crankbait colors

[fishmarket]

on the Big V, what colors work best for smallies and walleyes?? Or is the better question what style of crankbait to use for each species?

[FishinCT]

personally I've never gone wrong with firetiger, but thats kind of everywhere, not just the V. I really like white on that lake as well, not necessarily on cranks, more for spinners. Seems to catch bass well and you get the occasional northern or muskie as well.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

When I fish for Smallies, which is not to often, I have had good luck using Fat Raps that have brown and green colors in them. Anything that resembles a Rusty Crayfish!

White, bone, and firetiger are also good choices.

Senko worms hooked wacky worm style has been the #1 producer for many bass fishermen the past couple of years.

Walleye cranks that have worked best for me are floating Raps size #7 or #9 in water up to 8' deep.

Shad Raps and Reef Runners for water up to 20'.

Colors change day by day.

Cliff

[muskieswen]

I am no expert by no means, but I used natural crayfish colors last year for smallies due to the fact that there are so many naturals and for walleyes I leaned more of the perch color, again due that there were so many baby perch around. Those colors worked great for me last year. I would assume they will work this year also unless the forage base changes.

[Mr. Pike1]

I think live bait is best on the big V for the eyes. However, I have had good success on perch number 5 and 7 shad raps.

Concerning smallies. Tubes, senko, and small crayfish coler joined shads

[SledNeck]

Dont forget when fishing around deeper structure that a husky jerk works well for smallies.

[guideman]

I do a lot of trolling for walleyes all summer in open water as deep as 35ft. It's a very much over looked presentation by most anglers. Perch and shad patterns are stone killers on Walleyes most of the time. My other choices are black/silver,

black/gold, blue/chrome and the clown. #8 and #9 shadraps, thunderstick's, reef runners and wally divers will all produce. You'll find you catch a much better average size walleye trolling than on livebait rigs.

For smallmouth earth tones, in reds, greens and browns are your best options, most of the time.

As for which baits there are a number of cranks that will fit the bill. Bandit series cranks, the fat free shads from Bomber, mann's Baby 1 minus is a killer when they are hitting the surface and don't forget the towater bite, popers, prop style lures, walk the dog lures the list goes on. Lucky craft fat cb's and skt mini's, husky jerks, fat raps, Baggley "B" series and don't forget rattle baits.

They will also hit a wide variety of plastics in a number of colors however, the two I can't live without are tubes and sencos. Crawfish colors are the best, but don't hesitate to experiment with a different color. Rocks, docks, shoreline breaks, points, reeds, weeds, saddles, islands with flats

adjacent to deep water and the list goes on.

"Ace"

[JBMasterAngler]

Nobody has mentioned the rattle trap yet! I go with 3/4 oz, perch and shad colors are you best options. The biggest pike, walleye, smallie, and white bass I caught last year was on a rattle trap. So if you don't have them in your tackle box, get them now!

[guideman]

Check my post, I did mention rattle baits. They work best after the water warms up, however they aren't that effective early in the season up here on Vermilion.

"Ace"

[delcecchi]

Do you use lead core or dipseys or threeways for deep trolling? Or something else? And is this a contour deal or deep flats or something?

[guideman]

Hey Del,

During the summer, Walleyes will suspend over the large fats adjacent to large mainlake stuctures.

They move up and down but rarely are deeper than 30ft. With all the great deep running cranks we have available now, you can generally long line for these fish. I use line counters so after we find what depth they are at, we just concentrate on that depth. Find the right lure that will run where you need it, fine tune your presentation to the fish and start banging the Walleyes.

Lead core is certainly another option and so are downriggers, however it can be done without them.

The right equipment is a must have to be on the fish consistanly. Trolling rods with linecounter reels, good electronics, and an understanding of the Walleyes seasonal movements are all a part of the puzzle. Trolling along the shoreline breaks and deep weed edges can also be very effective if you don't have the equipment to troll out in the main basin. The simple fact is it's a very under used presentation by most of the Walleye anglers on Lake Vermilion, and it produces a much better

average fish than livebait rigs most of the time.

[Mr. Pike1]

Another option if you are on the East End is to troll the rough waters of Big Bay with Rapala Tail Dancers or Reef Runners. The big ones in each of these will get you down there 20 feet by long lining like Ace stated. The Rapala Perch Tail Dancer can be a walleye killer and sometimes some big suspended smallies as well. This is when you get those pig 25-28" eyes on the big V. If you just want some eaters jig or lindy a wind blown point or underwater structure.

I have only been fishing the lake for 5 years since the inlaws got a cabin up there so the Pro's would know best due their experience and years on the water.

All that being said I am an avid fisherman and I have definatly learned lots on my own in those 5 years through trial and error. One thing I will say is that in my opionion Vermillion is an unbelievable small mouth fishery. It took me some time to figure things out on the East side. Now that I have put my time in, each time I am out it is a 25-50 small mouth fish day with many in the 18-20 inch class. My best success is plastics with a focus on Senko's, tubes, and mimmic minnows. I also have great success on small top waters, small Mepps spinners, and jointed shads in perch or orange and as menitioned the husky jerk and rattle trap have there place. I always try about 10 different presentations each trip out and always try to introduce a new presentation just to see. Plastics still produce 75% of my fish but one great technique is to toss some type of top water to a shaded calm water area and give a little twitch. Nothing like being in total solitude and water like glass and bam, spash, boom, Smallmouth on !!!!!!

Last year I also landed my first monster Musky. I posted a long detialed story on the battle. A 50 plus inch monster and it happend on one, yes one fateful cast.

Anyway I get up for a few 4 day weekends and always the second week of July as that is our Anniversay. Can't wait to hammer the smallies again this year. Looking to get that 22-25" football size smallie this year.

[fishmarket]

thanks everyone..some great input and advice!!!! Cant wait for June 9th when we will be there on the east end. By the way, how is the water level?? Any better than the last report??

[vermilionwally]

Ive always had good luck with brighter colors on vermilion since the water is pretty stained. Ive found that anything with orange does well.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The water levels are still very low!

Hopefully we will get a lot of rain before the opener.

Cliff