You don’t have to troll from the boat to catch walleyes this time of the year. Casting cranks and drifting floating jigs work well this time of the year.
The crankbaits should be deep divers like Deep Shad Raps, Deep Rattlin Shad Raps, Wally Divers and Deep Husky Jerks are good lures to start with. If you have any of the old Storm Rattle Tots in 3/8ths oz, use them too. Which also brings up the Deep Thundersticks and smaller Deep Jr T-sticks as good lures to use. Cast them out, bring them back, if you feel bottom stop reeling, and allow the bait to rise above the rocks, and start your retrieve again.
Drifting this time of the year is much like what has been done in Canada and inland lakes for many, many years. Use a light weight like and Roach Walking Sinker or Lindy weight, with three feet back to a floating jig. My fav for this is the Northland Screwball jig tipped with a shiner. If its too windy for drifting, you can troll back into the wind to slow the boat down, or drop back a windsock to help slow the boat down.
29 degrees tonight, it won’t be long now.