This age-old technique still works for Erie Eye's – By Captain Tom Straus (The Drifter)
Last fishing season, many Great Lakes trollers returned to the technique of drifting and casting for walleyes for one very good reason-The high cost of fuel! Gasoline prices reached a record national average per gallon and this summer it may happen again.This year, be prepared by knowing the basics of drifting and casting for those Lake Erie Walleye's. It will help you fill the cooler, while at he same time leaving your boats ignition in the “off” position.
Captain Tom's passion is drifting & casting for Lake Erie Walleye's. This is how it all started...The first thing to determine is how your boat drifts, each boat drifts different. For example if your boat does not drift straight downwind you need to add a drift sock to one end of your boat or the other. You want to drift as close to sideways as possible-Also turning your motor or rudder can help you drift straight. The reason why this must be accomplished first is because it offers more swing angles for your fishing crew members. You here Lake Erie Fisherman say fish the swing , this is what they are talking about. You will hear fisherman talk about the 'swing corner' is the best spot on the charter boat to walleye fish, But each spot can be productive if you learn how to fish it. You must cast in cadence so each fisherman has a shot a catching hungry walleye on the 'swing'. Remember how far you counted down when you caught your walleye, tell your buddies so they can enjoy the fun!
Most of the time the Erie Drifter Team uses hand tied mayfly rigs using special beads and 1-2 hooks snelled to rigs. Most of the time we use a deep cupped gold blade spinner tipped with a night crawler. The weight depends on wave conditions and water depth, most of the time we use ½ to ¾ ounce weights. For fishing shallow reefs we use ¼ or ½ ounce weights and for 4-5 foot waves we use 1 to 2 ounce weights to get close to the bottom on a controlled decent by counting down 1001, 1002 and so on to find out which depth they prefer today. Every day is different so try everthing till you form a pattern than put the wack on them.
Another tip when precision drifting is to fish the edges of the pack of boats rather than within the pack, as too much fishing pressure will spook the school of walleye's to the outside of the pack. I usually head towards which ever way the fish are migrating, mostlly to the north and east of the packs of boats. Don't be afraid to head 2-3 miles away from the other boats, it works for me and it will work for you also!
Always remember Lake Erie Walleye's tend to feed into the wind.
