Walleye Trolling

[lonkm]

I am thinking about trolling the Tucker Hollow area for walleye this year. Any areas that I should give a close look at ? I haven't fished that area yet. Thanks Lonnie

[Sam]

I think the conditions that produced my best trips ever trolling for walleyes are going to be repeated this year. In June of 2004 (I think it was) Bull Shoals was about 20 feet above normal. Right now it's 17 feet above normal and rising.

Not to say this hasn't worked some most every year, but I had several trips that one high-water month when I caught limits of keeper walleyes and lots of barely-short ones - and that's a rare thing for me.

Look for large flats. One I'd try around Tucker Hollow is straight across from there on the inside bend where the lake turns going north to Horseshoe Bend. Also, there's some good ones all up in Bear Creek, all around the island (which will be underwater now) in the mouth of Bee Creek, up in Bee Creek, and the big one just above Mincy Creek on the west side. What you're looking for is flats that drop off to a deeper channel.

With the water high, the trick is to troll just outside the normal-level shoreline - that is, just outside the line of land bushes. Don't get up on top of the land bushes or you'll be hung up all the time, but it's pretty easy to scope them and avoid that. So if the water's 20 feet high, say at 673, stay in 21-22 feet of water and troll near the bottom. You'll have to adjust that formula to take the actual water level into account. With my main motor I troll a lot with a Bandit II plug, which runs at about 19' with PowerPro 10-lb. line. With the trolling motor, I'll slow-troll a chartreuse Roadrunner tipped with half a nightcrawler or a minnow, and of course you can keep that near the bottom by adjusting your speed and the size of the Roadrunner.

On the rare occasions when this deal is just right, the walleyes make it easy. They scope REAL well when they're in those spots. You'll be trolling along watching the scope and see a couple of large fish on the bottom. When your lure gets to that spot, you'll get a fish on - that familiar stuck-in-the-mud walleye bite, then it'll start to fight on the way in. FUN.

[lonkm]

I think the conditions that produced my best trips ever trolling for walleyes are going to be repeated this year. In June of 2004 (I think it was) Bull Shoals was about 20 feet above normal. Right now it's 17 feet above normal and rising.

Not to say this hasn't worked some most every year, but I had several trips that one high-water month when I caught limits of keeper walleyes and lots of barely-short ones - and that's a rare thing for me.

Look for large flats. One I'd try around Tucker Hollow is straight across from there on the inside bend where the lake turns going north to Horseshoe Bend. Also, there's some good ones all up in Bear Creek, all around the island (which will be underwater now) in the mouth of Bee Creek, up in Bee Creek, and the big one just above Mincy Creek on the west side. What you're looking for is flats that drop off to a deeper channel.

With the water high, the trick is to troll just outside the normal-level shoreline - that is, just outside the line of land bushes. Don't get up on top of the land bushes or you'll be hung up all the time, but it's pretty easy to scope them and avoid that. So if the water's 20 feet high, say at 673, stay in 21-22 feet of water and troll near the bottom. You'll have to adjust that formula to take the actual water level into account. With my main motor I troll a lot with a Bandit II plug, which runs at about 19' with PowerPro 10-lb. line. With the trolling motor, I'll slow-troll a chartreuse Roadrunner tipped with half a nightcrawler or a minnow, and of course you can keep that near the bottom by adjusting your speed and the size of the Roadrunner.

On the rare occasions when this deal is just right, the walleyes make it easy. They scope REAL well when they're in those spots. You'll be trolling along watching the scope and see a couple of large fish on the bottom. When your lure gets to that spot, you'll get a fish on - that familiar stuck-in-the-mud walleye bite, then it'll start to fight on the way in. FUN.

Thanks Sam, I will try these spots and lures next time out.

[vacation]

I too am most interested in Walleye fishing Upper Bull Shoals soon. Is there any other advise for us guys who have never done it before. Trolling harness rigs w/nightcrawlers? Things to look out for, should i get a good lake map, any and all help is appreciated. Or, maybe I'll just go and figure something out:)

I dont want anybodies "hotspots", just looking for a place to start, where to launch b/c of high water, etc...Thanks in advance