# Trolling for saugeye



## Cw_Angler_11

how do you guys like to troll for saugeye?


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## supersize

You gotta be in contact with the bottom, at least during daylight hours. I usually use 2 rods, and I have 1 bait just occasionally ticking bottom, and 1 bait really digging the bottom. At night, I would think planer boards to get the bait closer to shore, but I don't really fish alot at night. Any night fisherman out there?

Pete


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## Corey

Ditto what supersize says..........BOTTOM CONTACT!! Also try trolling at speeds higher than normal Walleye speeds. Sometimes we pass the Muskie trollers at Piedmont like they were standing still, and the speeds that those crazy Indian Lake trollers go is scary!!


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## boaterfisherdude

i like to run 2 inline PB's and 2 flatlin poles so i can get out 4 lines (when there r two of us). and the key to trolling is to duplicate. like one day, i was only getting hits on my PBs so put out 4 PBs, or if there hittin a certin size or color change ur other poles. when i first start out i run different style crankbaits and different colors and let the fish tell me what they want. i will continue to change lures untill i get fish. when i get a hit on one bait, i tie that bait onto another pole. i never run 4 of the same lures in the same color though. not all saugeyes want the same lure. also if ur trolling a school of fish and u catch some and then they quit, change ur lure colors or trolling speed, a lot of times u'll pick a couple more. happy trollin!!!


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## saugmon

> and the speeds that those crazy Indian Lake trollers go is scary!!


Hey corey, I'm one of those crazy Indian Lake saugeye trollers, LOL

You gotta bump the bottom.As long as you hit the bottom every now and then,then you're ok.

Match the lure's depth to the bottom of your lake. Firetiger/shad/and crawdad are hot colors for saugeye. Don't worry about how much line you let out. Saugeye are not afraid of prop wash and recreational craft. I've gotten them with as little as 7 yds of line released in 3 ft of water. 10 yds is about max for me,even though my Model A's are only suppose to dive to 4'.

I run 22' of line behind my planers. My bombers run about 4'- 5' deep at that yardage and spiderwire. I can put those lines right next to the bank and not worry too much about snags. Focus on rock points and dropoffs.


Speed of trolling can vary-per lures you are dragging. I prefer Model A's- B-02 size for the typical 6' depth of IL. 3 mph is most ideal-thanx to gps. Now rattletraps may need 3.5 mph or faster-all depending on your equipment.That'll be trial and error-depending on equipment.

Even rod action makes a difference. Those flimsier downrigger/planerboard rods don't catch many when I run them down the side.About a 10:1 ratio advantage for my salmon rods,vs the flimsier trolling rods-when run down the side.
But running my trolling rods off my planers-they kick some major saugeye butt.

My 2 side rods are stiff action, 8'6"-9' salmon/steelhead casting rods. Higher sensitivity,and better lure action. I can feel a 1" blade of grass on my bombers,trolling at 3 mph with those salmon rods-very/very sensitive!!!These saugeye are light biters,even when trolling spiderwire and short yardage. An 18" channel cat outfights a 3 lb saugeye most of the time.

You may have to make sharp turns,or straightaways. Even turning a certain direction can make a difference. Saugeye can be pretty weird.Their biting times are really screwy.You'll catch a few in a half hour,then nothing. It's like they swam a few miles away,but they're still down there. Find a hot spot in which you catch a couple,remember that spot.Hit that spot at every possible direction.They may hit 1 hour,and I may troll that spot 3 more times throughout the am-and a couple of hours later,get some more. 


Now's not a good time to troll IL for saugeye,unless you hit the deeper water. WT has skyrocketed. The mainlake saugeye all scattered,finding cover and cooler water. It's a totally different ballgame now. Between memorial day and 4th of july is peak trolling time.That is my time!!!!

20 mins before sunrise to 10 am is prime time. I've never caught a saugeye in complete darkness. Tried many times at 4 am,no hits until 5:45 am.


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## All Eyes

I would agree that the cardinal rule is keeping bottom contact. Whatever method you use to achive it. I use to let too much line out when I trolled with bottom bouncers and got hung up a lot as they ski along bottom as upposed to bouncing vertically. There is a lot to be said about the 45 degree angle rule. I think the common tendancy is to fish too far behind the boat to keep from spooking the fish, but it`s amazing how close to the boat saugeye can be caught at times.


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## Cw_Angler_11

Thanks for the info everybody


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## saugmon

No problemo Cw_Angler_11

What body of water are you trying to troll for saugeye? :T


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## Cw_Angler_11

Inidan lake probably the next time we have the boat up there


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## saugmon

At IL, you'll probably want to stick to the dream bridge area-where it's deeper.

I haven't seen any good reports on trolling for saugeye there lately. From what I have witnessed,casting from the bank looks more productive. I'll be up at moundwood later. Gotta take the gf and her 3 kids up there fishing. Hopefully I'll get a saugeye or 2?

I'll get the trolling gere ready for the fall.


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## bigcfisher

i troll like i do walleye, except my lures are smaller


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## RiparianRanger

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## RiparianRanger

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