Lindy Darter/Salmo Chubby Darter

[IceKing72]

What brand and what color version do you guys like for walleyes? There are just to many to choose from.

[Note from admin: here is a Lindy Darter Video:

More videos at HSOshow.com™

[bobbymalone]

i just use them as 7 dollar a piece tackle box decorators although I hear people have actually caught fish with them before.

I would get the color that matches the forage for whatever lake you are fishing.

[Jack Peterson]

i just use them as 7 dollar a piece tackle box decorators although I hear people have actually caught fish with them before.

+1

Mine just sit there.

[TDavis26]

Do you know what the most commonly purchased or used one is for walleyes?

[bmc]

I've had great luck with the chartruse glow colored Lindy Darter, can't remember if it's the small or middle sized on though. It worked awesome last winter on Winnie and Lake of the Woods........AGGRESSIVE bites!!!!! Sometimes I wasn't even using a piece of a minnow on it.

Brian

[Bottle Fish]

When it comes to a wide selection of colors I just go for whatever glows. Everyone says the glow attracts fish and everyone can't be wrong. Can they?

Otherwise

i just use them as 7 dollar a piece tackle box decorators

Which is a bonus if they glow when your fishing at night. You can always find your tackle box.

[skee0025]

I ahve a variety of colors and sizes, that said I have yet to catch a fish in one.

[Bottle Fish]

I ahve a variety of colors and sizes, that said I have yet to catch a fish in one.

I haven't had a fish on one yet, however, I never did look inside of it. jk

[TDavis26]

Ya i plan on buying a few different ones this weekend, probably one small one for crappies and a few middle sized ones for walleyes. I was thinking about getting a glow one so i might have to take your advice and buy that chartruse one. Me and my friend want to take a trip up to lake of the woods this winter so hopefully i have luck with them. I haven't used one yet but with the results on some videos i have watched about them they look to me like money in the bank! Ha thanks for the info tho

[Jim Hudson]

For most situations, the size 5 Chubby Darter is an all around fav of mine. Gold Metallic Orange and Red Tail Shiner have been my two top producing colors. This bait has accounted for the vast majority of my largest walleyes (30+ inch fish) to date.

[crappiebuster]

Sometimes when the fish get lockjaw and wont hit anything minnow.minnowhead,waxie,etc etc. Ive had my best luck on chubby darters. Done my best on the natural perch one. And you know its always gonna be an eater.

[Northlander]

For most situations, the size 5 Chubby Darter is an all around fav of mine. Gold Metallic Orange and Red Tail Shiner have been my two top producing colors. This bait has accounted for the vast majority of my largest walleyes (30+ inch fish) to date.

Same here. One thing I dont like about eiether is they seem to also attract the biggest pike in the area. I swear if there is a pike within a mile and I have a chubby darter on it will come and take that dang darter off my line.

[walleyeslammer]

They seem to love the luminescent orange dace where I fish.

[trapperdirk]

You know JHK you have tried a colour of Salmo I have never used . I have it . I'm listenng . Tell us about the gold metallic orange please .

TD

[Jim Hudson]

Trapper,

Both colors I mentioned are ones that have worked great for me in both clear water and stained water. Gold Metallic better in the stained, but overall, works great in all water conditions. Metallic just shines great. Couple that with the action the Darter has, both on the pull and the fall, they are dynamite..

bit

Best advice I can give anyone using darters, move em to get bit.. Lift.. Drop.. Hold.. Almost always, the fish pumble it on the fall. But, the hold is important as well.. A lot of times the fish will slide in after the bait settles and you are holding it. Most think that subtle jigs here is what will make em bite, nope.. They want it to try and flee.. When it does, they are on it..

Here is an early morning GMO Darter fish..

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Started spending some time working with the smaller C.D. a couple years ago and have made it a full time part of my tackle. I have one in chrome/red that I like alot. They don't work for every situation, but in certain instances they can prove to be extremely effective. Caught lots of mid winter suspended walleyes with this lure. Not my go to, but won't be without one in the tackle box either.

[trapperdirk]

Thanks Jim . I am going to give it a try in that colour . I can't even come up with an excuse of why I have never tried that particular colour other than I have had success with other patterns . Your darn right about those pike . They love the darter way too much and I lose a few too them every winter . LOL

I like the glows too Ed and will get a few Zippers to try out this winter . I can see why that profile will work .

TD

[TylerS]

Bound and determined to get a fish on a Chubby Darter last winter, I did a little experiment.

In the hole to my left, I put a plain glow jig with a live minnow on a dead stick. Then, in the hole I was at, I used the Chubby Darter.

I did this setup on three or four different occasions on different lakes and at different times of the winter, even late ice when the fish were most aggressive.

Conclusion: Chubbys are somewhat good attractors, but fish seldom follow through. I had a couple mouth the bait, but most would almost immediately go to the live minnow and take it down. However, if I switched from the Chubby to a Rattling Flyer spoon, or something similar, I not only attracted the fish, but also got bites.

Based on that...I am perfectly content to leave all Chubby Darters and their ilk at home. I WANT to like CDs, but all past experiences make it tough. As with many lures these days, they seem better at catching fisherman than fish.

[reinhard1]

i have tried them also with no fish so far. i tend to change baits a lot so maby i didn't give them a fair shot at times. usualy a half hour or so. they sure look good under the hole. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

Tyler don't blame the lure, instead you should be blaming the one holding the rod

The wife and I would be 20' apart with the same CD and she was always catching the Lake Trout while I saw nothing on the graph. Went over finally to see what she was doing after the third fish only to find out that she was dropping it to the bottom and reeling it back up. I was jigging the whole time about 10' off the bottom in 60' of water. They have a lot of motion so it may be that you are working the lure too much. It may attract them but just to aggressive for them to bite.

[MN BassFisher]

I just bought my first Lindy Darter, I bought the smallest size in hopes of catching something aggressive on it this winter!!

[TylerS]

Tyler don't blame the lure, instead you should be blaming the one holding the rod

Funny...that's a common reaction I get from most Darter lovers. "Oh, you must be doing it wrong." Riddle me this: If it's such an amazing lure, how come its so non user friendly? To me, a good lure will work no matter who's hands you put it in.

And it's not like I'm sitting there, ferociously jigging like I'm trying to start a gas auger. I've twitched it. I've jigged it. I've wiggled it. I've dropped it to the bottom to raise some dust, then slowly brought it up. I've made it dance around the whole, then let it sit. As stated, it does somewhat act as an attractant, but getting fish to "finish" is another story.

On the other hand, I can put down a spoon with a little flash, a little glow and a little rattle, tip it with a minnow head, and I'll have everything the Darter has, PLUS get the fish to bite.

I dunno...I guess guys like you and Backwater Eddy will tell us how amazing the Chubby Darter is 'til the cows come home. Granted, they probably do catch fish now and then, and maybe I just haven't gotten into really aggressive fish.

My point is, I'm not convinced they're the Holy Grail of lures like some people make them out to be.

[Acemac]

maybe this year will be my year to get something on a CD untill then i wont buy any more then one.

I am a firm beliver in if they are there and want to bite it does not make a diff whats in the hole.

[leech~~]

I have had three of them for about three years now. I pull them out every once in a while when I'm bore and am running through the box on a slow day, but like NL the only thing I have ever got on them is the lone Pike now and then. They sure are pree-d though, caught me!

[thatoneguy]

Add me to the list of people who have never caught anything on a CD. Admittedly, I haven't given them nearly as much time in the water as Buckshot spoons and my other go-to lures...maybe I'll give em a little more run this winter and see.