Watching Walleyes Strike On Sonar

Bohn notes that any electronics work, but some pick up things like swivels and tiny terminal items better than others. His choices include the Lowrance LCX-110, with its highly visible 10-inch screen, and the Humminbird 917 and 787. All these units offer high definition (HD). “Increased pixel counts provide sharper imaging, allowing me to lock onto small tackle items like Bobber Bugs and other light jigs suspended under the boat,” he says. “But to see them in a moving boat in open water, I have to adjust the electronics. I shut off the auto sensitivity feature and manually increase the sensitivity, generally to a setting between 80 and 94 percent, depending on depth.

“It’s important to understand cone-angle boundaries,” Bohn adds. “Wider cone angles allow you to pick up more activity, but with less density in terms of returning signals. The Humminbird 917C has dual transducers, one sending out a 60-degree wide beam and the other sending down a narrower 20-degree beam. With both transducers, I can keep a rig in view almost all the time if it’s within 20 feet of the boat. Dual transducers expand the coverage area equal to your depth.

“Of course, keeping one or two rigs right under each operating transducer is key,” he says. “When the cone angle is perfect and the boat is straight, I can watch 3 or 4 rigs at once.” Most days are less than perfect for slipbobbering, Bohn admits. “Winds in the 0- to 5-mph range create optimum conditions. Winds from 5 to 10 mph create perfect slipbobber conditions. Winds at 10 to 20 mph still allow you to drift, but in any winds greater than that it’s best to anchor. Some days the boat and the rigs have to be drifting along or strikes are few and far between, so days with light winds often produce better fishing than calm days. The knack for keeping rigs vertical and within the transducer cone in all conditions develops with time and practice.”

Bohn often employs a driftsock or two and control-drifts with his Vantage 80, transom-mount Minn Kota. One large sock (36- to 42-inch) is attached to a cleat near the bow in most conditions. In bigger winds, he attaches a second, smaller (25- to 30-inch) sock to the cleat. Bohn backtrolls to create a drift in calm weather. “Too much assisted movement, though, pulls the rigs up out of the zone,” he says. “Clients and I lower all rigs right beside the boat, eliminating casting. No casting means virtually no tangles but speed becomes critical. To keep those rigs in the zone the boat should be traveling a total of 1 mph or less most of the time. That includes downwind movement or natural drift in combination with assisted movement or controlled drift. However, sudden changes in direction and speed trigger strikes, so the idea isn’t necessarily to keep the rigs stationary.”

Perfect slipbobbering conditions offer slight, steady breezes, a slight chop, and clouds. Those conditions are rare, so Bohn made an art of adapting slipfloat rigs to various conditions.

Slip Gear

Bohn practices his trade with 9-foot Mr. Slip Bobber Float Stick Rods from his Strictly Walleye website lineup. “The additional length allows me to better position float rigs within the cone angle of the transducer,” he explains. “When you’re fishing closely with two rods side by side, it’s easier to adjust position and control drifting lines with a longer rod. When fishing straight down at boatside, a 7-foot rod is sometimes preferable. The key is a medium-light action combined with enough backbone to lift the float up, and retain enough power to set a hook.”