Marks Mailbag - Should I Jig or Should I Troll Now!

Mark's Mailbag are occasional posts to the blog in response to questions people submit on the Fishing 411 website.  Mark personally responds to the question and when relevant, we repost his answer here.  If you have a question you would like to ask Mark, please visit us at fishing411.net/contact.
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Trolling with lures like this Mag Lip crankbait is a good option when
walleye are scattered along bottom or found suspended in
 the water column.

On April 6th, Tim wrote -  Hey guys, what is the biggest factor when deciding whether to troll or jig on a lake? this July my family and i will be fishing walleye just east of Longlac Ont. We have fished this lake this time of year with mixed results. Thanks for all you do for the fishing community!

Mark replied - Tim:

Thanks for writing. What you’re asking is the always controversial question should I jig or should I troll? Often the best answer depends on what time of year an angler will be fishing. In this case your family is heading to the Longlac, Ontario region in July. At this time of year a transition is occurring. Prior to July most of the walleye will have been found feeding primarily in water less than 10 feet deep. The tips of points, weed edges, saddles between islands and rocky shorelines are all good places to search for early season walleye. 

Starting in July walleye begin a migration that favors deeper water. In deeper water (20 to 40 feet) walleye are easier to find with sonar and often large schools of fish will show up on

The Bottom Bouncer and Spinner is Great, But.....

By Mark Romanack

This simple Spin n Glo body rigged in front of a nightcrawler, leech or
 minnow has become the author’s ace in the hole when targeting
walleye in a tough bite.

The bottom bouncer and spinner rig is to walleye fishing enthusiasts what the spinnerbait is to bass fishermen. In the case of walleye fishing this slow trolling, structure fishing classic is baited with a lively nightcrawler, lowered to bottom and drifted or trolled slowly over prime bottom structure.

It’s the power of a flashing, rotating blade that draws in fish and gets them to bite. The Colorado blade is the most popular model used on a walleye rig.This nearly round in shape blade spins at slow speeds, making them ideal for rigs designed to be fished slowly and in contact with the bottom.

Mark's Mailbag - Rigging a new Starcraft Freedom 160

Mark's Mailbag are occasional posts to the blog in response to questions people submit on the Fishing 411 website.  Mark personally responds to the question and when relevant, we repost his answer here.  If you have a question you would like to ask Mark, please visit us at fishing411.net/contact.
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On April 8th, Nathan wrote -  Hello Mark, I see that you have ran a freedom in the past. I am inquiring how you ran your sonar unit. Did you run it on the live well side or on the storage side? Reason I ask is that I just purchased a 16 ft freedom.

Mark replies - Nathan:

Congrats on our Freedom 160 purchase. These are awesome boats. You are correct I have owned a Freedom for several years and enjoy fishing from that boat. 

I used Cisco Fishing System track to rig my boat. Near the back of the boat on both the port and starboard boxes I mounted a pair of 24 inch track. About midship I mounted two

Calibrating Line Counter Reels

The founder of Precision Trolling Data, Mark Romanack recommends 

calibrating your trolling reels so 100 clicks on the line counter reel is 

exactly 100 feet of line out. When all your reels are calibrated, it’s 

possible to replicate productive lead lengths again and again with 

precision and success.

By Mark Romanack

Recently Jake Romanack produced a short video on how to calibrate line counter reels 
and posted it to the Precision Trolling Data Facebook page. Almost overnight his video reached 40,000 people and generated a hailstorm of questions. Obviously, lots of folks are interested in this little known trolling tip.

WHY CALIBRATE?
Making sure all your reels are calibrated is the process of insuring that each reel has the same diameter, type and amount of line on the reel. A calibrated line counter reel simply becomes a more accurate tool for determining trolling leads.

Most anglers mistakenly believe that if they fill up their reels to capacity the reel will be automatically calibrated. This is not true because it’s very easy to spool on a little too much line or not quite enough line when loading a reel. The only way to confirm if a reel is calibrated is to measure out a set distance (we use 100 feet) and test your reel by zeroing out the counter, opening the bail and walking off exactly 100 feet of line. Now check the line counter to see what it reads. Chances are the reel will either be a few feet under or over on the counter.

Mark's Mailbag - Detroit River Spring Walleye

Mark's Mailbag are occasional posts to the blog in response to questions people submit on the Fishing 411 website.  Mark personally responds to the question and when relevant, we repost his answer here.  If you have a question you would like to ask Mark, please visit us at fishing411.net/contact.
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This spawned out female is about to be released. The Detroit River gets
 a healthy run of walleye and provides anglers in the region some of the
 best jig fishing action found anywhere in the Great Lakes region.

On March 8th, Robert wrote -  Saw your first (?) early 2016 show on 2015 Detroit river, excellent coverage. Can't remember bait specifics. Can you tell me the Jig sizes (weights) required. With those currents I suspect them to be 1/2 oz. and above. What were the jigs you used, (unique shape) and manufacturer. Finally what plastic baits were you using and the recommended colors. This info will help me plan for my 1st crack at this fishery.


Mark replies - Robert:

Jake and I had a riot working over those Detroit River walleye. We fished a jig by Bait Rigs Tackle called a Odd’Ball and the size we found most suitable were the 5/8 models. These are stand-up style jigs that do a nice job