View Full Version : Open water trolling on Reservoirs??
I know the great lakes is the home of open water trolling for suspended fish, but does any one take advantage of this tactic in the midwest or western waters?? It seems so effective on some lakes, I've often wondered why it wouldn't work on other waters or is this due to the certain body of water having the right characteristics and the fish having certain feeding tendencies?? I would like to hear any input from anyone who had tried or had any success with this. I live in Montana and have always wondered if the fish out here can be vulnerable to this presentation or if the food supply in the big lakes acts different enough to make the difference.. Thanks in advance for any replies.... RJ..
RJ, I live in wyoming and have had better success with open water over the last couple of years mostly because of the amount of time I have started putting into it. Four or Five years ago we would troll for an hour or two and if we started catching trout or not catching anything at all we would wrap it up and go Jig or something. But the last couple of years with the Water Levels dropping here it seems to have gotten alot better out in the big basin areas. But it's alot of work finding fish and keying in on what turns them on, you can spend hours looking without a fish to show for it.But all your work can really pay off, all of a sudden your on them and it can get really wild at times. Being Consistent in open water is the hardest thing, somedays they want Cranks fast, Somedays slow, Some days you can mark all kinds of Life but nothing will go. I would like to learn more about open water spinners, played around with it a little last year at Boysen but just caught dinks, probably should have stuck with it longer, you kind of get into a rut with cranks because you just go and blow, that is our downfall in open water, I think you really need to slow it down some days. Where do you live in Montana? Are you thinking about trying this at Fort Peck? I love that place, but haven't tried it up there.
RJ, I live in wyoming and have had better success with open water over the last couple of years mostly because of the amount of time I have started putting into it. Four or Five years ago we would troll for an hour or two and if we started catching trout or not catching anything at all we would wrap it up and go Jig or something. But the last couple of years with the Water Levels dropping here it seems to have gotten alot better out in the big basin areas. But it's alot of work finding fish and keying in on what turns them on, you can spend hours looking without a fish to show for it.But all your work can really pay off, all of a sudden your on them and it can get really wild at times. Being Consistent in open water is the hardest thing, somedays they want Cranks fast, Somedays slow, Some days you can mark all kinds of Life but nothing will go. I would like to learn more about open water spinners, played around with it a little last year at Boysen but just caught dinks, probably should have stuck with it longer, you kind of get into a rut with cranks because you just go and blow, that is our downfall in open water, I think you really need to slow it down some days. Where do you live in Montana? Are you thinking about trying this at Fort Peck? I love that place, but haven't tried it up there.
I'm in Missoula, but Fort Peck is indeed where I had in mind. I've witnessed on a number of occasions schools of baitfish in the middle of the reservoir or some of the bigger bays so thick it looked like it was raining with all the surface disturbance. They would be all the way from the surface down to 15'-20' on sonar. I've never stopped and hunted around to see if I could find any large hooks but it seems to me this would make for an easy meal for any predator fish in the area. I know what happens at Lake Powell when a school of shad gets up on the surface!! Break out the cranks and have some fun!! When you have found Walleye's suspended in Boysen were they on baitfish or simply suspended?? Thanks for you reply and any other insight would be appreciated. RJ in Montana...
Those Large Hooks that your refering to are what keep me trolling open water, I think a good % are Big Walleyes, But alot of them could be big trout or big whatever, in your case maybe salmon or Lakers, I've never really encountered alot of surface activity, mostly find clouds of shiners at Boysen and there's always fish mixed in them or just below them, alot of signs showing up in the 10' to 30' range. Generally the Fish that you mark up higher are the ones you seem to catch, those are the more active fish. A good chop always helps to catch them up higher in the water column. Good luck at Fort Peck, that's a big egg to crack, I will be up there for the Gov. Cup again this year and will keep my eyes peeled for the guy out in no man's land.
Mike McCafferty
06-08-2001, 03:49 PM
I've done a lot of open water trolling here in South Dakota, not only on Lake Oahe were I guided for eight years, but also on a number of large newly developing lakes in Northeast SD. The thing to remember about walleyes is the fact that they will go where the food is. In any body of water, if there are large schools of forage fish suspended out over deep water you can bet the farm that walleyes are somewhere close by. Go get 'em!
Running this one through again, even when we're not fishin' we're fishin'.......
Gumbo
06-13-2001, 01:32 PM
RJ, I think open water trolling works on impoundments where there are shad or other open water baitfish. We have some lakes here in Utah with shad, but most have perch as the walleye primary forage species. Open water trolling is only productive in the impoundments with shad. Trolling the lakes with shad works, but you have to troll through typical perch habitat. You have to fish each body of water different depending on the forage. Good luck.
As you fellas have said, forage species is definitely important. Pretty sure I remember that Fort Peck contains ciscoes, a pelagic baitfish imported from deep, clear northcountry lakes.
Where I live, in central Minnesota, lakes containing ciscoes definitely draw big walleyes out into the basin. The early and midsummer months typically produce best. Also, these openwater fish tend to run larger than the average sized 'structure' walleye. Once a guy dials in the pattern-- depth, speed and specific lures are key factors-- it's nearly always the best summer option for trophy fish.
The openwater cisco pattern we fish usually offers the best fishing within 15 feet of the surface, but definitely above the thermocline. Seeing flicking ciscoes on the surface on calmer evenings is a good tip off. Best spots often are the most expansive deep flats in the lake or reservoir. Mouths of large creek arms also attract fish in reservoirs. My favorite baits continue to be #14 Mag Rapalas, the old Rebel Spoonbill and #7 & #8 Shad Raps. Think the deep Reef Runners oughta work too. Enjoy your fishing.
-a friend called Toad
One more time through then I promise I will let it fade!!!
Buglin'
06-16-2001, 07:33 PM
I also live in the Missoula area and am on my way to Heck Creek early Monday morning. This open water trolling sounds very interesting. I'm going to try to break myself from the structure rut and look for these bait fish. Can't promise how much patience I'll have, but I am going to give it a try.
Thanks