# Crankbaits for Walleye



## bobby (Aug 1, 2005)

Does anyone have a preference among the myriad of choices available? Rapala, Reefrunner, Storm, etc? Also, what colors do you start with? Or this there a "first color choice" you always use? Is firetiger always productive?

Thanks for your input!

Bobby


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## ka4iqd (Mar 18, 2006)

First let me say I'm not a walleye fisherman. I've been a few times and would like to do more but I don't have the boat for it.

With that said, when I've gone we've caught almost all our walleye trolling small rapala floating/diving minnows in basic black back, silver sides. I did catch quite a few one day on a baby bass pattern rebel floater/diver after hanging up my last rapala. We trolled along sharp rocky dropoffs. Tried casting the same lures when we would catch a fish trolling but apparently they weren't running deep enough or something so we gave that up and have done all the fishing trolling since.

Again, take it for what it's worth. No more than I've been walleye fishing it could have just been flukes. Also, we never caught any over about four pounds or so although we have caught a lot of them.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

it really depends on how you are fishing, casting, i'd go with a husky jerk or other jerk baits. trolling, it's hard to beat a hot n tot. other choices are mepps spinner and night crawler,cc shads, ect.


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## BlueMarlin (Mar 20, 2006)

My fav. is the Wally Diver in firetiger,perch and shad colors. Water clarity usually determines what color i try first. ex. clear, use darker color, murky use bright color. Thats what i go by its worked for me, but thats just me.


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

Bobby,

Where do you do most of your walleye fishing? On Lake Erie longer profile baits (smelt imitators) like Reefrunners, Deep Husky Jerks, etc. tend to work better (not that Hot n Tots won't work). On inland lakes I'd lean towards shorter Rapala Shad Raps (SR7) or Reefrunner Ripshads that imitate smaller forage/shad. Both types will cross over at times-this is just a rule of thumb.

Tim


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

My favorite inland walleye crank is a the old style black and chrome Hot-n-Tot. 
Blue and chrome is up there as well as the firetiger and perch colors. I like the Shad Raps too.


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## Spawnwalker (Mar 14, 2006)

I have found that in cold water the longer, slow wobble baits work. Then when the water warms up the smaller, tighter wobble baits work better. Then experiment with color. Bright day, cloudy day, dirty water, clean water, etc.... Hope this helps. :T


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## Corey (Apr 5, 2004)

Favorites are great and it's hard not to form opinions based on past failures and successes but,.....I try very hard not to prejudge what the fish will want on a given day. One failing that I see over and over in anglers who come into the shop, no matter what species they target, is the habit of always wanting the fish to bite their way rather than trying to figure out the most productive presentation for the immediate situation. As an example, look at the Pro ranks. Some Pros seem to be competitive nearly all the time. These anglers have developed the ability to figure out what is happening below the surface and adapt their presentations to the situation. Others kick butt if the fish are biting on what they usually use, but don't do well on a consistent basis. I fished with a man for a long time who had a system that drove me crazy at first. He remains one of the best anglers I have ever seen. If he caught a couple of fish on a certain lure or bait, he would immediately remove that lure/bait, and begin to try to find something that the fish "wouldn't " bite on. Many time this showed us that it didn't matter at all at that particular time what, as far as color, size, etc., what we used, that the fish were simply on a feed and whatever we would use would do the job. Other times this process would allow us to hone in on minor differences in depth, color, size, speed, etc., that, when recorded along with the variables of weather, water color, season, etc., would allow us to successfully repeat presentations on future trips that we probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.


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## bobby (Aug 1, 2005)

"The Fish Whisperer" - that's just awesome!
Anyway, I will be trolling both in the Western Basin and inland lakes. Mostly I'm trying to put a "starter kit" together for myself. I buy a lure or two evry time I go to the store. Hard to drop money all at once, as it does get steep. I have purchased a variety of items since December, including some shad wraps, vibes, jigs, plastics, etc. I have a few rapalas, and a storm lure or two. The next time I stop at the stor (probably this Friday), it would be nice to pick up one or two more. From what I've read (Walleye Insider/Csanda's Walleye Book/etc) it seems as if the longer more slender baits (Ripsticks/Husky Jerks) are more productive on Erie, where as Shad Wraps and the like are better suited for inland lakes. What I read isn't the same, though, as what a plethora of other anglers have found to be productive/successful. So I guess I'm just trying to spoge all the information I can.

Bobby


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## heyjay (Mar 22, 2005)

My favorite is the Storm Hot-n-Tot , silver bottom blue top and the red lip .

My largest walleye , largemouth and smallie were all caught on this lure . So it will always be a top shelf bait in my opinion .


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## walleye1951 (Mar 14, 2006)

I Was Just Looking At The Lake Erie Forum And Blue Dolpin Posted They Were Using Reef Runners.wanted To Get A Couple For Trolling But There Is 17 Colors And 2 Sizes.would You Think The 3 1/2 Or 4 3/4 Is Better And If I Was Only Going To Buy 4 What Color Would I Get This Time Of The Year.


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

There is actually well over 100 colors of Reefrunners! With no possible way to have all of them I like to have basic colors in pairs, threes, or even fours (if it's a favorite). Break it down the selection process into groups of colors. 

1) Natural colors-both dark and light (ranging from Mud Minnow to Mooneye Minnow). 
2) Bright colors (Firetiger, Bubblegum, etc)
3) Chromes (Gold shiner, Cheap Sunglasses, Copperhead).

Different baits work under different conditions. Light levels, water clarity and other factors determine what they "want" most at any given time. Dark colors or brights contrast better in stained/muddy water. In clear water naturals such as Mooneye tend to work better. The colors I mentioned above would be a good starting point in the "800" Series (full size deep diving). Add Purple Demon, Eriedescent, and Blue Hawiian. You can go overboard on cranks especially colorwise (I have 300+ Reefrunners) but a good selection will allow you to have an effective presentation in a variety of conditions. Remember that there are more important factors in a trolling presentation than color.

Tim


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## walleye1951 (Mar 14, 2006)

Thanks For The Info Tim.going To Pro Bass Today And See What They Have.


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

Here's a link to Reefrunner's site. Great reference chart:

http://www.reefrunner.com/images/colors.jpg


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## walleye1951 (Mar 14, 2006)

Thanks For The Web Site.pro Bass Only Had A Couple Colors In The 800 Series.if I Cant Find Any In The Port Clinton Area This Weekend When I Put The Boat In I Will Order A Few From The Site
Thanks Again


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

I posted a report with a pic of the hot crankbait on my last visit to the big lake. Did you see it?


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## walleye1951 (Mar 14, 2006)

Did Not See Your Post.have Just Been In The Ogf For A Month .always Looking For Some Good Lures To Use On Lake Erie.just Starting To Learn How To Troll So Every Little Bit Will Help
Will Search The Forums To See If I Can Find It


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## ezmarc (Apr 6, 2004)

Most big chain stores only sell standard colors. If you want enough colors to make your head spin then while in Port Clinton stop in at Happy Hooker over by the reefs or at Fishermans Wharf in Port Clinton. HiWay is still closed but they have a large color selection as well.

There are also great selections at Cranberry, Dens, & Dave's in the Vermilion area and Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake/Avon. Den also has seconds that will save you a couple bucks per lure. nothing wrong with them other than a minor paint issues.


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