Trolling crankbaits down deep

[Lund4Fish]

Where I fish here in the Columbia River the walleye are generally found from 25' to 35' deep. I have no problem getting spinner harnesses or jigs down that deep, but have not found a method yet that I can get crankbaits down that deep and still have a decent feel of the lure and what it's doing. Any suggestions? I've tried snap weights and 3 way swivel rigs, but I was hoping for something that would provide a little better feel.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Using a trolling rod setup with Berkly fireline or another superline (because of the no stretch qualities), tie on a Deep Tail Dancer and put about 140-165 feet of line out to get to those depths. The fireline will allow you to feel anything.

[tunrevir]

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Using a trolling rod setup with Berkly fireline or another superline (because of the no stretch qualities), tie on a Deep Tail Dancer and put about 140-165 feet of line out to get to those depths. The fireline will allow you to feel anything.

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Yep, what he said. The fireline or powerpro will get you down deeper then mono or switch over to leadcore and troll that. 18-27# figure about five feet down for every color so 5-7 colors should put your offering right into the zone. I'd use a 15-25' leader with your rigs off the leadcore. You shouldn't have any problems getting spinners down there then but at 30' per color I would hope you could make some longer passes when trolling. Leadcore will also rise and fall with trolling speed and current but as a rule 5' per color should get you into the zone you want. I like to use a medium heavy action 7'6" graphite rod for the feel part. Alot of guys use glass rods to absorb some of the shock when a fish hits due to the no/low stretch of the leadcore. Cranks with deeper diving characteristics will dive deeper then the leadcore but when you feel bottom crank up untill you just get the occassional tick or longer shallow divers will pretty much follow the depth range corresponding to the amount of leadcore you have out. Also set your drag lighter to take some of the shock of a hit or snag. Just my .o2.

Tunrevir~

[ddsbyday]

I like to keep it simple and just add an inline keel sinker anywhere from 5 to 8 feet infront of the crank. The longer the rod the more distance you can separate the sinker from the lure. You do not have to let out nearly as much line and the sinker usually will pick up any loose weeds or loose junk that usually fouls up your crankbait.

[Team Otter]

Leadcore would be your best bet. There have already been some suggestions on how to apply this technique.

[eyewarrior]

I'd second leadcore. It will allow you to use many different plugs and still get the desired run depth.

[LMITOUT]

Deep diving Reef Runners work great for those depths, plus you can really tell what they're doing due to their action by watching the rod tip quivering.

[Chad Halvorson]

Yakima baits makes a lure called the sea tiger that goes about 35'. Gordon at Big Wallys on Banks Lake has them in stock.

Do you fish Banks?

[Navigator]

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I've tried snap weights and 3 way swivel rigs, but I was hoping for something that would provide a little better feel.

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I run 3 way rigs with wire line to get a feel of the bottom and whether the crankbait is running free. Wire line will telegraph that information instantly. Great rig for rivers, rocky areas or any where the bottom goes up and down dramatically. Use enough weight to keep the angle of the line steep. At times on the mississippi river, I have used 4 to 5 ounces of weight so a stout rod is required too.