Depth control is necesary when trolling for walleye because depth control allow you to place the lure where the walleye are feeding. If you dont have a means of controlling the depth of the lure, you will not be able to know where the lure is in the water column. If you dont know where the lure is, you cannot ensure that it is within the strike zone for the walleye.
The Wally Diver allows you to reach specific depth (such as a thermocline in the summer or a rock edge in the spring). Thus, by using the Wally Diver you can fish with intention because it will ensure that the lure pass through the strike zone for the walleye rather than relying on luck to find the fish. Additionally, the diameter of the fishing line will affect the depth of the Wally Diver.
How to Use a Wally Diver to Control Depth
The deeper that the line is, the more resistance it will create against the diving lip of the Wally Diver. Thus, a light line will allow the Wally Diver to reach depths that are more further from the boat, and a heavier line will cause the Wally Diver to remain at depths that are more nearer to the boat. This is important because walleye will often be suspended in the water just below a thermocline, so using the Wally Diver at the wrong depth will cause the walleye to not notice the presence of the bait.
The trolling speed will also impact the depth of the Wally Diver. However, trolling speed have a different impact upon depth than the diameter of the fishing line. Slow trolling speeds will allow the Wally Diver to dive to deeper depths in the water, and faster trolling speeds will push the Wally Diver towards shallower depth.
Thus, altering the trolling speed will allow you to cover various depth with the same lure. Another variable to consider is the length of the lead. If the lead is longer, the Wally Diver will dive to deeper depths in the water; short lead length will keep the Wally Diver at shallower depths.
Using various lead lengths allows anglers to fish with multiple rods at different depths. The Wally Diver come in three sizes. Smaller Wally Divers are useful in clear water.
The middle sized Wally Diver is useful in a variety of different situations, and is often the first Wally Diver that anglers select. The largest Wally Divers are used for deeper waters where larger fish is present. Finally, the color of the Wally Diver matters, and the color that anglers choose for the lure should match the environment in which they use the Wally Diver.
Bright color are useful in stained water. Natural colors are useful in clear water. Thus, anglers must select a color for the Wally Diver that matches the light and forage that is visible to the walleye in the water column.
There are a variety of different tools that can assist anglers in setting up for success with trolling for walleye. For instance, planer boards help to even out the lines cast from the boat so that the fish see the Wally Diver prior to see the boat itself. Snap weights allow anglers to add depth to the setup without changing the movement of the Wally Diver.
Finally, divers will pull the Wally Diver both deeper into the water and to the side at the same time. Each of these tool can be utilized based off the type of traffic that is to pass through the trolling area, the depth at which the fish are being targeted, or how wide of an area is to be covered in trolling. The Wally Diver can also be utilized according to the open water season.
During the spring, walleye are found in shallow waters. Thus, anglers should utilize smaller Wally Divers. During the summer, the walleye will move to deeper waters.
Thus, using the largest Wally Divers with weights will allow anglers to reach these deeper waters. During the fall, the walleye will move to the middle depths of the water body, as the water will be mixing during the fall turnover. However, during the late season, when the water again begins to turnover, the walleye will move to deep waters once more.
Thus, anglers should of utilize slow trolling speeds and deep Wally Divers during the late fall. There are actualy a variety of variables that impact the depth at which the Wally Diver will fish. The type of line that is utilized, the speed at which the boat is cruising, the length of the lead, the size of the Wally Diver, and the amount of added weight can influence the depth of the Wally Diver.
If anglers understand how each of these variables will impact the depth of the Wally Diver, anglers will be able to make adjustments to they Wally Diver according to the changing water and weather conditions. Thus, understanding these variables will allow anglers to actualy place the Wally Diver where the walleye are feeding, rather than relying upon the success of the Wally Diver in finding the fish.