The ideal walleye trolling speed depends on bait, season and conditions. This expert guide explains all

BOTTOM BOUNCERS

In the warmer water from late spring to late summer, walleye actively feed on perch, shiners and other baitfish. To mimic the flash and vibration of baitfish, I typically use a spinner rig with a Colorado or willowleaf blade attached to a bottom bouncer trolled at between one and 1.5 mph.

I’ll also experiment with blade styles and trolling speeds to find a combination that triggers bites. Some days, the slower end of the range puts walleye in the boat, while other times they want it faster. This applies to both single- and double-hook spinner rigs, while trolling either nightcrawlers or leeches.

When choosing the weight of your bottom bouncer, the general rule of thumb is one ounce of weight for every 10 feet of depth. If you’re trolling at the high end of the speed range, however, you may need a heavier than usual bouncer to maintain contact with the bottom. If the weight is too light, you end up letting out an excessive amount of line to keep it near bottom, making it harder to detect bites and set the hook.

It seems like each year manufacturers come out with new, creatively shaped blades for spinner rigs, designed to give off different vibrations. These specialty blades fish best at slightly slower speeds than conventional blades, some as slowly as 0.5 miles per hour. Because of this, I like specialty blades for inactive fish, and for fooling pressured fish with a different look. Included in this category are Mack’s Smile Blade and Northland Tackle’s Butterfly Blade, both of which are propeller-style blades that spin and buzz. PK Lures also makes two I like: the round Dakota Disc, which dances erratically, and the egg-shaped Wobbler, which alternates spinning directions.