2-Part Lure Question / Walleyes

Post by **wolfe** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:44 pm

Leafing through the new In-Fisherman, I was taken in by a Doug Stange (like him!) article called "Walleyes...Dancing the Banana". It focuses on a "banana bait" lure called the Rapala Tail Dancer and goes into some detail on where and how this lure presentation works best. And from my understanding, it works super well in many conditions / situations / environments. This lure got an entire article devoted to it!

I don't own a Tail Dancer. But I think I'll buy a couple in different sizes next spring (there are 2, 2.5 & 3.5" versions as well as a 4-3/8" deep running version) and try to break out of the jig, jig, jig rut I seem to get caught up in for walleyes...out of both complacency and lack of experience using any hardbaits other than a count-down Rapala or a Wally Diver for this species.

Oh yeah, the questions part of this post.

* Do you guys/gals have a preference as to softbaits vs. hardbaits for walleye. I know plenty of people use live bait, but for now I'm talking artificial presentations.

* Also, does anyone here have experience with the Tail Dancer? Is it all this article is touting it to be? I'd like to hear if you've had success with it.

I appreciate your feedback and efforts to help me improve my mediocre (at best) walleye skills!

W.

PS: there are also some great color variations available with this lure. It's got a strong vibration as well as a "rattle" feature and is supposedly wicked good around weed growth.

PPS: Doug Stange mentioned BOQ (Picton Harbor) and this lure's success for big walleyes there.

Post by RJ » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:49 pm

Post by **Kpin** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:49 pm

Curses.....RJ beat me to the punch.

Post by **wolfe** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:50 pm

Arses x 2....

W.

Post by **Kpin** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:51 pm

hahahahahahahaah...Wolfe

Post by RJ » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:53 pm

Actually Wolfe.....I'm nowhere near the right person to answer your questions...

My Walleye fishing is mainly done at Quinte in the late fall.....

I did run the Taildancers when there but couldnt get a touch on them....others did...I didn't....so they went back in the box for Birdee to pick out a prettier coloured bait...

Ya can't beat a Rapala most of the time...

RJ

Post by **Moosebunk** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:55 pm

Wolfe, one spring on the opener a white Cotton Cordell hard plastic bait slayed the walleye. Two friends and another boat load of fishermen and a woman, watched on mostly while they used their jigs.

That day never happened again for the Cordell, but in-lines with single hooks tipped with minnows or worms really work great if the conditions are right. In fact, same thing happened while a couple other boats looked on a few times this past July and August. The inlines slayed the wee wally's. Jigs tipped with bait.... nada.

My conclusion though, if I had to go fishing with just one thing for walleyes, it'd have to be a 3" grub on a 1/4 ounce head. Hands down the best and most commonly used presentation for eyes.

Love bucktails too though.

I guess no walleye fisherman is complete without 40 different sliding trays of hundreds of dollars worth of lures in their tackle bag.

Post by **squig69** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:00 pm

heres a post from Pinner about Aron Shirely fishing the BOQ, the video is a big download and they were using the taildancers. if ya have high-speed give it a look

chris

Post by **wolfe** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:26 pm

RJ wrote:My Walleye fishing is mainly done at Quinte in the late fall.....

I did run the Taildancers when there but couldnt get a touch on them....others did...I didn't....so they went back in the box for Birdee to pick out a prettier coloured bait...

Ya can't beat a Rapala most of the time...

RJ

So funny you mentioned "Quinte, Taildancers & colors" in your response. These very 3 things are cited in a part of the article, and it's so interesting -- the color game, especially. On Quinte, the walleyes were loving the #9 (3.5") Taildancer. Two color patterns worked best (Hot Chub & Emerald Shiner) with Perch doing fairly well. However, Silver, Blue & Shad couldn't catch a fish. Although perch & goby were the main (natural) forage this time of year (fall) the perch color pattern did not outfish the Hot Chub and Emerald Shiner. Which leads to speculation on color choice being key but not exclusive in what walleyes like to chow on.

Moosebunk, I still thing a jighead and jig (or shad or weighted swimbait) are my #1 choices for walleye, too!

W.

Post by **wolfe** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:27 pm

squig69 wrote:heres a post from Pinner about Aron Shirely fishing the BOQ, the video is a big download and they were using the taildancers. if ya have high-speed give it a look

chris

Hey, Chris,

Video M.I.A. ??

Thx.

W.

XrapAttack · Post by **XrapAttack** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:27 pm

i love the taildancer for walleye.. and lake trout!

Post by **Wallyboss** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:43 pm

Wolfe send a pm to Eye Tracker ,He'll have all the info you need , I like them personally because of the tight wiggle that they have. I'm a sucker for a tight wiggle

I personally like the TD09 model and they dive to about 12ft which is good for a lot of the waters that i fish.

WB

Post by **squig69** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:55 am

opps! sorry Wolfe, i went through thier site and cant seem to find it either.

chris

Post by **Scum Frog** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:16 am

Wolfe,
Rapala Tail dancers, CC Walleye Minnow, CC WallyDiver are all examples of banana baits that work well for walleye. I'm the exact opposite from you, I need to start jigging more for walleye as I'm a die hard crank troller including the banana style baits. Casting these also work well for walleye, SM and pike.

Post by **Harrison** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:49 am

Hey wolfe, Ill throw a tidbit in here.

For years we trolled these banana style baits(alot of reef runners) out in the big lake O for browns and walleye. When rapala gave us a couple of the new taildancers before market we used them exclusively for flatlining lakers and walleye with great results. Still use'm today when cranks are the ticket. Tough to beat the ole Blue and silver or Chart.. white.

For smaller bodies of water i.e Kawarthas. Dont throw many for the cranks for walleye anymore. The Xraps, huskys or Lucky Craft jerk baits have taken over. If I have to go deep there its up to the bucktail or plastics to gettem for me.

On the last trip to quinte "the walleye trollers Mecca" tail dancers shined over most other offerings. Could be moslty due to our confidence in them becasue of the proven record with us. Or the fact the fish are schooled like cord wood, use the smallmouth competitive mind frame and will eat almost anything whjile migrating through there! ha

Once you get them dailed in for depth they are one of the more dependable for consistancy, even with varying speeds and wave surges, for most trolling applications and water bodies.

Just a couple more cents. Good luck with them.