trolling 3 ways with plugs

[walleye slay'er]

hey i was just wondering how long you like to run your plugs off the 3 ways, also if any styles or colors of raps are more productive then others. any help would be awsome

[Mike Walerak]

Rapala Originals 7's, 9's and 11's are standard for most guys. Color really depends on where you are fishing.

Leader length needs to be experimented with until a dropper and leader are matched up to what the fish want. 3 or 4 feet is usually a good range to start with for a leader. For droppers I start with 12-18".

mw

[Vexipro]

what kinda weight do you run on a 3 way? ive never done this before and theres a deep lake near my home that the walleyes just stack up suspended deep, but its soo hard to get down to em and work the area effectively!

[minnesotatuff]

im very interested in this topic too, since i dont have downriggers. there was a post some time back that talked about being able to see the weight on a graph. i have both a graph & fl-8 in the boat... as far as weight, i have a big 3 oz one that might be my first experiment. ive tried it for lake trout before but didnt have any success. it might work for deep water walleyes though. theoretically, one should be able to tune in the bait to the depth of the fish, just like ice fishing...if you can see the weight? im going to use an old ugly stick with 4/10 fireline and see...

regards,

minnesotatuff

[Vexipro]

hmm.. i guess ive heard you want to keep it near vertical as well? where does a guy even get 3-4 oz weights? and what shape would be best?

[Vexipro]

can someone maybe come up with a picture??

[redhooks]

I like using a sliding pencil weight that snap on/off to an inline clip on a fireline mainline and then to a barrel swivel, from there it depends on lure and desired depth but a 4-6' floro leader and a snap works w/ a variety of cranks.Experiment to get rigs dialed in. It's a cumbersome rig so it's nice to unsnap both the weights and cranks for transportation/storage. These rigs also work well for pulling spinners and minnows deep in summer. Let out enough line to feel the weight bounce bottom and then keep it at about a 45 degree angle. Set the traps and throw them in the rod holders and let the hunt begin. Be nice to big girls and get a rubber net to get all those hooks free ASAP.

redhooks

[tacklejunkie]

bottom bouncers would almost be the same concept

[Mike Walerak]

A heavy bell sinker is most common. Cabela's sells Bank sinkers an Mill FF sells the quick detach bell sinkers up to 2.5 oz. Most bait shops near the Mississippi R. sell heavy weights.

Most of my 3-way sinkers are 1-5 ounces.

I would recommend snapweights or lead core if you are targeting suspended fish.

mw

[james_walleye]

Hey Mike what are your favorite areas to use 3-ways? I'm thinking deep current seems? Along the channel edge? Through deeper holes in the backchannel?

[PerchJerker]

I only use 3-ways when I want to be near the bottom, not when I'm looking for suspended fish. I usually like to have a dropper that's 18" long, and usually run my baits 3-4 or 5 feet back.

Floating stick baits are the rule, the original raps are great. Also check out the Mr. Walleye version of the Smithwick Rogue.

You want to be right above the bottom, if you drop the rod tip back you should feel the weight touch the bottom.

It's a great technique to use on rocky lakes, like canadian shield lakes. You'll spend a lot of time letting line out to touch bottom or reeling line in so you're not dragging, but it will keep your bait in the strike zone --- it's a great way to explore new water and find fish, then go back in there with jigs after you locate the fish.

[Mike Walerak]

All of the above.

[youngie22]

I like to use bottom bouncers, they come in all sizes you should need. Use the same bouncers for spinners and live bait rigs on lakes too. Easy to keep line vertical, and w/ line counter it's real easy to know how deep your plug is running.

[markkstanley]

To 3way the river you need weights from 2oz to 5oz depending on the current and depth. Heavier than most bottom bouncers. Another advantage for 3way is I use 6lb test for the dropper in case of snags. Bell sinkers are cheap, Raps aren't. That said bottom bouncers do work.