November 21, 2024
By Ross Robertson
Recently, I’ve heard the term “shoulder season” used a bunch. It generally refers to the transition period between the seasons, which often makes for a tough bite. During this time walleyes are often located deep in the water column and typically prefer smaller offerings. When this occurs, spoons can be one of the best presentations to have in the water. Here are three ways, plus and a few tricks, to get spoons in front of fickle fall walleye.
Dipsy Diver A dipsy diver is a large, weighted disc with a trip mechanism that forces the diver to dive down. On the back of the diver there is a dial from 0 to 3 for both the left and right. A zero setting dives straight down and as the number gets larger, the farther away from the boat it will go. The 3 setting being the farthest away from the boat it can get. A dipsy is a very useful tool because you can get lures away from the boat and spread them out enough to run two to three different divers per side of the boat with ease. Angler’s often use a 0, 1.5 and 3 settings to run three presentations per side of the boat. This setup will allow you to fish deep efficiently because you can easily check lines and turn back over a pod of fish without tangling everything up.
One odd tip is to not use a rod that manufactures label as a dipsy diver rod. The reason is that most of these rods classified as “dipsy rods” are meant for salmon and not walleye. Using a medium to medium heavy downrigger rod can be a good compromise. In most cases a braided line such as 30-pound P-Line Endurx (approx. .011 diameter) is the best options because the thinness and durability of the braid lets the diver get deep, allow the releases to easily release as well as see light bites.
Jet Diver A Jet Diver is similar to an oversized crankbait in that it floats at rest and dives under the pressure of trolling. This can be a very effective tool when used in conjunction with dipsy divers in your spread. The fact that they float makes them perfect to use with planer boards and keep them farther away from the boat for a large spread and cover water efficiently.
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Jet Divers are available in sizes from 10 to 50, the larger the number the deeper they go. Luhr Jensen has dive charts available that will get you close enough to know where your lures are running. It should be noted that the force of the Jet Divers can be even more powerful than some of your biggest deep-diving lures, and not all sizes are realistically useable for planer-board applications. When using small inline boards, sizes 10 through 30 are you best options.
When using large boards that are used from a mast and tow line, sizes 10 through 40 are most often used. The larger 50 size doesn’t see much use from hardcore walleye captains, but they can be flatlined off of the corner of the boat without using a planer board.
Leadcore Leadcore is a very old tactic, but it works just as well as when you grandpa first used it. Modern-day leadcore such as Sufix 832 features a very small sheath diameter with a thin lead core that allows the entire amount of the line to sink. This lets you get very deep with small lures as well as distribute the weight throughout the entire length of the line for a less erratic action and depth change. As an example, 18-pound Sufix 832 Leadcore will attain 7 feet of diving depth for each metered color of lead. Every 30 feet, the sheath changes color so you know how much line you have out. Some anglers spool an entire reel up with a full core (10 colors) of leadcore, while others like to segment it with backing on both sides of the lead so that it can be run on a planer board.
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Segmenting can be a very effective presentation, with the downside being that one reel is only capable of fishing one given depth range.
The Spoon Much like crankbaits, there are many different walleye spoons on the market. When fishing spoons on dipsys, jets and leadcore, it’s critical to be using a trolling or flutter style spoon. These spoons are very thin and require the aforementioned diving devises to attain running depth. You do not want to use a casting or jigging spoon because the extra weight won’t provide the action or depth control you need.
While nearly all anglers love to get carried away with color, spend just as much time focusing on the size of the spoon. From day to day, the preferred size can drastically change. Just going up or down one slight size can mean a significant difference in catch rate.
Rigging A big misnomer is that trolling spoons spin around and require a swivel at the lure. The reality is they really just flop back and forth, and using a simple small snap is all that’s necessary. Large terminal and swivels at the lure just kill the action, particularly at slower speeds. The swivel at the diving device is more than enough to take out any line twist. With leadcore you can place a small swivel at the connection to the leader to eliminate twist and make new connections simpler.
Another important factor is the leader that you use. With both dipsy and jet divers, a leader length of 6 to 8 feet will work best most days. Any shorter and you tend to get fewer bites, any longer and netting can become cumbersome. I prefer to use a true leader line such as 20-pound P-Line Shinsei. This very durable and low visibility line is very stiff by nature. Unlike most types of fishing, this stiffer approach tends to help you get more bites and spend less time rerigging.
Trolling spoons can be a great presentation for walleyes during most of the season, but they really excel when walleyes are deep in the water column, finicky or prefer a smaller meal.
Capt. Ross Robertson
Bigwater Fishing
