As we get into late summer, walleye often move out and suspend over deep basins to feed on bait. These fish can be difficult to target, especially if they are easily spooked from the boat. Max, who fishes deep waters like Lake Erie regularly, has learned how to get down to these deep suspended fish effectively and shares his tactics in the video above.
To target these deep, suspended fish Max likes to run Dipsy Divers. They make it easy to cover water quickly and also make it possible to run multiple lines without tangling together. This is because they have 3 directional settings that allow them to run away from the boat in either direction or directly behind. They’re available in a variety of sizes and can dive anywhere from 20-100′ deep.
Best Rod and Reel for Dispy Divers
When trolling Dipsy Divers, Max recommends choosing a long trolling rod with a lot of flex on the front end. When trolling through waves, especially on big water, that added flex will help prevent tripping the Dipsy as the waves pound the line. He also recommends a rod with a strong backbone to allow for a solid hook set and to fight big fish.
The Shimano Dakota is Max’s go-to reel for this setup. It has a 3:1 ratio (for every reel rotation, it brings in 3′ of line) versus the 2:1 ratio of traditional trolling rods. This helps bring the line in faster.
Dipsy Diver Setup & Baits
Coming off the Dipsy Diver, attach a Snubber to absorb the shock of an aggressive hit and prevent the line from snapping or pulling the hook out of the fish’s mouth. However, if the bite is soft and finicky, it might be difficult to get the Dipsy to trip no matter how much the snubber is adjusted, and it may be better to remove it.
After the snubber, or right after the Dipsy Diver, Max uses an 8-9′ leader of 20lb fluorocarbon. The heavier line not only has great abrasion resistance and durability but also has a bit more floatation to it to help keep that bait up in the water column.
Max uses two different baits behind his Dipsy Divers depending on the bite: double willow crawler harnesses or shallow diving cranks in smelt patterns. Double willow harnesses are essentially a traditional short crawler harness with dual willow blades. Where a traditional crawler harness requires 1.2-1.3 mph, the double willow crawler harness can troll at 2.5mph allowing them to be ran next to crankbaits. Max will often run both of these baits simultaneously to let the fish tell him what they currently prefer.
When finding fish suspended out over basins, give Dipsy Divers a try. They’re a great tool for expanding anyone’s trolling capabilities!
