View Full Version : Downriggers-good for salmon, what about walleye?
Dieter Johannsen
10-19-2002, 11:26 AM
Hey guys--I need some help. Your reports of huge walleye have me all hot and bothered to adapt my salmon fishing techniques(Lake Michigan-Waukegan, Illinois) to your walleye. Am proficient with dipsies, planers,flatlines and downriggers. Nobody ever talks about flatlines or downriggers. Is it worth experimenting? Thanks for any thoughts on the subject. You guys have a great site, have provided me enough information to feel confident about bagging some fish on my first try. Extremely flexible for when the winds lay down. Will post my results. Thanks. Dieter Johannsen
"5-Stroke"
Johnson
10-19-2002, 12:51 PM
I use my downriggers on Erie most of the summer with harnasses. Put them about 2 foot off bottom, and did real well with them. I use walker releases and set them very light.
HOOK-N-BOOK
10-20-2002, 07:46 AM
Dieter,
Depending on how many people are fishing with me (usually two) I'll run two riggers, two dipies and/or two boards. In the fall you probably want to run your rigger's and dipies only. Of course if you catch more fish off the Dipies then it's time to put all Dipies down. The Jet divers work well too. I do this just to see what's producing the best and then switch everything over to that setup.
Good luck and be safe...........See ya!
HOOK-N-BOOK
10-20-2002, 07:50 AM
There are several post on the fishing reports section that will not only provide you with gps locations but also dipsy settings and depths.
Good luck and be safe.......See ya!
The Huron - Vermilion - Lorain guys use riggers for steelhead. No stelhead...no riggers. The walleyes, even those over 10, are shy of the ball, and when hooked have a tendency to "hitch-hick" without being obvious. In addition the ball will sometime reduce the take on the Dipsy rods on that side.
I have nothing against them, but there are few fall eyes caught using them.
CarpetBagger
10-20-2002, 10:15 AM
ETT, thats because you guys are fishing shallower waters. I know over here in central basin, we use alot of riggers. Somedays the dipsys catch all the fish, other days the fish will be too deep and the riggers are the only way to reach them. Then other days there will be a balance.
Riggers are a great way to get a few more lines in the water, and get em deep. I run mine usually around 60+ feet.
CB
Boatnut
10-20-2002, 10:59 AM
Jim,
a certain friend routinely runs a 5' leader directly off the ball with a spoon on it and this will catch quite a few fish and seems to have no effect on dipsys. He fishes western basin almost exclusively.
Surprised me but it works!
Mike,
The 3 basins need to talked about here. The shallower water tends to condition the fish to boat noises. They just can't get away from them. The deeper water fish end up being more spooky because they have the ability to escape the commotion. So the deeper the water ( and the fewer the boats) the spookier the walleyes, (so far as the rigger ball is concerned).
I do not doubt that you will catch fish off of a rigger, and we have. We've also seen days when the rigger side Dipsys die. Maybe this is related to speed. We fish riggers fairly fast, and try to achieve a whin in the wire to attract the steelies.
There are few hard and fast rules, and I certainly am not writting gospel here. Just honestly conveying my opinions. Those with opposing view points, are encouraged to correct me, as they see fit.
Thanks for the input. Looking forward to seeing you this weekend.