Trolling Stickbaits: Do You Use "Floaters" or "Suspendi...

[MrFish From Oregon]

Greetings -

I troll for walleye in the Columbia River usually long line a deep diving plug like a Hot-n-Tots and Hot Lips Express. Works great mid summer to fall. They have a real aggressive action and really work hard on the bottom.

I want to start this fishing season wtrolling stickbaits fished on either three way swivels or perhaps bottom walkers. I want to track closer to the boat when I'm up by the dams and I want an easier bait for a sluggish walleye to track down.

So here's my question: If you were troll stickbaits for walleye in 20-30 feet of water, do you prefer suspending baits (like Husky Jerks) or straight floaters (like orignal Rapalas)? Why?

Thanks for any advise,
JE

[bentrod]

How about a 3 way, with a Mag W. Wart on bottom and a crawler harness for the top bait with Gulp crawler. A mag wart will dive 22' with 115' of line out. I would just slip with the current (back bounce) and let the Wart and harness work right down into their faces.

For the deeper water a stick bait w 3/way and lead as you suggested, I would use the floater because they will still dive a little, but experment by all means.

Hope you guys have a good springer season, if they let you fish.

bentrod

[mr fish from oregon]

Thanks Bentrod -

I've played aropund with a two rig set up. Not had good luck on the COlumbia with that technique, as I find the walleye tucked in tight to the rocks. I can't keep a harness low enough when it fishes above the plug (IMHO).

To my question though, I've seen folks swear to using suspended stickbaits. I'll have to experiment, but one thing about a floater like an Original Rapala, is they don't dive. So if my sinker is just barely ticking the bottom, and I have a six foot leader, the crankbait shouldn't be hanging up on the bottom.

JE

[lip ripper]

If your goal is to be on the bottom with cranks in a river I would either handline or pull leadcore. Your comment about wanting to have your baits closer to the boat makes me think handlining or polelining would be perfect.

As far as the floating/suspending bait question goes, If you are going to be running a short line (3-way, handlining, polelining) I would use a floater. If you use a suspending bait off of a shank or 3-way you would have to keep your leads pretty short to keep them out of the rocks. With a floater you could run a lead anywhere from 5 to 40 without being burried in the rocks. I personally like to have my baits as great a distance as possible from my weighting system.

I don't think the floater/suspender with a deep diving bait matters as much in the river. Trolling in a lake the difference between the 2 baits can make a huge difference. Reasoning behind this is that when trolling, waves and s-turns can leave a bait almost motionless at times. With a floating bait your diving depth varies due to speed much more than the suspender. However, in a quickly moving river like the Columbia the river current is moving fast enough to keep your baits digging and diving to their maximum depths regardless of any waves or boat speed variation. In this circumstance the difference in diving depth consistancy is negligible between floaters/suspenders.

[manitobawalleye]

try a 18"-24" dropper and a 5' leader to a floater
that is what i use on the winnipeg river
i use 3 oz droppers and #11 or #13 floaters

[MrFishFromOregon]

Just what I needed. I'll be ready for some floating stickbait action this spring.

Regards,
JE