Sometimes a slight slowdown or a quick speedup can cause a strike. 3. amzn_assoc_linkid = "d54618e051f753c663d7b0863df82817"; The key to walleye trolling crankbaits is to “match the hatch” as they say.  What is the forage base in the lake, river, or reservoir?  What crankbaits to use can really vary from lake to lake.  For example, when I fish Devils Lake in North Dakota, I like to troll small Salmo Hornets in the spring.  There are a lot of young of the year white bass and crappie, and they feed on them a lot.  Then when I fish 100 miles away on Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota, you’re trolling long stick baits to match the 4-inch smelt. The key is to have the right sizes. Walleyes or any predators for that matter, that are chasing your bait will react to the change in speed.  Mix it up, change speeds often. Now keep in mind, in order to maintain closeness to the line out/depth, you’ll need to have your reels spooled properly. Then you may slow it down once you find fish and dial it in. Published: May 18, 2015. Trolling walleye is a fantastic way to target bigger fish. just for the strength alone. Anglers also troll small spoons on a three-way rig. The key to trolling in the spring is to fish slower than normal. And yes, hair like that only happens on the right windy day. Make it go straight to the board without dragging in the water. Power Pro on ALL of my trolling reels. When trolling a lot of line is going to be deployed and getting a hook to penetrate past the barb is often very difficult. I use speed over ground and generally use between 1.5 and 2.2 mph _____ This allows lures of smaller size and in shorter lengths to get down in the water columns. I used to use A LOT of 3-way swivels for my walleye trolling. Check it out if you have time.  That’s a great starting place for those looking to get into trolling for walleyes. Like I stated earlier, some types of fishing line can “slip” on the standard red clips that come on planer boards.  If you’re getting the Off-Shore brand of planer boards, make sure you it either has the “Tension Release Clip” or buy it separately.  Than you’re guaranteed that the line will not slip.  Otherwise, you can double wrap the clip (2 loops), but I prefer just one. In fact, I always recommend that people start off trolling, especially in spots they are unfamiliar with. On the 3rd end, I clip on a 4 to 5 oz. Crankbaits are also excellent tools to enlist when trolling. Higher trolling speeds can also be utilized on rivers in conjunction with the current. amzn_assoc_asins = "B003CU369C,B01CBUBUVY,B001447DHO,B00030AGU6"; Planer boards take some practice to get the hang of them. “So … The most important aspect of a walleye trolling reel, in my opinion, is a line counter. amzn_assoc_linkid = "d98d396bf872736b9524f1cd64ac5e38"; I do this for 3 reasons: Again, this is my personal preference and what works for me in my neighborhood.  I broke down all my favorite walleye fishing line in another review. • Sign up for a Complimentary Copy of Depends. I will get deep into equipment in a bit, but for now, let’s talk basics and advanced setups of trolling. I only have 2 oz weights and then use the 50+2 method from precision trolling. But you can't go about it haphazardly. I know every body of water is different, but in my neck of the prairie, this is the way it is. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; If running more then one planer board on a side, then make sure you space them out accordingly. If I had to pick only one speed for walleye trolling, it would probably be around the 2 mph mark. It will of course depend on a number of factors such as: Season; Type of lure; Depth; During late spring and into the early summer your speed will need to be on the slower side. If you fish with a kicker motor for trolling for walleyes, then I highly suggest you invest in a Trollmaster if you don’t already have one.  What is a Trollmaster?  It’s basically a remote control that’s connected to your kicker motor.  You can control your RPMs, and dial in the speed you desire for trolling walleyes.  This way, you’re not tiring out your throttle by speeding up/slowing down all day.  I literally cannot fish without one.  I use the Trollmaster Pro 2 and it also has a Max Speed button so you can trigger bites literally at the push of a button (yes, it has other uses too).  I would look into these if you haven’t already.