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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | Ok... I cast the bait a mile... As I retrieve the bait all is well. As the lure approaches the boat I can't maintain the back and fourth motion without really moving the rod tip at least a foot in either direction. The action is mediocre at best. I did purchase some new leaders from stealth tackle that are designed for WTD baits...but is that really the issue or is it technique? |
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Posts: 582
| It's hard to say what's going wrong but each bait may require something different. usually you just need to adjust your pull on the bait. Also are you going side To side with the rod tip or up and down? You should be going up/down with a twitch that needs to be varied. The bait wil tell you. What WTD bait are you using most? |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I use single strand leader with no hardware on it. Using a split ring connecting the double looped leader to the bait. Another tip is using a shorter rod, I tend to use a 6'9" and that size works well for me. The other thing is using your dominate arm to work the bait. Its amazing how well you can do this that you can even walk-the-dog in place without moving the bait forward. |
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Posts: 20218
Location: oswego, il | Walk the dog topwaters/gliders are inherently harder to work the closer they get to the boat. I suspect alot of it has to do with the lack of slackness in the line on the twtch the closer it gets. A lighter straight wire leader will help too. Try to put a little more slack into the line the closer it gets and see what happens. |
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Posts: 339
Location: Denmark | What gearing does your reel have? |
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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | 1. I do think as the bait gets closer to the boat I tend to move it side to side to get the action of side to side.
2. I have several rods... Are we suggesting shorter is beter? What is best length?
3. I have several reels...what is the best ratio?
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | Sounds like you might not have enough slack in the line or your the tip of the rod has too much give. I use a extra heavy 6'10" Okuma for my glide baits. Having a heavier belly hook with a lighter tail hook will also help the action of the bait.
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Posts: 547
Location: Oshkosh | I would have to agree, try more slack line. Which bait are you using? Some are just easier to use then others.
Peter |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | muskie! nut - 2/19/2011 7:45 AM
The other thing is using your dominate arm to work the bait. Its amazing how well you can do this that you can even walk-the-dog in place without moving the bait forward.
I believe that is true working any type of bait. I feel like I have way better control holding the rod in my dominant arm. That's why I don't understand why left hand reels are not the standard for the majority of the RH population. Personal preference I guess.
I use a 7'3" H and when getting closer to the boat, I use less slack and harder, very short twitches. Fairly easy to get WTD action alongside the boat in an 8 manuever this way too. Try it by letting 3' of line out and just twitching it alongside the boat to get the action you want without even casting. Works well for me anyways. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | MartinTD - 2/19/2011 12:55 PM
That's why I don't understand why left hand reels are not the standard for the majority of the RH population. Personal preference I guess.
Me either.This one just baffles me to no end. We have guys doing everything they can to help them boat a fish, but using a reel that allows someone to use their dominate hand to work lures that would impart better action and quicker, harder hooksets is not an option. But like you said, personal preference.
One last thing, when I talk to guys about this, they tell me that can't use a left side crank. Then I asked what side the crank is on their spinning reel? Want to guess what they tell me?  |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | Many quality reels are not even available in LH. I hate that. |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | To me it feels like I'm slowing down the twitches to work a wtd bait close to the boat. I definately am not twitching the rod the same way as I do at the end of even the middle of the retrieve. Sometimes you can do it with just the reel handle and not moving the rod. As mentioned above, the amount of slack line seems to make a difference. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | MartinTD - 2/19/2011 1:25 PM
Many quality reels are not even available in LH. I hate that.
Me too. Settled on the Revo Toros though. |
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Posts: 233
Location: Iowa | I tend to agree with needing the right amount lack of slack and the statement of the closer it gets to the boat the harder is gets to work. Gear ratio of a reel might help a little bit but i don't think thats your problem. I also don't think length of rod has that much to do with either. I think its really whatever you are use to. Some guys can work the heck out of a wtd/glider with a 9' rod and some guys prefer shorter rods like 6'9".
Just work with the bait and figure it out. Try different things to see if something works better when you get closer to the boat. It depends on the situation but One of the things I have found out the closer it gets to the boat instead of reel on every twitch, reel on every other twitch or some variation of it. That helps me quite abit.
Jeremy |
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Posts: 124
| Badgerpat1,
I would bet lack of slack is the issue.
The key for WTD surface baits is after each pull of the bait must be immediately followed by a return of the rod tip towards the bait. That one-two motion is what creates slack in the line...allowing the bait to "walk". If the "dog" doesn't have enough leash, it can't walk around.
A couple of other tips I can give is that I use more of a combination of a quick turn of the handle with a simultaneous pull/return of the rod during the first 2/3 of the retrieve. Then the last third, I use more wrist and rod motion as I get closer to the boat.
It takes a great deal of practice to perfect your boatside technique. Here is a link to a video that may help you out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQXJEJjB1U
*As a side note, I no longer use 174lb wire as leader. I use 130lb flouro but still with no swivel being key.
Hope this helps.
Lee Tauchen
http://LeeLures.com |
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Posts: 906
Location: Canada | Great video Lee!
What reel is that you're using? |
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Posts: 124
| CU301DSV - 2/20/2011 12:07 PM
Great video Lee!
What reel is that you're using?
Thanks! Pete Maina Low Profile Musky reel merely for product placement for the show. I currently use a CTE400.
Lee |
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Posts: 906
Location: Canada | I figured that's what that was and why, just wasn't sure. |
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Posts: 547
Location: Oshkosh | Lee, why the switch in leader?
Peter |
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Posts: 124
| WI Skis - 2/20/2011 12:37 PM
Lee, why the switch in leader?
Peter
Durability. Doesn't kink.
Lee |
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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | Guys,
You certainly have given me some good tips. Too bad I have to wait a few months to try them out! Video was goood!
Pat |
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Posts: 339
Location: Denmark | Just one thing, it has helped me a lot not to use HS reels. Not that i they do not work on WTD baits, I just think it is a lot easier to get the line slack needed, when your gear ratio are not higher than 5.3:1 |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | Lee_Tauchen - 2/20/2011 12:00 PM
*As a side note, I no longer use 174lb wire as leader. I use 130lb flouro but still with no swivel being key.
Why no swivel? |
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Posts: 32
| lhprop1 - 2/23/2011 10:08 AM
Lee_Tauchen - 2/20/2011 12:00 PM
*As a side note, I no longer use 174lb wire as leader. I use 130lb flouro but still with no swivel being key.
Why no swivel? |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | adamsnez - 2/23/2011 12:10 PM
lhprop1 - 2/23/2011 10:08 AM
Lee_Tauchen - 2/20/2011 12:00 PM
*As a side note, I no longer use 174lb wire as leader. I use 130lb flouro but still with no swivel being key.
Why no swivel? watch the video, he explains
Yeah, I don't have sound on my computer. I guess I'll just have to wait for the episode to air. |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | I don’t want to speak for Lee but swivels add weight. More weight on the front of the leader will hinder the action of the bait.
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Posts: 727
| Esox-Hunter - 2/23/2011 4:37 PM
I don’t want to speak for Lee but swivels add weight. More weight on the front of the leader will hinder the action of the bait.
Correct, he stresse that in the video and in person. |
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Posts: 124
| Right guys, it adds extra weight to the bait along with unnecessary drag to the nose of the bait. Without the swivel I seem to have an easier time getting the bait to turn sharply 180 degrees to 180 degrees. The heavier WTD baits out there you will probably not notice this as much as lighter baits. For instance my regular sized "Fish Stick" or a "Jackpot" will benefit more with the absence of the swivel. A "Weagle" or my "Fish Stick HD" are affected less by the extra weight and drag of the swivel due to their larger size.
Hope this helps.
Lee |
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| Yeah, I don't have sound on my computer. I guess I'll just have to wait for the episode to air.
It aired a couple years ago. I'm not sure if there will be any reruns. I haven't seen it since it's original airtime. |
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| catchandrelease - 2/24/2011 9:09 AM
Yeah, I don't have sound on my computer. I guess I'll just have to wait for the episode to air.
It aired a couple years ago. I'm not sure if there will be any reruns. I haven't seen it since it's original airtime.
That was meant for lhprop1
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Lee and other made great points. Enough slack is the biggie. No need for short rods since I can walk on in place at boatside with a 9’ rod!
If you can’t get one to walk near the boat, and also near walk it in place at any point in the retrieve, you are missing a lot of chances at getting fish to hit WTD. So many of the fish I convert on WTD is when I see a fish follow, and immediately start walking it in place. Practice doing it during casts to get good at it. If you can’t do it with your WTD, buy a different kind. Like getting on to work properly near boatside the walking in place also requires A LOT of slack. More like a slack line snap when you are trying to walk in place. Also use the reel suggestion Lee had. Like boatside though, when trying to walk in place out farther you need more rod movement and less reel. My rod movement is always angled down and to the same side until I get to the boat. Then it is straight to the same side at the boat.
Also go slow. Slow for me is key.
If you haven’t already, use one of Lee’s Fish Stick HD’s! One of the easiest and effective WTD I have fished. Did throw the 10” Weagle a bit last year as well, and that worked good as well but took a little more effort. Baby Doc’s work much better than the reg. size Doc’s. Recons also work well.
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Walk the dog help