Trolling Crawlers for Lake of the Woods Walleyes on Midwest Outdoors TV
Starting in typically June and extending through September, drifting or trolling crawler harnesses for walleyes on Lake of the Woods is super effective. In this new episode of Midwest Outdoors TV, Lake of the Woods Tourism Director, Joe Henry and Midwest Outdoors host Greg Jones, team up in pulling spinners and filling the boat with walleyes of all sizes.
Pulling spinners is easy. A few tips can really increase your success.
- Use a 2 – 3 ounce bottom bouncer. A 2 ounce bouncer works great in 5 – 30 feet of water. A 3 ounce bouncer works great in 20 – 40 feet of water.
- Maintain a 45 degree angle when possible. This is more effective than having line way out behind the boat.
- Use a 2 or 3 hook harness when using crawlers.
- Pinch off the crawler so there is about 2 – 3 inches hanging off of the back hook. This profile for a walleye is plenty big and you will get more hookups vs the walleye nipping off the crawler.
- Rotate size and colors of blades. Overall, a #3 or #4 hammered gold, pink, glow, orange, chartreuse or a combo of these colors are normally effective in the stained water of LOW.
Trolling or drifting spinners is a super effective technique to catch walleyes and saugers on Lake of the Woods. You will be surprised how many other species of fish will also hit them.
This technique can be used when calm or windy, shallow or deep, over mud, sand, rocks or other debris.
You can use this technique in the current of the river. Most anglers prefer pulling spinners into the current. At times, pulling spinners downstream, which requires to pull faster than the current for the blade to spin, can be effective. Hang on as you are moving faster than the current and when a walleye hits, it might tear the rod out of your hand!
Crawler harnesses are one of the most popular methods to catch walleyes not only on Lake of the Woods but across the Midwest. Give it a shot, you won’t be sorry!
