For personalized, autographed copies of Trolling Big-Water Walleyes: Secrets of the Great Lakes Fishing Guides, Charter Captains, and Walleye Pros, send a personal check or money order, made out to WORDsmith, in the amount of $30.00 (includes tax and shipping) to:
Wordsmith
6108 Township Road 88
Fredericktown, OH, 43019
Please include a note as to whom you would like your book(s) signed. If you have questions about ordering, Chip Gross can be contacted by email at whchipgross@gmail.com, or by phone at 419-512-6064
Non-autographed copies can be ordered online at Kent State University Press and through Amazon
Secrets of the Great Lakes Fishing Guides, Charter Captains, and Walleye Pros
Learn the Basics of Walleye Trolling: Equipment, Techniques, Tactics, and More
On big, open water such as the Great Lakes, sprawling Western reservoirs, and large, North American rivers, trolling puts more walleyes in the boat—hour for hour—than any other fishing method. Why? Because if done correctly, the lure or bait is always in the fish’s strike zone. But do it wrong and all an angler will net is a long, frustrating boat ride. In this detailed instructional guide, generously illustrated with more than 50 color photos, fishermen will learn to catch walleyes from those who chase this highly-prized sport fish for a living.
A veteran walleye angler himself, the author covers every aspect of walleye trolling including: basic and advanced trolling equipment, trolling set-ups throughout the fishing year, choosing crankbaits and other lures, determining when and where to fish, night-trolling for walleyes, purchasing and rigging a boat for walleye trolling, and how to catch that trophy walleye of a lifetime. Also included is information on cleaning and caring for the catch, as well as Gross’s favorite walleye recipes.
In addition to the author’s personal knowledge of walleyes, he also interviews 17 other professional fishing authorities who reveal their time-tested, fish-catching secrets. For instance, most successful walleye fishermen troll very slowly, between just one and two miles per hour. Also included in the book are helpful line drawings showing typical walleye trolling spreads.
Why do fishermen need this book? Walleyes are finicky, will-o-the-wisp fish, often here today and gone tomorrow. They follow schools of baitfish like hungry wolf packs, as the bait moves, they move. How this often translates for anglers is spectacular fishing one day and scarcely a bite or possibly none at all the next.
Professional walleye tournament angler Mark Martin of Twin Lake, Michigan, likely described walleyes and walleye fishing best. “Catching walleyes isn’t a slam dunk,” he said. “In fact, far from it. They’re subsurface feeders that don’t fight worth a lick and are prone to bipolar mood swings. Because of that, walleyes—in my opinion—are the most challenging of fish.”
