Andrew Martinsen's Walleye Fishing Update Trolling Crankbaits for Walleye Crank up the Speed in Summer Months to Entice the Big Walleye Bites The tactic of trolling crankbaits for walleye calls for using a crankbait, a lead sinker, a planer board (optional) and a trolling motor. The idea is to send bait into the water and mimic some pretty natural fish movement under water. The tactic works well in open water, along bars and islands and also along weed lines, provided the bait doesn't get stuck. The keys to success in using crankbaits while trolling include: Finding the right bait: It is critical to mimic the bait that walleye are presently feeding on. This can take a bit of a trial and error process. It is possible that a lure that works well in one area will not in another. Most anglers swear by a variety of different minnow lures. To gauge which works best, many choose to bring along a selection so they can see what works where they are. Depth: This is critical for snagging a walleye. These fish have eyes on the top of their heads, so anglers have to play around with how much line is let out for the tactic to work. The goal is to suspend the bait directly above the fish or into the middle of them. If the bait lands below, the cast is simply not going to work - at least for a walleye bite. Boat control: To really make trolling with crankbaits pay off, control is essential. What is required as far as control is concerned will depend a lot on the type of fishing area presented. In weedy areas, the trick is to keep the trolling right on the edge of the weeds. If the bait goes out too far, bites are not likely. In more open fishing situations, the idea is to keep the trolling pattern tight on the depth of where the fish area. Boards: These specialized boards enable fishing off the sides of a boat while trolling is taking place. Essentially the tactic spreads several lines out rather than just one that goes behind the boat. The idea here is that the multiple lines can enable the crankbaits to snag a walleye that has been scared off by the boat. Trolling for walleye with crankbaits is working very well as a tactic for many and speed trolling using crank baits is often a primary method utilized to in Summer months when the fish don't seem to be biting on other more traditional presentations. This method increases chances for bagging a walleye, but it still does not remove the need to find out exactly where these fish are located. In the summer months, the tactic tends to work best in mid to deeper level waters. On cooler spring days, more shallow weed line fishing might be best. Give it a go next time out and let me know how it worked out for you!