# Anybody pulling meat?



## bigscott (May 6, 2015)

Going to fish Wednesday just don't know what I'm starting with, cranks, spoons, harness? Thanks for any help.


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## Overwatchmike (Mar 16, 2013)

Run half and half around 1.8 and see what the fish want. Guys are still pulling cranks but I've heard a few reports of fish on harnesses


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## rnewman (Mar 25, 2013)

Had only seen one report where someone caught fish with worm harness last week.That was by Kcan and think it was all those hungry small walleye chasing anything.Last season we did not switch over to worm harness till mid May.With all this wind and cold front moving in don't expect water temp to increase.Water temp may even decrease after this blow.I would start with cranks and make sure to use some with orange belly.That color has been working well up to this blow.


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## Outta Control (Aug 10, 2016)

rnewman said:


> Had only seen one report where someone caught fish with worm harness last week.That was by Kcan and think it was all those hungry small walleye chasing anything.Last season we did not switch over to worm harness till mid May.With all this wind and cold front moving in don't expect water temp to increase.Water temp may even decrease after this blow.I would start with cranks and make sure to use some with orange belly.That color has been working well up to this blow.


Cranks were hot last week stick with em


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

Wee caught 4 of our 6 this past Wed. on harnesses. No spikes - all 20-24".


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## Habitual Eyer (May 22, 2006)

we ran up to the chute between middle and north bass last Thursday (almost died coming home but that's another story)...everyone up there was crawling at a mile/hr or less pulling meat. Friday at reef complex we struggled to get cranks going (I dont know why..everyone else was cleaning up..was frustrating for us). Had it to do over I would have slowly pulled some bright florescent blades/harnesses in the bottom third of water column in the 20 ft water North of Locust.


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## adamrichard (Oct 8, 2014)

Hell yeah.


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

All info from last week, but out of the 6 or so boats fishing that I knew of, one was pulling meat. He had one good day where I will say he outfished the other 5 boats pulling cranks. Otherwise his catches were less. 

If I were to head out, I would start with cranks, but have the crawler gear in the boat with a bunch of worms. 

We did tip all of our cranks which seemed to help.


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## MikeG1 (Jul 25, 2009)

Last Th. and Fri. I punched 2 tickets pulling bandits. It seemed like the skinny water....10 - 15 feet in front of Bessie was best. The fish were shallow. We spent too much time deep.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

try cranks on one side and harnesses on the other. run about 1.6 with Colorado blades and see what the fish want.
sherman


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## ItsAboutTime (Mar 19, 2015)

Was fishing off of North Bass last week. We ended up catching some keepers WITHOUT any blades, just beads at 1.5 and right on the bottom. The guys I was with were from S. Dakota and that's what they do sometimes out there. Can't really explain it but it worked.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Locust area has been hot. Most guys seem to be working that 10-15 fow. Friday we took 23 in about 2 hours on bandits 35'-55' back at 1.9mph. It was a frkn circus. We were in 17-20 fow. I ran over from the f can area, and stopped about 2 miles short of the combat fishing. Didn't have lines set for 5 minutes when we hooked up on a double. Bite stop as soon as we would hit 20 fow. As long as the lure had yellow or gold in it caught fish. Good luck, cranks have been the hot ticket, but if your thing is crawlers, they will bite them too. We saw 57.5 degrees before we left that area. That bite over there will start to peter out shortly, so don't be afraid of looking around. Kelly's should be going right now, as well as the other islands.


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## Ten Percent-er (Feb 10, 2014)

last week pulled 4 limits (16 eyes each) pulling cranks...All limits taken by 9:30 am (at the latest). 1 day limited w/16 by 8:30. 15 fow was magic all week. started doing better @ 2.2-2.3 mph, even in the choclate milk one day. Purples, whites, orange & silver or gold (if sunny) were best colors for us... but like the others have already said, perhaps bring worms/blades too


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

Pulled one rod with harness this afternoon for trial. Wow did the trophy sheepshead attack the worm harness. Walleyes never had a chance to grab it.


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## moke (Feb 25, 2008)

I starting to run cranks tipped with crawler last week. I try and hold out as long as I can because of the mess they make. But they work..


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## Greenhead (Jul 9, 2012)

moke said:


> I starting to run cranks tipped with crawler last week. I try and hold out as long as I can because of the mess they make. But they work..


Moke,
A friend of mine runs his cranks tipped with a piece of crawler in the summer months. Do you notice an increase in bites when you use the crawlers?

Thanks,
Justin


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## kmv480etec (May 20, 2014)

As a rule of thumb, I run cranks less than 60 degrees and late summer. Crawlers 60 and above


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

I run cranks year around. Last couple of years, I have only pulled spinners a couple of times, due to all the little mib walleye, and the junk. If I am at Lorain and east, I am more apt to pull crawlers. Moke, do you clean your crawlers before taking them in the boat? I do and it makes all the difference. Tipping cranks with meat, has always been an early year trick for me. Speeds are getting up past 1.8mph, and I think it is more of a reaction bite at this point. But hey, it is all about what you are comfortable doing. If crawlers are your thing more power to you. I have favored cranks more the last couple of years, this year we may get back to the way of the worm. We shall see.


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## Spike Dog (Mar 13, 2015)

Fishhogg - What's the deal with cleaning your night crawlers? Thanks


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## Lunderful (Aug 8, 2014)

Spike Dog said:


> Fishhogg - What's the deal with cleaning your night crawlers? Thanks


Probably just washing the dirt off of them to keep it out of the boat. We take a coffee can with us and put a little water in it. Drop in 6 or 8 crawlers at a time when using harnesses. The water knocks off the dirt so it doesn't end up all over the deck.


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## MikeG1 (Jul 25, 2009)

Add a little ice and I believe it "plumps them up." ..or so it seems to me.


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## Hookm n cookm (Apr 2, 2013)

Lunderful said:


> Probably just washing the dirt off of them to keep it out of the boat. We take a coffee can with us and put a little water in it. Drop in 6 or 8 crawlers at a time when using harnesses. The water knocks off the dirt so it doesn't end up all over the deck.


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## Hookm n cookm (Apr 2, 2013)

Lunderful said:


> Probably just washing the dirt off of them to keep it out of the boat. We take a coffee can with us and put a little water in it. Drop in 6 or 8 crawlers at a time when using harnesses. The water knocks off the dirt so it doesn't end up all over the deck.


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## Hookm n cookm (Apr 2, 2013)

2x on the coffee can lunderful. Do the same think. Remember when i was younger and grandpa you tose his beer can in there on mistake. They really plumped up then lol


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## Hookm n cookm (Apr 2, 2013)

Sorry about the 2 quote post. JR go ahold of the phone


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## KPI (Jun 4, 2011)

Check out keep kool box we can put three dozen worms in it and the ice will stay all day works well http://www.cabelas.com/product/Keep-Kool-Live-Bait-Cooler/1345203.uts


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## Habitual Eyer (May 22, 2006)

I like buying the ones already bedded in paper..if not I use strainer to separate from dirt and then repack in paper..keeps boat a lot cleaner. I use a small six pack cooler with attached lid. Fill it up with artificial bedding, and usually line the bottom first with zip lock back packed with ice. Works very well.


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## Lucky Touch Charters (Jun 19, 2011)

I would consider meet to be more a factor around Kelly's or East of there. Those fish are migrating and are getting into a late spring/summer pattern. The fish around the reefs and cans are still on fire for cranks. When a good crank bait bite is going there is no need to mess with crawlers.


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## BrianSipe17 (Aug 5, 2006)

MikeG1 said:


> Add a little ice and I believe it "plumps them up." ..or so it seems to me.


Cold water always made my worm smaller. Interesting


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

BrianSipe17 said:


> Cold water always made my worm smaller. Interesting


Shrinkage? as George would say...


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## honey (Oct 13, 2006)

Buy a six pack cooler from wal mart the plastic one with the cloth outside and the carry strap they are like 6 bucks. They have the zip on the top to put a small freezer pack in. With a pack they stay cool all day. Fill the bottom with damp uncolored newspaper wash the worms and throw em in. After fishing put em in the fridge with the top slightly open they live fine for a full month


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## ol yank (Feb 25, 2009)

I like to add a little Budweiser to the cleaning solution. We accidentally spilled a can one time on our worm rag. Those worms outfished everyone else's in the boat.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Spike Dog said:


> Fishhogg - What's the deal with cleaning your night crawlers? Thanks


I take a 5 gal plastic bucket. Styrofoam bait bucket. 1st part pretty simple, put water in the plastic bucket to clean the worms. Put 3" of clean water in the styrofoam bait bucket, after cleaning the worms drop them in the clean water in the sf bait bucket. After all worms are cleaned (I usually do 12 dozen)and in the sf bait bucket, take a small bag of ice and break it up completely, NO big chunks. Pour that in on top of the water/worms in the sf bait bucket, add a little more water, not a lot. Put back in the 5 gallon bucket. Do this the night before you go fishing, the crawlers will absorb that cold water and they will be thick, and lively. Best of all no worm dirt/moss/paper bedding in the boat. I also buy one of the Plano tackle box lid for 5 gallon buckets. I keep my keel weights and blades in the top of that. You get a plastic worm cooler with tackle box in the top. Keep the lids on and it will keep ice all day. Get back that night, clean up more crawlers, drop them in, pour out some the water, add ice and all is good. Make sure you do not have any ice chunks in the cooler. Break it up until they are cubed. If you don't those chunks of ice will turn those beautiful crawlers into worm puree the first run you make in the morning. Not a good thing. It is a little involved, but best way I have found to keep crawlers healthy and alive. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Oh yea, one other trick. If you are keeping crawlers after the trip, take them out of ice water and put them on newspaper, roll them around, and get all the excess water off of them before putting them back in your worm bedding. You don't want your bedding to wet.


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## Spike Dog (Mar 13, 2015)

I'll be darned...
That is a great description, thanks.
I'm going to try that here in a few weeks.


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

I always soak my crawlers the night before I am going to use them. Icy cold water and they stay clean, fat and firm. I learned that from Mr Walleye himself. Gary Roach.


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## bigscott (May 6, 2015)

what kind of fisherman are you guys scared of a little dirt? nonsense,maybe try golf! lol


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## KPI (Jun 4, 2011)

Don't mind dirt hate cleaning the boat !!!!!!!


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## joebertin (Mar 26, 2010)

I bring a worm box with shredded newspaper and ice. Rinse the crawlers, and throw them in the worm box.

Eliminates most of the mess, as the newspaper blows out of the boat on the way back to the dock.


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## jimski2 (Jul 23, 2010)

*Fellows I know who do 120 trips a year use only stick baits and side planers from a mast with double boards. Bigger sticks for contest fish, smaller sticks for good eaters. Bigger boards to take the lines farther from the boat and less trash fish to clear from the lines. They are always in the money, that's it.*


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## Gator-Bait (Feb 3, 2005)

got harness ready for one side and bandits for the other and bottom bouncers for out the back taking wife she is expecting me to get her into some walleyes!!!! I gave up spring summer fishing because I did extremely well ice fishing... No ICE last two years.... Its been so long I wonder what a walleye taste like....but kahki and clowns on one side.... with next crawler harnesses on the other... haven't decided on color probly start fire tiger unless I hear something working better or gold... if not wonder what deep fried crawlers taste like........


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## Fishtank133 (Feb 19, 2012)

Snakecharmer said:


> Shrinkage? as George would say...



Shaking hands radically..." I WAS IN THE POOL!!"


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## bigscott (May 6, 2015)

Hey thanks every one for the reply. GOOD LUCK


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