Choosing the Right Weight for Presenting Your Spinner

Throughout the course of the year, Walleyes can be caught trolling spinners in a multitude of different scenarios.  Whether you are targeting Walleyes in the weeds, over open water, or along rocky structures, spinners have become one of the most reliable methods of putting Walleyes in the boat throughout the warm water months.  Understanding the many different weight options available will help you pick the proper weight for the job!

The first weight option we will discuss is the no weight or split shot method.  This option is most commonly used in very shallow waters. (Less than six feet)  This method is your best bet when trolling over the tops of weeds since it allows you to dictate the depth your spinner will run above the weeds.  Changing your depth back by only a few feet can make a major difference, many times short leads are your best bet since you will be constantly tending lines to remove weeds.  The split shot method can also be used in open water when fish are very high in the water column.  This method works great in extremely clear waters, since all the flash from above will trigger an active Walleye to race up and grab your spinner!

Another very popular weight option is the inline weight, which can also be known as bead chains or keel weights.  Inline weights come in several different shapes and sizes, which allow an angler to cover any depth desired.  The inline weight attaches to your line ahead of the spinner, which is generally 4’-6’ from your spinner.  This option works great in open water situations where a specific depth is being targeted.  The inline weight also works best in waters that aren’t crystal clear, as the weight is fairly close to the spinner.  Inlines are often used in calm to moderate wind situations, as noticeable surge occurs during rough seas which can compromise your spinner’s appearance.  Inline spinners are a great all around weight to use for open water trolling when suspended fish are being targeted.

Snap weights have become another handy weight option to have in your arsenal.  Snap weights are added onto your line wherever you choose to snap them on.  Anglers typically run 20’ - 40’ of line before snapping their weight on and then running more line out.  These weights work great in rough conditions, as the weight will lift and fall during surges, which allows the spinner to remain at a fairly steady pace.  Snap weights are also a deadly method to use when fishing extremely clear water.  Since the weight is added to your presentation a distance away from the spinner, fish don’t tend to spook as easily as they would with other weights near the spinner.  

Snap weights work best in open water situations or while fishing suspended in the water column, as they can be tough to keep at a specific depth when trolling structure.  As you make minor turns to follow a contour or run over a hump, your inside lines will slow down, which causes your spinner to drop in the water column; this often leads to your spinner making contact with the bottom.  On the Great Lakes, this typically results in Gobies making a meal of your spinner, many times without you knowing it.

Bottom bouncers have been around for ages, and for good reason.  These weights work great when, you guessed it, targeting fish on the bottom!  A bottom bouncer allows you to contact the bottom without having your spinner drag bottom and snag up constantly.  Bottom bouncers come in many different sizes and can be used in all depth ranges when targeting fish near bottom.  Bottom bouncers also work well when running flat lines, since you can very easily adjust them as the depth changes to maintain the proper depth of your spinner.  Bottom bouncers can also be used when trolling emerging weeds and in shallow water situations early in the year. 

The final option for pulling spinners is the pencil weight.  Pencil weights are typically used for rigging or single rod applications. (Not for trolling planer boards)  A pencil weight can be attached inline by the use of a clevis, or even used on a three way rig to keep your presentation higher in the water column.  This presentation works best in rivers and dirty water contour trolling scenarios since you are usually fishing rod in hand.  Having the weight rigged on your line allows you to feed fish line before setting the hook which makes a huge difference during cold front conditions.  Using pencil weights on a three way rig works really well when targeting Walleyes in current situations as your dropper length places the spinner in a precise location near bottom where the fish are feeding. 

As you can see, there are plenty of options when it comes to weighing your spinner down to get to the fish, understanding which weight is your best bet for specific scenarios will certainly put more fish in the boat!  The next time you pull out your spinners, make the most of your day by selecting the proper weight for the job!

How To Keep Your Minnows Alive This Winter

Winters in the Midwest can be brutal, especially when it comes to keeping bait alive.  Just a few hours of sitting out in the elements can change a bucket full of lively minnows into a deadly tomb of ice.  There are however, a few ways of preventing lifeless, frozen minnow buckets.

For starters, it is important to make sure that the minnows have plenty of water.  Standard styrofoam minnow pails are usually too small and do not hold enough water during the winter months.  A five gallon pail has more room for a sufficient amount of water during the winter.  The color of the pail should also be considered in the winter.  A black pail with a black lid is ideal in the winter since the sun will act as a heater on the black pail during the day, preventing the water from freezing even in the coldest of conditions.  A black pail with a styrofoam liner would be ideal, providing the styrofoam liner was nearly as tall as the pail.

Today there are many buckets with built in battery powered aerators attached to them.  While these buckets work great, you have to also realize that you can buy quite a few minnows for the cost of these high tech minnow buckets!  Generally your minnows will be just fine during a day of ice fishing as long as you change the water a couple of times, make sure they don't freeze up, and also don't have too many minnows in a bucket.

Once returning home from a day on the ice immediately removing any dead minnows from the bucket and placing an aerator into the bucket will give your minnows a fighting chance at staying alive until your next voyage onto the ice. When dead minnows remain in your bucket, they continue to break down, which causes the water quality to decline which in turn put more stress on the remaining minnows and will kill the weaker ones.  A simple pet store aerator pump and a few of the larger air stones are all that you need to keep you bucket filled with sufficient oxygen for your minnows.

Keeping your minnows in an insulated garage is ideal, as the temperature should remain just above freezing for most of the winter.  If you do not have this convenience, it may be necessary to bring your bucket inside daily to allow the ice build up to melt.  When doing this, make sure not to let the minnows warm up too much, as the temperature swing can cause them to die as well.

Another key to keeping minnows alive in the winter between fishing trips is to change the water every couple days using non tap water.  Sump pit water works well, as does well water.  Regular tap water may be used, just be sure to add a de-chlorinating solution that you would use for a fish tank.  Once you have added the proper amount of solution, you must then set the water outside to allow to cool to the temperature of the water that the minnows are currently occupying.

There are also several products available that will help keep your minnows lively.  Bait Saver products balance the water your minnows are in, lower minnow stress, provide the minnows with an extra protective slime coat, any may even add electrolytes which are known to keep minnows lively.

With a little extra effort and a good understanding of the needs of your minnows, you should have no problem extending the life of your next batch of minnows!  It may take a little extra work, but with the price of minnows these days it is more than worth it!