Pulling Cranks???

[PikeTipper]

Does anyone troll cranks during opener? Is the water too cold?

Thanks

[Northlander]

Nope we catch eyes on cranks from day 1. Maybe up North where the ice just came off it wont work as well but I bet they still get a few on them.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Back when I used to like to pull cranks I caught most of my early season walleyes on Raps in Vermilion! Never bought live bait for at least the first month of the season! Just fished the shallow bays mostly at prime times. Early morning and late evenings.

Cliff

[Grum]

I do sometimes, but just because it's fun and I don't have any electronics in the little 14ft boat. I'll rig up several rods differently to save time on changing presentations. 1) Crankbait 2)Lindy rig 3)Jig & minnow 4)Bottombouncer w/ crawler harness 5)Casting rod w/ leader & spinnerbait or spoon for pike. Depending on how many come with and what they want to do I may have to cut back to save space, but I'll usually troll the shoreline w/ a crankbait to a destination just to see what I can find along the way.

[tacklejunkie]

I find myself pulling cranks less and less as time goes on but, yeah, I have trolled them on opener before and have done ok.

Of course, that depends on condidtions. I would think a good cold front might call for a much slower presentation

[gregg52]

i've wacked em pretty good early in shallow water with big winds

with shad raps

one yr i remember getin a limit on gull in bout 30 mins

when i was cleaning those...i remember the perch in those fish were exactly the same size as the shad rap i was using i was fishin in bout 3ft of water

[PerchJerker]

We troll cranks shallow quite a bit on opener. Great way to find fish, great way to find where fish are concentrated. Then we go after them with jigs!

[Random guy]

Crankbaits are key to locating active fish away from the people and the crowds of the opening of walleye season and early season crowds that follow. From Crappies to walleyes and even the biggest pike that roam my home waters of Upper Red Lake the #5 Lindy Shadling is the seek and destroy tool of choice.

[centralmneyeguy]

I like the #5 Lindy Shadling as well. I did really well with them last summer and gained a lot of confidence in that bait! I'll be starting my season at midnight on a lake in the Brainerd area pulling a Shiner colored #5 Shadling. I can't wait!

[jjohnson5150]

I always start with pulling raps and am usually in pretty shallow - especially at night. Unless my trap produces some shiners, I might not even use live bait all weekend.

[popriveter]

Little shad raps trolled slowly right over the top of the weeds that haven't gotten tall yet- mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that has made for some fun walleye fishing.

When you have to fish them any slower than that, I won't bother chasing walleyes.