What the frick am I doin' wrong?

[newbie4life]

We've not done very well this year with our walleye catch. Last year (late season), we were HAMMERING them. This year -- not so much.

So, a friend of ours told us to come on out, and follow him -- he'll show us where they are.

We were out their almost 2 hours before our friend made it on the water. We caught one -- and it was a perch. Then our buddy got there...... It's gonna be all better now.

The guy showed us the lures, and they're the same exact ones we used. EXACT. Followed him around..... He ended up leaving after an hour, because he limited out. We stuck around for another hour, because we still hadn't caught any. Not that by being on the water changed anything.... we still didn't catch anything.

Same lures -- He trolled, we were about 300 feet behind him, hitting the same spot. The only differences -- he has a gas engine that hasn't been tuned up since 1937, and we have an electric trolling motor, that's near silent.... and doesn't emit fumes.

Any ideas? There's nothing more frustrating than doing the same stuff as the other guy, using the same equipment, and getting nothing.

Thanks for the wisdom, guys.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Been there, done that. Sometimes I was you, sometimes I was your buddy.
To me the most likely answer in this case is lure presentation. The depth and action of the lure can make a big difference.
These can be affected by line size, how high you hold the pole, how much line you have out, using weights on the line, and tuning (bending) the lures lip (be careful on this one!). All this assumes you were matching him as far as controlling the boat.
A few ideas you may already of tried:
use sonar to find the depth the wally's are at and make sure U R there.
Sharpen the hooks on all the lures you use.
I don't know what lure you were using, but consider a "stinger hook" where appropriate.
A couple other tricks are zig zagging the boat and pulling on the fishing rod to vary the lures depth and action.
How close you run the lure by weedbeds and structure can make the difference.
Also please always remember and never forget, sometimes people just get lucky!
I think it would also help to just talk this guy into going fishing in his boat and yours!
Good luck and Good fishing, don't ever give up or the bad guys win!

 

[JB]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

You may not be holding your mouth right, newbie.

I learned that from a 90 year old man when I was about 8. He said you have to hold your mouth like thish, shee? I worked for bluegills, but I haven't had it do much good on walleyes. Maybe on walleyes you need to hold your eyes right. . . .like the John Wayne glare. See, like this .. . .

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

JB is right also there are certian songs if you sing that help........ Thats what what my grandpa taught me and it worked when I was 10 so I bet it would work now.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

I suppose its possible the noise from his engine might be attracting them too...

It could be anything at all.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Maybe not the noise but the Vibration of the motor through the line into the lure maybe something.

 

[newbie4life]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Well, we did go back out on Sunday for awhile. It wasn't too terribly long, and we caught 3 of them. I'll take it after about 3 weeks of getting nothing.

I guess I've made the conclusion that I'm still about 4 years old. Just like the little kid that likes to catch fish, but not necessarily go fishing. There are days I love just being on the water. Then there are days that I really just want to eat some walleye.

Apparently, I've used up a good portion of the days I enjoy being on the water, and it's time to catch some fish.

I tried trolling a little slower, then I tried trolling a little faster.... I made the remark to my dad that it seemed as though I was going wayyyyy too fast, and within 3 seconds of the words leaving my mouth, he had a fish on. Nice little 18+" walleye. I take that as I was going too slow. The water is definately warming up, but I figured they were still a little slower than later summer. Apparently, even though the weather hasn't been near normal (colder), the water is still warming up.

I never understood the whole "mouth holding" saying. I guess my pastor's right -- I'm not that bright.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

That's why they call it "fishing" and not "catching"! I just returned from a week of fishing in northern Wisconsin where we meet another couple and fish together. Since walleye in this particular lake will hig the same lure you use for crappie, we catch both species. Since we fish near each other (two boats of course), on one day those in one boat may catch only crappie while those in other do well on walleye in essentially the same area. The next day the situation may be reversed. Fishing is all about presentation AFTER you've actually located the fish. No sense fishing where there aren't any.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Some days they are aggressive and some days not, ya just gotta figure out which.
Another trick that works from time to time is find the depth they are suspending at and then troll that depth where it meets the bottom.

 

[jennis9]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Mirroring your buddy was a great idea. makes me wonder if your are missing the strike (we went through the same thing this year - made some adjustments and can't keep em out of the cooler!).

here's a few things to consider:

--Walleye are predators and will come UP to hit the lure presentation... make sure your lures are at the right depth for this to happen - if your lures are presented underneath them - you're in for a nice boat ride. Try presenting at varying depths to see which work best. three lines out -- one at 80, 100, 120... depending on the depth of the water. And you are right - slower troll for colder water, faster for warmer. if you are trolling for walleye - you may also be at a good presentation for steelies - who always like faster trolling speeds.

--Make sure if you have matching rods to put your those rods on the same side of the boat. made a difference in the action we were getting.

--I suspect you may be missing the strike. that can be from having the drag set to high. let out your lure and then set the drag loose so you can hear the strike. walleye strike their prey and then seem to play dead. then get spooked by the boat as they are reeled in. if your hooks are not sharp - you may be losing them at the boat as well. keep those hooks sharp! and check your lines often if you have garbage fish around - you could be dragging something around for a while.

--when you let out your lure - make sure that you test it along side of the boat to see that you are getting the action - doesn;t matter what the speedometer says if the lure isn't acting the way it should. if you are not - adjust the speed of the boat so your lure has proper action and then let out your line slowly - so dipsies/lures don't flip over.

-- invest in the precision trolling book. it has a wealth of information for getting where you want to be.

-- one more thing i did mention already - walleye are spooked by the boat. get your lines AWAY from the boat, inline planers, dipsies, jets.... or far off the back. depending on the water you are in.

tight lines!

 

[fishinfool96]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

I have found that the speed of the boat is the key. I also have used a electric motor but prefer the gas motor. If your trolling baits like rapalas or reef runners you must stay as close to 2mph as you can. Line counters help so you can duplicate what works. When I get a strike while trolling it is pretty obvious, the pole bends right over, so I doubt your missing the strike. It also usually sets the hook too. Crawler harnesses also work really well pulled behind a bottom bouncer. They can be pulled slightly slower but 2mph is still best. Vary the speed with your electric motor, speed up and slow down, to get a erratic action with your baits and I'm sure your catch will increase. Good luck!
fishinfool96

 

[einsteinsdog]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

I think there are too many variables to consider. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results- Albert Einstein

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results- Albert Einstein

THAT is the perfect description of a fisherman!!!

 

[redfury]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Now this is a topic I can grab onto. I can troll and catch Northerns, I can pitch and catch bass, I can bobber and catch panfish, but I'm not catching no Walleye....unless by accident. I need to learn some new techniques.

I can never seem to FIND the walleye, much less catch them. The last time I was on a spot for walleye, everyone was catching them. I was the same depth ( slip bobber a foot off the bottom ) and watched the bobber bounce ever so slightly, much like a walleye...the finicky things! The bobber layed over and I set the hook....Walleye on!

Nope, bullhead That's my luck with them. Where does a guy start?

 

[randyrandy]

Re: What the frick am I doin' wrong?

Wow, I read your post and thought you were me. I've been having the same problems and feelings. I'm in Texas and fishing for wipers (white and stipped bass cross). Fun to hook, great fight and good eating. I jig for them but sometimes troll. Whites are sometimes schooling with them and are certainly welcome. When they are hungry, I have caught them with the motor idling and making all kinds of noise in the boat. Even by accident just casting out as far as I can so I can respool my line neatly. I've caught limits and sometimes been skunked. Lately, mostly skunked. I don't get it. Sometimes I can see them down ther on my electronics but can't get them to take my presentation. Other times, I have caught them when nothing is showing on the finder and it looks like a desert. The definition of a "fisherman" that I use is...."a jerk on one end of the line waiting for a jerk on the other." As of late I have felt more like the jerk than a jerk. Ha, ha, ha, pun intended. I'm not going to let it get me down though. I'm going out in the morning to try again. Gonna see if I can feel a jerk not like the jerk! Keep the post going and let us know how it goes.