Inland lake walleye trolling set-up

   I mostly fish inland lakes like Chautauqua, Kinzua, Pymy, Wilhelm etc.  I do pretty well catching 'eyes by casting, drifting, jigging and slip-bobbering.  However, I would like to expand my horizons by getting a little more serious about trolling.  The extent of my trolling up to now has been running crawler harnesses or cranks behind a large egg sinker and swivel.
   I fish out of a 16.5' Crestliner Fishhawk with a 28hp and 9.9 kicker.  I have 4 rod holders mounted to the gunwales and 2 on the stern deck.  I don't have any "trolling" rods/reels, planer boards, dipseys, torpedos or similar trolling gear.
  Since the maximum depth I will probably want to target is about 40' (the majority of the time I will be working the outside of the weedbeds in the northern basin of Chautauqua in 16-25') and my main goal is to get my lures away from the boat, what method do you trolling veterans use and/or suggest based on my situation? 
   I was planning on getting some yellow bird boards, but wasn't sure if my rods (medium action mostly) could handle the strain as I've never used them.  Do I need heavier trolling rods?  I hate the idea of dragging a 3# 'eye in with a 2x4.   Any input would be appreciated.

Bings,
   Thanks for the response.  Did you use the bottom bouncers with the yellow birds?  If not, how did you get the harnesses down to the proper depth?
    I'm guessing dipsys would work getting the lures down to where I need them, and get them away from the boat a bit, but do dipsys get the lures away from the boat enough horizontally to prevent spooking 'eyes in 20-35' of water?  Any dipsy users want to chime in here?