Trolling Archives - MidWest Outdoors

Dan Gapen Sr. with a peacock bass taken on the Flick Fly in the Amazon River.

Anne Orth with a salmon caught off Waukegan in Lake Michigan.

The Tale of a Fishing Innovation that Entices ‘em All: Part Three

Dan Gapen /

Mar 1, 2017

“Bobber” Anne and I had already realized that our new creation was a winner. Not just on rough fish, as […]

Cory Yarmuth with a nice pair of post-spawn walleyes that were fooled by spinner rigs.

A nice walleye caught on a crankbait.

Spring Walleyes: Trolling for the Golden Fighters

Cory Yarmuth /

Mar 1, 2017

Walleyes and spring have always been synonymous. It just seems that the change in the season from the bitter cold […]

The rod holder at the front of the boat should be pointed up high, the next should be at a medium level and the back one should be pointed just above the water. This setup gives the rod tips separation, reducing the chance of tangles.

Without planer boards we wouldn’t be able to effectively spread out our lines and cover a larger area of water.

Trolling Tricks: Down and Out for Walleyes

Parsons Kavajecz /

Jan 1, 2017

Football and walleye fishing are two of our passions, and there are a lot of common themes and strategy between […]

Martin attaches a Church Tackle Stern Planer to leadcore line. Photo: David A. Rose

Mark Martin and a nice walleye caught on a warm fall day while trolling a Rapala Husky Jerk behind planer boards. Photo: David A. Rose

Trolling Late in the Season

Mark Martin /

Nov 1, 2016

Before the walleye season starts, the options for fishing them are anything but plentiful. In spring, the bite is limited […]

Troll Like You have Four-wheel Drive in your Boat: Efficient Boat Control Easier than Ever

Ted Takasaki /

Oct 1, 2016

Trolling can be a very effective and efficient technique for finding fish and covering water, especially when faced with a […]

Stop Mindlessly Towing and Start Really Trolling

Mark Martin /

Sep 1, 2016

Overall, the tactic that anglers employ the most is trolling. It’s the technique used by more professional tournament angers, charter […]

Walleyes on the Rocks with a Splash of Water

Ted Takasaki /

Aug 1, 2016

You can order a drink on the rocks or straight up at any tavern. That’s exactly the choice we have […]

Catching Walleyes in a ‘Snap’

Jason Mitchell /

Aug 1, 2016

Trolling patterns that cover water and break down big locations with crankbaits often seem to dominate the walleye scene come […]

Stern ‘Planing’: A Creative New Twist on Trolling

Mark Martin /

Jul 1, 2016

a MidWest Outdoors exclusive The pressure was on to catch fish. I was fishing with people with high expectations. They […]

Flowing Water ‘Eyes

Mark Martin /

Jul 1, 2016

Target walleyes in late summer with simple trolling tactics Overlooked? Yep. Under-fished? You bet. Out of sight, out of mind? […]

While big-profile lures like these are suited for fall trolling patterns, they can produce great results early in the season too. Photo: Roger Cormier

Goin’ Big Early on Lake of the Woods Pays Off

Roger Cormier /

Jun 1, 2016

I’ve been fishing on Lake of the Woods for over 30 years. This magnificent body of water has yielded many […]

Tom Neustrom with a 'Rap'-music walleye.

‘Rap’ Music 101: Mastering an Offbeat Walleye Presentation

Tom Neustrom /

Jun 1, 2016

It never fails to amaze me how many baits flood the market each year, but how few become enduring fish […]

Mark Brumbaugh and Open-water Trolling Techniques

Rick Fowler /

May 1, 2016

I’m one of those guys who can listen for hours to fishing stories and advice; it doesn’t matter who’s telling […]

Now through Summer, Troll up Suspended Crappies

John Andrew /

May 1, 2016

Trolling for suspended crappies before they spawn has been working for decades down in the South, in southern Illinois, […]

Finding the Rainbow (or Steelhead) Connection

Mike Schoonveld /

May 1, 2016

If you are like many people fishing Lake Michigan the last couple of years, your results for catching king salmon […]

Planer Boards are Key to Trolling

Lee Haasch /

Apr 1, 2016

Boat launches are once again bustling with activity along the bay and the Lakeshore. If you were like me, you […]

Underwater photo of a big Northern Pike (Esox Lucius).

Carp will eyeball the bait, and even the angler.

Eye of the Gamefish

Dan Gapen /

Apr 1, 2016

New underwater observations suggest that gamefish of many species take a good long look, from multiple angles, before deciding whether […]

Open-water Sauger Bonanza

Mike Cyze /

Jan 1, 2016

Here we are once again in the month of January of another new year. While many anglers that love to […]

Kenneth Kieser with a plump winter walleye.

Unpressured Winter Walleyes are There for the Catching

Kenneth L. Kieser /

Dec 1, 2015

Veteran walleye anglers love to bundle up in warm clothing and go fishing while most are watching television. Through the […]

Mining the Depths: Power of Pulling Leadcore

Joe Henry /

Jun 1, 2015

From a very early age, I started trolling crankbaits. Growing up, my favorite crankbait was an 11-S floating Rapala. This black and silver floating crank would catch so many fish that the balsa wood would get destroyed and only the wire holding the three treble hooks together held the lure together.