Many anglers consider walleye fishing to be a game of trolling. When the concept of back-trolling was perfected, expert and novice fishermen alike felt this method was the ideal technique for presenting a bait to walleyes.
As effective as back-trolling is, though, there are still times when casting a bait is the best way to trick a limit of “marble eyes.”
Casting works best for walleyes in several situations. When you have a fish pinpointed, a casting presentation can be the best way to keep your bait in its strike zone. If, for example, the fish are on the very tip of a rock point, casting will allow you to put the bait right where they are on every cast.
If a trolling run was made through those same fish, the lure would be pulled through the school, then you would have to turn around and go back through the fish.
The turning around process takes time, and also takes the lure out of the productive fishing zone.
If the walleyes were on a deep point, you could troll until the fish were found, then hover directly overhead. But in shallow water, a boat hovering directly over the fish will quickly spook them whereas an anchored boat 30 feet away will create no problem.
When casting a shallow area, anchor upwind of the area to be fished. Don’t get too close to the area to be worked to keep from spooking the walleyes.
After thoroughly casting the spot, let out more anchor rope and drift farther onto the suspected fish holding area, and again tie the anchor rope off. Work this area, let out more anchor rope, and slide farther onto the structure.
By moving in this manner, you don’t need to start the motor every time a move is necessary. You get to the new anchoring position quickly and quietly.
A casting presentation also allows more experimentation with different styles. If three anglers are fishing from the same boat, one can throw a Fireball jib, one can try a Shad Rap, and the other can use a slip-bobber. That can’t be done while trolling as it’s impractical and almost impossible to effectively use all three lure types at the same time while the boat is moving.
Casting a bait also is very effective when the walleyes move into the cabbage weeds. At times, walleyes will locate themselves in the middle of a bed of cabbage. A trolling run through the weeds would only result in snags.
By casting a jib or split shot rig into the weeds, snags will be avoided and fish will be caught. You’ll still get some hang-ups but they will be greatly reduced when this casting method into the weeds is employed.
One method I have found to be very effective is “flippin” and “pitching” a lure. I will use a Cabela’s graphite rod with a fast tip, one that provides enough backbone to the rod yet gives me a spring to launch my lures.
Here is how it is done. I will grab the line right above the lure and pull back on it until I have loaded up the rod, or bending the rod. Then I will engage the reel so it free spools and with an underhand motion, I will flip the lure to a hole in the weed cover.
This method allows me good accuracy, and gets my lure into the hole without picking up unnecessary weedgrowth. Bass fisherman have been using this technique for years–and walleye fisherman are finally catching on to this practice.
Although there are several advantages to casting over trolling, don’t think that casting is more effective than trolling. I still troll more than cast. Most walleye chasers do troll more.
But casting is a very effective method of presenting a bait to walleyes in some situations. To become a versatile walleye fisherman, it is important to be able to adapt to changing conditions.
Knowing when to cast and when to troll is an important part of fishing–and will help you catch walleyes even when the guides are getting skunked.
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