trolling stained water

[KEefer]

I've been fishing a lake that has really muddy water. I've been trying to troll for some walleyes in the fall with a little luck. I was trying to get some input on what color crankbaits work well in stained water. The visability in the water isn't more than 1 1/2 feet. I've heard use bright colors, but then I hear that dark colors work best. Just seeing what raps(cankbaits) work for others in dirty water.
Thanks

[Schmuel]

LOL!!! Better raise the limit on your credit card and buy bigger tackle boxes. The answer to your question is going to be different almost everyday and as the light changes throughout the day. There will also be seasonal preferences. If that's not enough, each lake has it's own preferences.

Local B&T's should be able to get you started in the right direction.

[WaterRunner]

Like the last response, the answer to this is alot of money and alot of crankbaits. I find that I have better luck with bright colors in dirty water(I give the bright colors more hours of work compared to darker colors though). My favorates or Pearl White, Firetiger, and anything that has red, orange or chartruse on it. If your fishing the fall, you might want to try a long stick bait rather than a rapala. They have a slower wobble. My favorates are the reef runners and JR thundersticks.I think the wobble is more important than the color.

[Cruzer]

A little advice, Have both bright and dark color crankbaits. For the most part I like to use brighter crankbaits, but their are always those few days when those dark colors are go crazy. For those specific days it pays to have them dark ones. I like to use reef runners in the darker color.

[ETT]

In dirty water on Erie Reef Runner's Mud Minnow (a sort of crawdad color with an orange belly), or Texas Red which is mainly fire engine red have been the main stay for years. Hope this helps, good luck.

[Runners]

I don't do much fishing with anything else but Raps. My favorate for murky water is the clown color. I'm real excited to use the hot steel color. This color is nailing them for me right now, I expect great things this Fall.

[Inconnu]

Because fish use their lateral line to find food in poor visibility conditions, do you think that lures with more action/vibration etc. would work any better than those without? or with less?

[ToniW]

I always like to use a longer bait in the fall. First to match the hatch and the longer baits have a slower wobble to them. I'm a firm believer that you have to make it worth while for walleyes to bite a lurer and a slow wobble is better than a fast one in the fall. The other big factor is speed, In the summer I'll troll up to 2.5 mph, but in the Fall most of the time its at 1 mph, 1.5 will top it. The color more times than not isnt the biggest thing, yes one color will outproduce the others, but if you can find the right wobble, size and speed, that is the most importnant thing. I think a lot of other people will agree.

[Meat Hunter]

Use a bait with a loud rattle... period. Or, a lure like a 1/2 oz. Hot and Tot.

Meat Hunter

[trollinfool]

The Miss. river is like that. A good color is gold chrome. Something with red or bright orange also helps. If it's real dark, try something with a rattle. A new color I like is the hot perch jointed shad-rap.Cabelas has that color. When times are tough, I still stick with the walley diver.

[Schmuel]

Color matters. Most days w/ 6 baits of the same brand - each a different color - usually one or two colors will catch all the fish. In a couple hours it could all change too. Speed and action are obviously important. Ripshads have been a nice surprise if you are willing to do the work it takes to keep them tuned.

The only way I know to save yourself money on experimentation is to connect w/ somebody who has logged many hours. I had the good fortune of meeting such a person who was willing to share. The seasonal complexity coupled with light changes, water color changes, and the staggering investment in baits can make the whole thing frustrating. You must continue to experiment. Keep varying baits, speed, and location to find what works.

If you think trolling inland waters is a relaxing way to fish, you're probably doing it wrong. Also, living in MN with one rod per man would be make it very tough to troll.

[WALLEYE DREW]

TRY BIGGER BAITS AND/OR NOISER BAITS. . THE BIGGER AND NOISER THEY ARE,HELPS THE FISH FIND THEM EASER. HELPS STOP SHORT STRIKES .LAST YEAR I GOT A BIG WALLEYE THAT PUCKED UP A HALF EATEN 10 IN DRUM. DO BE SCARED TO USE BIG BAITS. BIG BAITS CATCH BIG FISH.

[WALLEYE DREW]

TRY BIGGER BAITS AND/OR NOISER BAITS. . THE BIGGER AND NOISER THEY ARE,HELPS THE FISH FIND THEM EASER. HELPS STOP SHORT STRIKES .LAST YEAR I GOT A BIG WALLEYE THAT PUCKED UP A HALF EATEN 10 IN DRUM. DO BE SCARED TO USE BIG BAITS. BIG BAITS CATCH BIG FISH.