*Home Sweet Home*
Fishing Report In Your Area
Forums-Hot Tips-Secrets
Distinctive Outdoor Sites
Gear So Advanced It's Easy
Business Services
Statewide Resort Directory
Minnesota Fishing Guides
Boat Dealers
Lakes Area Property
Lakes Information
Statewide Campsite Listing
Ice Leaders
Walleye News
Replicas & Taxidermy

How to Connect With
Over 276,000 Anglers

Do you operate a well-run business that caters to anglers? Most of them want to know more about you. Would you like to discover how to reach them?
Click here and find out.

A satisfied FishingMinnesota member says,
"Business has been very good. We're filling the cabins, and also our RV overflow sites. Some have mentioned your site. Thanks for your help!"

Joe Martin
Bigfoot Resort

There’s More Than One Way to Three Way
by Norb Wallock

Three way rigs are one of the most effective, and often overlooked, methods for finding and catching walleyes available to today’s modern angler. Just because you’re modern, doesn’t mean you should snub an older, less sophisticated technique, like trolling three ways.

This time honored technique has proven to be effective just about anywhere you find walleyes, including lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

One of the pre-exquisites for successful three way rigging is a condition whereby walleyes are holding relatively tight to structure, which just so happens to be a common occurrence.

The big attraction to three way rigs, is the fact that they allow anglers to present a bait and keep it running at a measured depth. The running depth is measured from the bottom up, instead of the surface down, and helps to keep a bait in the “zone”.

The “zone” is a small window of opportunity where walleyes are most likely to respond positively to a bait. By keeping a bait in the “zone,” you can greatly increase your odds of triggering active fish.

Determining the “zone” is accomplished by keeping a close eye on the depth finder, and making note of just how far most of the fish are holding off the bottom.

A good graph can be invaluable when it comes to this task, and should have enough definition to allow you to sort out schools of bait fish, groups of smaller fish, or the larger predators. The Raymarine L760 is certainly up to the task, with an incredible 640 X 480 pixel color screen, and can reveal all of the aforementioned, and much more.

Presentation
Fish that are holding from a few inches, to a few feet, off the bottom, are prime targets for a three-way presentation. Even fish that are hovering four or five feet off might be candidates for a three-way, but any further and three-ways become ineffective, and another approach may be in order.

Fish that are holding belly to the bottom may be more effectively worked with a bottom bouncer set up. As walleyes become active and lift high off the bottom, bouncers lose their appeal, and is where a three-way set up comes in to play.

The key is to put together a three-way combination that will keep a bait running at, or just above, ‘eye level. There are several variables to consider before you can accomplish this task, and include dropper length, spinner length, type of bait and speed. One of the most common baits to be used with a three-way is a spinner and live bait combination.

Snell Length
An advantage of using a three-way is the fact that you can get away with using longer snells, which makes for more of a finesse presentation. The problem with longer snells is that spinners are heavy and will actually drop, which can leave the bait dragging on the bottom. You can compensate for this fact by lengthening your dropper line, which is the line attached from a three-way swivel to a bell sinker.

For example, you can get by with using an eight foot leader if you combine it with a three or four foot dropper line. How much drop you actually get will be determined by blade size and boat speed. More speed will give you some extra lift, which might get the bait into the “zone”. To know for sure, try running the rig in shallow water where you can actually see the bait, and run it at trolling speeds.

Crankbaits are another option, and considerations include leader length, and the inherent diving characteristics of the crankbait. Even shallow runners like the infamous Rapala dive to some degree, while deeper divers like Shad Raps dive quite a bit. You’ll have to experiment to get the right leader and dropper length combination, which can again be accomplished by observing the bait in shallow water.

Weight & Depth
The size of weight you use is determined by how deep and how fast you’ll be running. Deep water calls for bigger bells, and can range from two to five ounces. Two ounces should handle most situations down to thirty feet of water or more, three should take care of depths in the forty to fifty foot range, an up to five for depths up to eighty feet.

Rather than dragging the sinker, anglers may be better off using the weight as a depth finder. To reach running depth, pay out line until you feel the weight hit the bottom. As the boat continues to move forward, the bait will lift off the bottom and you’ll need to let more line out to stay in contact.

Once you get to the right depth, you should be able to drop the rod tip back and feel the sinker hit the bottom, and is generally where you want to be. Changing depths require constant adjustments to stay in the zone.

This method will also allow you to fish some snag infested areas like rock and gravel, but only if you use the sinker as a depth finder, and keep it from dragging the bottom. After finding the bottom at running speed, pick up a little slack and let the sinker ride just high enough to stay out to the junk. It’s also a good idea to keep the sinker off the bottom if you happen to be fishing mud, especially if you’re afraid you may be stirring up the bottom and spooking fish.

Rods
Longer softer rods are in order when it comes to three way rigging, and include bait casting equipment in the seven to eight foot range. Rod holders are a handy tool that can save your arms from fatigue, especially when using the heavier weights.

The tendency though, is to put the rod in the holder and forget it, which may cost you some fish, especially if you’re working varying depths or an uneven bottom. Even if it’s in the holder it may require plenty of attention, and should not be ignored.

Three-ways aren’t for every situation, and there are more ways that they can be used than has been discussed here, but this should get you started. The fact is that they can and do work, and fill a niche that other methods simply can‘t.

Norb Wallock

Red Pine Resort
Ice Fishing on Kabetogama.