Whether you are walking through the local tackle store, ordering baits online, or even scrolling your social media feed you’ll encounter hundreds, if not thousands, of baits you can utilize for trolling crankbaits for walleyes. So many baits yet you can only tie on one to each rod at a time, how do you decide? The most efficient anglers select baits based on three criteria: profile, size and color. Take a deep dive into how these components factor into your bait selection and you’ll spend less time tying new baits and more time catching fish!
Profile
The first component to consider when selecting crankbaits for trolling would be the profile of the bait. Generally speaking, crankbaits will fall into a “shad” or “minnow” profile. This is truly as simple as it sounds, shad style baits mimic shad while minnow style profiles mimic baitfish such as minnows, smelt, herring/ciscoe, shiners, or darters.
Textbook shad style bait examples would be the Rapala Shad Rap, Berkley Flicker Shad, and other variations. Great examples of minnow style baits include the Rapala Tail Dancer, Berkley Flicker Minnow, and the Walleye Nations Creations Reaper. Alternative baits, such as the Salmo Hornet, don’t fit these categories as well as these more textbook examples. Baits such as these offer a slightly different profile and action, in fact Salmo Hornets do an excellent job resembling juvenile white bass.
If the predominant forage of the fishery you are on is gizzard shad, white bass, or bluegill the most successful way to replicate these baitfish would be with a shad profile. Contrary to this fishery, a system that features yellow perch, smelt, shiners, or herring/ciscoe would be better suited for a minnow profile.
More complex fisheries, where multiple prey species may be targeted by walleyes results in the need for more diversity in crankbait selection as well. Vary your profiles initially to determine what preybase walleyes are keying on, once you’ve found the best profile you can then dive deeper into size and ultimately color.
Size
Once you’ve determined the best profile that walleyes are keying on, the next step is to determine the size of the bait to put down. Generally speaking, in the spring the majority of the bait in the system is going to be relatively large, this is because the spring spawns haven’t been completed yet and it is primarily age-1 baitfish.
That being said, gizzard shad fisheries such as Lake Francis Case and Lake Sharpe may not have much for bait in the system overall because gizzard shad experience high mortality in cold temperatures. For the sake of discussion, early spring generally has less, but larger bait fish in the system.
As summer progresses, there will then be an influx of small baitfish as spring spawns continue. At this time, smaller baits such as a #4 or #5 are often the best ways to resemble this young forage. As summer progresses, this forage will continue to grow and in turn you will want to bump up your sizes often to a #6 or #7.
Gizzard shad fisheries can complicate this strategy a bit because gizzard shad will continue to spawn throughout the summer months meaning there will be a variety of sizes for gizzard shad available in the system, this makes experimentation with size even more important. Likewise, fisheries such as Lake Oahe that may feature larger baits such as ciscoe/lake herring may lead to the selection of #9 and #11 size minnow profiles throughout the vast majority of the season. Always continue to experiment with size in these situations to find what the walleyes are keying on.
Color
Once the correct profile has been identified, then the correct size, it is now ultimately time to focus on color. Too many anglers get so wrapped up in the color of their baits and neglect to consider the other elements of their bait selection. At this point, angler preference really comes into play but there are elements that can matter based on specific waterbodies.
For example, in the late spring/early summer of 2020 I identified color trends of 50 walleyes caught over a one month period on the same stretches of Lake Sharpe. Of these 50 fish, 94% were caught on various shades of purple or blue. Generally speaking, blue and purple are popular colors on the Missouri River reservoirs in South Dakota and the data supported this trend.
When it comes to color selection, I focus on these specific shades and then dial in from there. For example, if purple has been the top producer I will put down a few variations of this color. While for many baits this requires going to different brands i.e. a Purpledescent Shad Rap and a Purple Tiger Flicker Shad, this is where custom colors come into play.
Ordering custom colors through Beech’N Baits, I’m able to select a wide variety of color hues and patterns and still be able to stay with the exact bait I know is working. I also feel this allows me to really dial in color selection and turn a “good” day into a “great” day. Being able to select both the color scale, specific hue, and pattern I’m ultimately able to give fish exactly what they are looking for.
When it comes to trolling crankbaits, the most successful anglers are going to recognize that when it comes to bait selection they need to consider the profile, size, and then ultimately the color of the baits that they put down. There are a wide variety of options available at your local tackle shop and the world of custom colors has exploded across the fishing industry, but the savviest anglers know exactly what they are looking for when it comes to selecting crankbaits for trolling.
Customize Your Crankbait Fishing
If you’re looking to customize your crankbait fishing, check out Beech’N Baits. Carlee does an excellent job and offers a wide variety of colors and can also create specific patterns as well! Whether you’re looking to dial in a specific color, diversify your tackle box, or revive a discontinued favorite color Carlee has something for you!
Official Photographer of Lip Ripper Fishing
All the photos from this article are credited to Allie Ellingson Photography + Design. Allie is the official photographer of Lip Ripper Fishing. In addition to photography, Allie offers design and branding for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re looking for top-notch design or photos, Allie has you covered!
