Walleye Deep Crankbait
4.6(2,600)4.6 out of 5 stars, 2,600 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe crankbait Lake Erie walleye trolling runs on — it dives 18 to 22 feet on its own and the dive curves are published.
Silver Buddy
Silver Buddy · Lures
Silver Buddy Blade Bait
4.5(1,100)4.5 out of 5 stars, 1,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA thin metal blade that vibrates hard on the lift and flutters on the drop — the cold-water bait for deep, inactive walleye.
Check price on Amazon$9— Silver Buddy Blade BaitPrice shown was accurate on 2026-09-01. Amazon sets the live price.
What's good
- Sinks fast, so you can fish 40 feet of water vertically without fighting the drift
- The hard vibration on a short lift calls fish in cold, low-visibility water
- One of the few baits that reliably takes late-fall and early-spring walleye off deep breaks
- Metal body is essentially indestructible
What isn't
- The trebles foul on the line every few lifts because the bait rises nose-up on a slack line
- Multiple line-tie holes change the action and nobody labels which does what — you have to experiment
- Snags hard on rock and the fast sink rate means you find bottom structure the expensive way
We list the drawbacks because a recommendation with no downside is a sales pitch. If a cheaper item does the job on your water, the write-up says so.
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