Now let out as much additional line as necessary to reach a targeted trolling depth. Switch to a heavier sinker. Reel in until the sinker is within reach, then pinch it off your line and drop it in the boat. Open water trolling for suspended fish taught anglers that walleyes could be caught tight to the bottom. Run snap weights near bottom, or switch to three-way rigs or bottom bouncers to make lures or baits run just above bottom.
Bouncers run the closest, while three-ways are adjustable by varying dropper length.
Remember, anything more than 3 ounces can sink a planer board, though heavier weights can be used without boards for fishing on or near bottom with vertical lines, to cover many productive zones. Trolling large open water expanses has recently been applied to some areas that previously would not have been attempted with amazing results. This summer don t keep pounding the shoreline in hopes of catching a few fish when you have all of that open water to troll.