reels.

Fishing Line

There is a wide array of trolling lines for walleyes, it’s really all about personal preference. But the main thing you need to consider is line weight, line diameter, and color.

Line diameter is probably the most important line aspect, as it will determine how deep your lure will run. To put it simply, the larger the diameter, the greater the resistance; the smaller the diameter, the less the resistance. A lot of guys will use mono line, and that comes with pros and cons. The pro is it allows for stretch which is handy for not losing fish on the strike. The con is the larger line diameter that keeps your lure from trolling to it’s deepest potential compared to superlines. For superlines, I like to use either Fireline or Power Pro and the past couple years I’ve ran solely Power Pro. Using 10 pound test Power Pro, the diameter is equivalent to 2 lb. test mono and 6 lb. for Fireline. So I can troll the deepest with Power Pro due to it’s less resistance. I can run some of my crankbaits as deep as 34 feet without using any weights or lead core.

Color really comes into play when it comes to leadcore. A general rule of thumb is that leadcore sinks at a rate of 10 feet per color, and each color is 10 yards. However, this is a general rule of thumb and depending on your speed it could be much less. This really makes fishing into a simple math equation where you can dial in your depth. You’ll want to use a mono or fluorocarbon leader, and typically you don’t have to have it too long. The longer the distance the more it will have an effect on the lure so a rod length should be plenty.

When you’re using Power Pro or Fireline, you’ll also want to use a mono or fluorocarbon leader. I personally use 8 and 10 lb. test Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon for my leaders, and run them about 8 feet in length. This will spook less fish and in the case of snag this will give allowing you to retie a new leader. I have been using a blood knot for connecting my Power Pro and the fluorocarbon leaders and this shouldn’t ever give. I don’t use swivels as that will add resistance that will affect trolling depth.

As previously stated, for trolling I like to use between 8-15 lb. test with 10 ft being the most common. I like to stay consistent with the line I use as it takes the guesswork out of the equation. I know exactly how my lures will run with the same line consistency.

Trolling Techniques for Walleyes

There are a variety of trolling techniques for fishing walleyes, I tend to use them to strictly run spinners or cranks. They both have their time and place to fish them, it really depends on the situation. I’ll go into situations where I use both.

Spinners

Over the course of the summer, I’ll troll spinner rigs off and on depending on the lake. The lake I fish them the most is Lake Sakakawea, which like most large reservoirs has a lot of large, fishable areas. More often then not, we’re trolling crawlers or soft bait crawlers like Berkley Gulp Crawlers. Often we’ll use leeches and minnows as well. When I fish lakes in MN that have a strong shiner forage base we’ll use shiners pretty heavily. Match the forage base more often then not but don’t be afraid to experiment. How deep and fast you troll for walleyes will mean you have to match the right amount of weight to keep the bait in the zone. I have bottom bouncers and various weights as small as 1/8 oz. and as heavy as 3 ounces. When you’re doing a slow drift you can get away pretty light but when you’re trolling you’ll need to increase the weight as you troll faster or fish deeper. Fine tuning spinner rigs is pretty in depth and is an entire topic in itself. See our article on fishing spinner rigs.

Walleyes will hit all crankbaits, which more often is something you'll have to decide

Crankbaits

Typically when you think of trolling you’re thinking of crankbaits, and when it comes to which crankbait there are endless options. There is a crankbait of almost every color, size, and action possible, and it helps to have a large selection to be able to cover all the bases depending on the bite. The most common cranks I use are what I like to call stick baits, minnow baits, and banana baits.

When I talk of stick baits I’m referring to long, narrow baits like the Rapala floating minnows. My tackle box is full of #9s, #11s, and #13s. These have a tighter wobble and I’ve used these on numerous rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. These are one of those go-to baits, especially for shallow situations.

I consider minnow baits to be like the traditional Rapala Shad rap, Rapala Minnow Rap, Rapala Tail Dancer, Berkley Frenzys, or the Salmo Hornet. Which crankbait you use really depends on personal preference. If you ask 100 trollers what they like you’ll probably get almost as many answers. The baits I mentioned are the cranks I use most and it’s really a toss up which I use most. We’ll typically use a variety of them all and let the fish tell us which bait and what color they prefer.

When I talk of banana baits I’m pretty much talking about Reef Runners. These baits are in a class by themselves in the erratic action it produces. From the Little Ripper to the Deep Diver, they produce a wide wobble that can be deadly. The Deep Divers are one of my personal favorites when it comes to getting to 25 feet or more. The only downfall is they will often need tuning when they come out of the box and at times after being used. When you’re fishing deep with long lines it’s crucial that you’re using properly tuned baits, otherwise you’re going to be dealing with tangles all day long.

Precision Trolling

There are so many good crankbaits, I can’t begin to name them all. But a good starting place is to get Precision Trolling, also known as the Trollers’ Bible, and start dialing in the depths you want to fish with the right crankbait. Simply put, Precision Trolling will show most of the crankbaits in the market and how deep it will dive depending on the amount of line. This is where having line counter reels are essential, as you can choose your baits to get down to the right depth. Understanding what lures to use and how to get to the depth you’re marking fish is the key to trolling.

Author with a solid walleye caught while the boat was running on auto pilot

Trolling Motor

Your trolling motor will be one of the keys to catching a lot of fish when trolling for walleyes. If your boat only has one motor and it’s a large 2-stroke, you’re kind of limited in your options. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that you won’t catch fish using it, but I’ve found mine to be too loud to fish in shallow situations. It will be essential to use planer boards to get the baits away from the boat when the walleyes spook. Another factor in a larger motor is how slow it will troll down to, and how much you can dial your speed. There are times when I like to troll really slow, as low as 1 mph, and sometimes we’re cruising at 3.5 mph; it really depends on the day. Using something such as a trolling plate will help slow your motor down, but there is no replacement for a good Kicker.

I’ve recently transitioned to a new bow mount which is a Minnkota Terrova 101 hp motor.  I had to rewire my boat to 36W to accomplish this, as it takes 3 batteries to operate.  This has changed everything for me, as I can troll all day (bearing I’m not trolling against big waves) and have precise control over my speed.  It saves gas, it’s quiet, and it gives me absolute control over my speed.  I don’t know of many if any that do this, and I highly recommend giving it a whirl if you’re in the market and want to do it right the first time.

Trolling Kicker

I run a Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke kicker for most of my trolling and I’ve been extremely pleased. Not only has it been reliable, but it’s very quiet and cost efficient. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of solid 4-stroke kickers on the market, I just stick to what has worked for me in the past. I use my Kicker in one of two ways, with a steering wheel and as a tiller.

I have an adapter that connects my kicker to my main motor steering system. This way I can steer like I’m used to when driving the boat. But when you’re actively running cranks and using a lot of lines, I like to stay on my feet. That’s when I’ll use my Extension Arm for my tiller so I can drive the boat 3-4 feet back. This is really nice for back trolling as well as it’s handy having full control.

Auto Pilot

If you have a strong enough trolling motor like mine, you can use that to troll at times as well. I use this probably half the time now if not more, typically in calmer or shallower water. Sometimes the fish are really spooky and this can be helpful to cover good water without spooking the fish. And if you’re fortunate to have some trolling runs that are straight, the Auto-Pilot feature can be priceless.

Here’s a scenario from last year where this came into play. We were trolling one of my favorite lakes and the trolling run was miles long and straight as an arrow. The wind had died down to a halt and we were trolling in 8 feet of water. I set my trolling motor to a speed that dialed in 2.1 mph and set the Auto-Pilot and I literally didn’t have to mess with steering for hours. While at the same time 2 of us were running 4 planer boards and smashing a large class of walleyes. If you can have situations where you don’t have to mess with steering, TAKE ADVANTAGE of the situation, you’ll be glad you did.

Co-Pilot

When I merged to the Minnkota Terrova 101, I added the Co-Pilot option as well.  What a pleasure this is!  I can control my bow mount from the back of my boat while trolling, and also increase/decrease my speeds as needed.  Another great feature is the Full Power button, which will run the motor at full power at the press of the button.  This is great for “surging” the crankbait, which will often trigger strikes to nearby and following fish.  If you troll often, this is worth the money.

Graph

Depending on the lake you fish, how much of a graph unit you need may or not make as much of a difference. I hate to say you have to spend a lot of money on a unit in able to troll for walleyes, but have you taken a look at what’s on the market lately? Fishing is getting easier, there’s no doubt about it, and technology is showing the way. Nowadays, if your favorite lake is known, there’s probably a lake map available for your unit. There are so many pros to having a good map and GPS that I could probably write for hours, but let’s look at the obvious. Lake maps with your GPS will ensure you are always at the depth you need, and you can easily return to that same place again. And not only are there more maps available, some are even available now in High Definition! If you’re trolling in open water, these tools are simply invaluable. If you know the contours of the lake, you’ll keep your baits in the fish zone longer and that means more fish. There are days when a more subtle approach is better, and you can do well fishing a minnow on a plain hook below a slip float. Or, a smallish jig that fishes heavy, tipped with a minnow, can be great.  As stated, the more you keep your bait in the zone, the more action you’ll have.  It’s just that simple.  Humminbird and now Lowrance both have side-view imagery available, and this can be great for finding structure or baitfish…as well as fish themselves.  It’s almost like cheating but hey, make technology work for you.

This is the start of the series, see the link below for more information on trolling for walleyes.

See Part 2 of the Series – Walleye Planer Boards and Trolling Deep

Jamie sighting in the first dog out coyote hunting

It’s Thursday night and I am packing up for an early Saturday morning hunt (of course I am packing Thursday night so I can get some sleep Friday night). I call my hunting partner Jayson Deziel of Artistic Wildlife Taxidermy several times that night going over everything twice. The third time his wife answers the phone you can tell she is starting to think I am out of my mind. Friday, work drags on like a North Dakota winter and I can’t believe a 10-hour day seems like a whole damn week. Friday night comes around and I can’t sleep, I just toss and turn and watch the clock. Finally at 3:30 am the alarm goes off and it is time to get going. Jayson gets to my house at 4:00 am and we are off and running. We have a three-hour drive to get to our first calling area.

Well, this is going to be hard to believe but its 6:40 am and we’re there (we might have been speeding a little bit) and its blowing like there is a hurricane coming. North Dakota and wind go hand in hand- if its blowing less than 15 miles an hour, you are usually at work on a Wednesday with no chance at all of getting out. So, now what? Go home? Not a chance.

Spotting and stalking can be effective on days like this. I have found that if you start thinking about what a coyote would be doing on a completely horrible day like this, it would make sense that given the choice any sane animal or man would be home in bed. A sleeping coyote is usely a dead coyote if you see him before he sees you. I have found coyotes sound asleep in the middle of stubble fields but when it starts to really blow, I try to look for big wooded draws that would offer some protection from the wind.

Jamie testing his coyote hunting skills in Arizona

Coyote’s thoughts are usually not too far from food. Keep this in mind when you are looking for these little dogs. Coyotes want to know what is going on with their food source 24/7. They do this with their eyes, ears and nose. You will tend to find coyotes down wind of the herd, be it cows, sheep, or deer. When I am out looking for coyotes on a less than perfect day, I first find cattle and sheep ranches. Then I talk to the rancher and find out where he has been seeing coyotes and ask if he can show me the area around his winter-feed lot or spring calving barn. Look down wind of this food source. Start about a mile or so down wind and look for anything that could hold a coyote. Start marking some structure that looks promising and decide what would be the best set-up for each spot. The wind will dictate how close you will need to be at each stand. Realize that if you are going to call coyotes you better plan on lacing up your boots doing some walking. Nothing will ruin a well thought- out plan faster than having a coyote spot your vehicle. Start down wind and move towards your first calling spot. I like to glass the area I am going to call before moving into it. You should always expect to see coyotes- after all, that’s why you picked this spot to begin with, right? Remember to hunt into each stand because you never know what is around the next corner. Stay low and keep your head up, always watching for movement. Use your binoculars to scan every inch of terrain in hopes of catching a coyote on the move, or, better yet, find one bedded down. When you try spotting coyotes, just remember to look for things that look out of place. One way to do this is with a good pair of optics-and I do mean good. Inexpensive, good optics do not exist. I spend a lot of time looking at odd shaped rocks. At a mile, coyotes don’t always look like coyotes.

Call your first stand. If you have a lot of wind, get in close to the structure you are calling to. Remember that you will probably only call each set up for 10 – 15 minutes. In heavy wind if they are going to hear you they will be fairly close. After going through your calling sequence, start walking to your next stand, always moving towards the cattle or whatever you have determined to be the food source in your area.

If you do catch a coyote sleeping and you are in full whites (or whatever camo you’re using during the season at hand), stalking a bedded coyote can be very intense. Expect some close action. Coyotes do not sit still for long but at times you can find them curled up in a ball out of the wind taking a snooze in the middle of the afternoon. Pay close attention to the South side of hills during midday when you can catch a coyote sunning himself. If you watch them they will look up often and even get up to stretch. They may walk in a small circle just like the family dog before lying down again. When they do put their head down, you will have the opportunity to move in closer. Set up and try calling them in, but don’t be afraid of going in and shooting them right in their bed. Coyotes will not always come to a call no matter who is blowing on it or what tape you are using. Just because he doesn’t jump up and come tearing in there doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong. Sometimes they just have other things on their mind. If you have one bedded down out there and he looks like he is going to stay put, get the wind in your face, move slow, keep the noise down and you’ll be surprised at how close you can get.

Jamie & Knight-Hale pro team member Matt Barnard out coyote hunting

As you are working a pasture, I have found it hard calling close to livestock- especially horses. They get pretty wild when you start calling and will usually come running to see what’s going on. This is typically not good, so try to keep this in mind as you are picking a spot to call from. At times I have had cattle get aggressive to a call, but for the most part, they will not bother you. My father and I had been working a pasture when we came across a small herd with four coyotes moving among the cattle. The rancher was unaware of the day-old calf that was more than a little early. The coyotes had been trying to push that calf away from the herd. One of the coyotes spotted us coming around the corner and he headed out. The other three did not see us, but they followed after the first one.

Make sure you hunt from stand to stand and don’t get too caught up in just getting to the next spot to call. When you get up towards the livestock, feed lot, haystacks or calving barn, set up and call this area like you would any other terrain. Talk with ranchers and they will tell you that they see coyotes in with the livestock, and sleeping in the hay bales.

There are no guarantees in life, and there are certainly none in hunting. Unfortunately, I am unable to get out and hunt coyotes as much as I would like. That’s why I have learned to make the best of even the worst days. Spotting and stalking coyotes can be another tactic you can put in your bag of tricks for hunting coyotes.

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Jamie P. Olson is an avid predator hunter from Mayville, ND and currently resides in Laporte, MN. Jamie promotes several coyote hunting tournaments with the biggest being the North Dakota Coyote Classic held in Dickinson, ND. Jamie uses Crit’R-Calls, and Desert Shadow camouflage.