Backtrolling
Drop a livebait rig, jig, or jigging spoon to the bottom and hold the rod in your right hand. Shift the engine into reverse with your left hand, and then grasp the tiller. Proceed slowly backwards into the wind, turning the engine left or right to correct direction. Watch the depthfinder carefully. Keep the boat precisely along drop-offs, transition edges where soft and hard bottom meet, or along weedlines. Use just enough throttle to inch ahead.
Shift into neutral to hover momentarily, such as when you spot fish. Give the outboard enough throttle to exactly match wind velocity to hover in place for an extended time, as when you’re vertically jigging a small spot or casting to a turn in a weededge.
If you shift the engine into neutral, you’ll drift downwind. Turn the boat at an angle to the wind and apply frequent short bursts of forward or reverse power to correct the angle of your drift. This controlled drift technique is ideal for slowly maneuvering downwind along a drop-off, or for making minor course corrections as you drift across a flat.
When backtrolling upwind, spread lines to either side of the boat. For control drifting downwind, place all lines on the upwind side of the boat to minimize tangling.
Longlining
This is the basis for forward trolling tactics applied from the transom position, using either a large tiller or kicker outboard. Let your line out 100 to 200 feet directly behind the boat, and troll forward. This tactic excels with crankbaits and monofilament line down 15 to 20 feet. Add clip-on weights (lead shot, Rubbercors) above the lure for extra depth.
Weave the boat left or right to position lures where you want them. Remember that they’re a long way behind the boat. Boat and lure may not pass through the same water on sharp turns, and you’re prone to snag. In general, the tactic covers a narrow swath beneath the boat and runs the risk of spooking fish in shallow water or suspended near the surface.
Power Trolling
This forward trolling tactic can be applied reasonably well from the transom position, but it’s often easier with a bowmount electric.
Drop a bottom bouncer or three-way rig to the bottom, engage the reel, and begin trolling upwind, downwind, or at an angle to the breeze. Apply minor adjustments to the foot pedal to correct course and speed. This is a great combo of speed, precision control, and ability to cover water.
Open-Water Trolling
Tactics incorporating planer boards, snap weights, leadcore lines, diving planers, downriggers, and other advanced forms of 3-dimensional coverage in open water are the cutting edge of current-day walleye presentations. They represent the logical progression of traditional longline trolling, from simply pulling lures behind the boat in shallow water, to sophisticated multiple-line systems geared to strain the depths in search of active fish. Efficiency is at a premium, quickly eliminating unproductive areas and depths through the simultaneous use of electronics and trolled lures or baits.
You Gotta Stroll Before You Can Troll
These are some of the primary boat-control systems you’ll likely use when walleye fishing. In most cases, boat control is integral to walleye success; you can’t simply talk about casting a lure or bait, because in most but not all conditions, you’ll be using boat control maneuvers to position your offerings. Whenever you think about lures and baits, don’t simply think about their effectiveness, but about their effectiveness when applied as part of a system incorporating boat control. Because even when conditions call for casting, you still need to position the boat in the correct location to make a productive cast.
