Dockrat,
I guess until I get to post some glorious pics of epic trolling adventures like you've had, the Vine will just have to do. ;)
I would LOVE to get up north and troll those trophy fisheries closer to Canada, that is a monster you have there!
Dockrat,
I guess until I get to post some glorious pics of epic trolling adventures like you've had, the Vine will just have to do. ;)
I would LOVE to get up north and troll those trophy fisheries closer to Canada, that is a monster you have there!
Thanks, I jacked that pic from someone on photobucket.Originally Posted by JAG107
You can troll for Threshers locally inshore.
Here is a guy trolling.
DR
I also felt that way about trolling Reaper but based off all the responses I want to try it at BBL but don' t even know where to start rod, reel, line, lure, knot, weight, leader, boat speed.... etc.
A good fisherman will use all of his skills to catch fish .
Either trolling, bait and wait, jigging ,or casting, it depends on what the conditions are .
There are days where trolling is the only way to go and you better be good at it if you want to catch fish .
As many have stated trolling is not that easy I've seen T/O in and he works hard to get the fish where some are struggling .
and yet there are days you troll for hours and you make a stop and use bait and it's none stop .
Sean
I don't get this. I use everything in the bag to catch fish when I go out. Trolling allows me to cover water and search for schools of fish. It's far from just cruising around and hoping to get a strike. Why do you think you'll see guys trolling the same spot over and over for a period of time?
When I'm trolling I am really taking the opportunity to learn the bottom structure of the lake on my fish finder. I am taking note of what depths I"m seeing fish, what kinds of areas and structures and trying to find active fish. When I do finally find a spot that is active I usually will pull in the trolling lines and drift it or drop anchor. It's better than just going from favorite spot to favorite spot to fish all day and hoping for bites. I've found that more often I can now find WHERE to fish instead of just hoping for good days.
TO got me started on trolling and I'll probably do another guide trip with him again this year. Maybe at Lake San Antonio to see if we can catch some of their pigs before I head up for 4th of July.
Give it a try, you'll find it's involved, it takes practice, and it's just another tool in the bag. It's not about exclusively fishing with one method and one method alone.
Trolling is just another way to fish. Growing up, my Grandad said trolling was for when it's too hot to walk the shore, and he was an avid fly-fisherman. My Dad loved trolling because he could drink beer and tell stories. I troll the ocean, and the lakes, but I still prefer to get up close and walk the creek or the shore. Trolling is still very good for beer and stories too, on a hot afternoon.
Big Bear is probably the best lake to learn how to troll, it's that good! A can't miss trolling set up at BBL is leadcore and needlefish. If you want more details, just ask I tell you everything I know.
Question is going to a lake like Irvine Lake lagit fishing.
Trolling the way I do it:
-Study the charts, pinpoint fishy looking underwater structure.
-Study wind to find likely areas to hold bait and thus pelagic predators
-work shade lines early and late in the day to target light sensitive predators like stripers
-Start working the chosen areas, be they underwater points and ridges, or bays and coves.
-Watch fishfinder to look for fish and the depths they are holding
-Watch GPS chartplotter constantly to monitor speed and navigate lure around the structure I am working
-Try different depths/lengths of leadcore and speeds to get lure into target zone (often near the bottom)
-Work all the zones - upper water column, mid, and bottom to see where fish are holding
-Work close to shore, further out, and way out to see where fish are holding
*jerk the fly, work it constantly to make lure shoot forward then suspend and sink slowly like an injured baitfish
-sweep rod periodically to make lure climb, then sink
-speed up and slow down boat in a straight line to make lure climb and sink
-make "S" turns and "V" turns to make lure slow down and speed up, climb and sink (all this in at the same time as jerking the line by hand)
-Reel in and let out leadcore, as well as change boat speed to keep lure in the strike zone as bottom topography/depth varies
-As soon as a fish is landed, re-set and blast back to area of hookup at speed while letting out the line again to try to keep contact with the school
-work all other similar areas and depths to where fish was caught
-pull up lines (sometimes 10 colors of it, 100 yards!) and move as quick as possible to the next structure; let out the line again
-Note direction of travel relative to structure and/or wind direction that gets bit more
I have yet to catch a single striper just putting the rod in a rod holder and driving around the lake blindly!
I actually got shoulder problems and tennis elbow from trolling and jerking that leadcore!
I am not sure it is a method applicable to to guide charters; probably not all clients would appreciate having to work that hard physically LOL.
But it is effective for me.
I agree that having a 100 yards of leadcore out can take some of the fight out from a striper.
But so does having a 100 yards of mono with all that stretch.
It's all fun.
The more I understand the water, the bait, the fish, and the technique (trolling), the more consistent I get.
Gerald
I would say 70% of the quality fish I've caught in my life has been trolling. And like many have said here...there's a lot more to it than just throwing a lure on your line and dragging it behing a boat. If people don't like trollers...that's fine. We'll discuss it at the end of the day when they're cleaning their 1 pound DFG dinkers and us trollers are cleaning 5 -6 pound beauties. :)
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