Deep Trolling...

[Ron]

Looking to get set up for deep (about 30' to hit some good bottom areas and the summer thermocline) trolling. I have read Precision Trolling and am still undecided between:
1). long lining a deep diving crankbait
2). jet diver
3). snap weight
Any input greatly appreciated. Also, at that depth in ultra clear water, is it necessary to use a side planer?

[Denied]

Ron, don't think that you have to use only one method. On any given day one method will out fish another. I run long lines off big boards, dipsy divers on both sides of the boat and jet divers off the back. Let the fish tell you which one they like, then start switching to what works.

Fishing Western Lake Erie aboard "DENIED"
web page; http://www.cliftond.com

[Bottomfeeder]

Ron - We spend lots of time trolling 30-50' in Bay de Noc, Green Bay, and Lake Erie, all very clear water. When the bite is on crankbaits, I have had great success using leadcore line and occasionally snap weights. At both Lake Erie and Bay de Noc I like to use 2 or 3 colors with large neutral cranks like large Storm Thundersticks. The leadcore is more of a hassle, but for me it almost always outperforms snap weights with crankbaits. Last fall I spooled some fireline and tried just using deep diving cranks. I was able to get large, deepdiving Thundersticks down almost 35 feet with small diameter line.
When its time for crawler harnesses, we either use snap weights or bottom bouncers and troll real slowly. I always use boards. It helps us fish more lines (in Wisconsin we can use 3)and especially with leadcore, we seem to get a different and very effective action of the boards. Boards also work well with snap weights and bottom bouncers.

Good Luck

Bottomfeeder

[cisco]

You might want to give downriggers a try. I used them for years on Lake Michigan for trout and salmon, but have also adapted to walleye trolling on larger inland lakes. They are especially effective in vast, relatively structure-free basins such as Grand Traverse Bay on Lake of the Woods. They can be used to good advantage on Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, and Winnebago -- as just some examples.

[Dunn]

For depths of 30'+ I use Snap Weights.
Bigger weights, but still stick with them.
Just adjust how much weight you use, to the speed you go.
Try bumping bottom with with the lightest weight possible with a 50/50 sytem. Then space them out up from there. Or you can just use that as a referance point for fishing higher in the column.
---------------------
Marshall J. Dunn

[Leo Kam]

I use 10#/2# dia. SpiderWire and constently reach 30+ ft. with deep diving cranks.