Jeff Simpson and Ty Sjodin give a few of their favorite tips and tricks on trolling boards for deep walleyes in big water.
Trolling Boards for Walleye
One of the most effective ways to target mid summer walleyes is by trolling boards over deep water. During the heat of summer walleyes are often scattered across deepwater structure and trolling crankbaits covering is a great way to catch them.
This is a method that can be extremely effective if you figure out the right formula.
It all starts by locating fish and finding your target depth range.
Once you have a good idea of what depth range you will want your bait at, you will be able to pick out a few different types of crankbaits to use.
If you have multiple anglers in the boat try to select different colors and body styles of crankbaits. This will help you determine what features on the bait the fish are keying in on.
Another thing we will do is switch out our baits often. Play around with the size and color of crankbaits. A small change can make a huge difference in the number of bites.
Once you have your crankbaits selecting that is when your Off Shore Planer boards come into play.
Trolling with boards allows you to cover more ground and spread your baits out further.
One recommendation when trolling for deepwater walleyes with boards is to use a line counter reel. By using a line counter reel you will know exactly how far back your bait is and how far away your board is from the boat. It also makes it easier to replicate the process.
The key to trolling boards for walleyes is to find formula (correct depth, speed, baits) that catches fish and then continue to repeat the process.