Catalina sailboat trolling suggestions plz?

[awfulsailor]

Hey guys, love your forum.

Every year (late june or early july) we trailer our 25 ft. motorsailor out from Phoenix and spend a week in your beautiful waters. We launch out of MDR and sail or motor out to Catalina. On the way I usually troll a line (50#) out back (about 50 yrds) in hopes of catching something on the way. So far no luck on the trolling. This year I have invested in a downrigger to get the lure deeper. For lures I have been using cedar plugs and squid lures. Not looking for any specific fish, just something tasty. Although snagging a YT would be nice.

My question is what am I doing wrong? Any sugestions on modifications to my rig? I would like to stay with lures rather than fresh bait but would like opinions one way or the other.

Can anyone help a zonie out?
Thanks
Eric in Phoenix

[victor101]

first off...welcome to the board! i dont know much about trolling but if you want to catch some fish....when you get to catalina, drop a 20# line with dropper loop and a 3oz weight with a strip of squid on the hook and your gonna catch a fish of some sorts for sure.

[sansou]

Troll speed issues? Most boats in the summer keep it around 10kts or less... If you can't maintain that, try steering in "S" curves.

[awfulsailor]

Thanks for the welcome to the board! Our troll speed is usually about 6-7 knts. Thats about as fast as we can go. Hey victor, this may sound super ignorant but whats a dropper loop? :)

Thanks
Eric

[victor101]

hope this helps http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniq ... _loop.html
attach a 4 oz weight to the bottom of your line. drop your line to the bottom and youll eather catch some rockfish, perch, sheephead...

[farmacist]

Pull some bigger rapalas or other similar baits. I think they are CD14's maybe, in sardine or mackeral patterns. I scored 5 or 6 bonita last year off my friends 22ft cat w/ a sardine pattern rapala... all under sail. Good Luck!

- farmacist

[awfulsailor]

Thanks for the link victor. I get what you mean now. How far up from the weight do you rig the dropper loop? I havent fished that type of rig before and will definately give it a shot. Fresh or frozen squid make a diffenence?

Farmicist,
I think I already have some rapalas but if I dont I will pick some up. What speed were do guys running and how deep was the lure? Attached is a picture of the last time I fished Catalina. Little foggy that week. The other is of my little motorsailor, a La Paz 25 at anchor 30 miles out of Guaymas Mexico.

[awfulsailor]

Oh and if any of you guys can reccomend a good fishing supply near Marina Del Rey that would be great. The only one I know of is the West Marine and they didnt really seem to be very knowledgable.

Thanks
Eric

[victor101]

id say 18"-24". fresh or frozen will both work. and like farmacist said, those lures wil work for bonita. as well as iron jigs. for bonita i have this 4 1/2" megabait iron in metalic sardine color that works very well.

[fishncatalina]

Where's your fishing rod in the pic? :lol: