Low dollar trolling question

Been a caster all my life. I want to start trolling this year on a blue collar budget. I have read as much info on this page as I can find and I really appreciate all the info u folks put out. From the info I've gathered from u guys I've decided to invest in 4 counter real rod combos and some bandits and spoons to start with. I will work up from there. Going to go with inline planners on the outside and tt 30's off the back. (Fishing west of beesy and south of west sister to the turn around. ) I've read mono is best to use with in lines. Question; am I pointed in the right direction for a low dough weekender? Capt. Jules Capt Eric your word is gospel to me. And all else that contribute. Like I said I'm just a weekender that wants to show my parents and wife a great time. Any advice would b great. I intend to buy my lures locally. Where can I get the ib frozen and other popular bandits?

Start watching Cabela's for depthmaster Combo's I have a few fish 3times a year and have no issues with them. Are usually run specials for less than $50 for the combo. Order your planer boards from Frank's great outdoors. I would call the local bait shops looking for Ib frozen. I think green clown shoes is similar it's a stock color. How fast does your boat idle?

Northwood tackle is a great place to get stuff from. They have a big store, and a lot more inventory than the show online.

But just quickly looking you could get these reels
https://northwoodsoutlet.com/product...trolling-reel/

These rods, I have these rods, they work for online and dipseys
https://northwoodsoutlet.com/product...assic-pro-rod/

And be under 50 bucks each. Hiway bait should have in frozen or order right from dj himself http://www.djscustomeyeslures.com


I have never used them but you can get add on online line counterslike these to allow the poles you have to be trolled
https://www.fishusa.com/product/Rapa...QaAi7HEALw_wcB

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Originally Posted by Gerry D

Been a caster all my life. I want to start trolling this year on a blue collar budget. I have read as much info on this page as I can find and I really appreciate all the info u folks put out. From the info I've gathered from u guys I've decided to invest in 4 counter real rod combos and some bandits and spoons to start with. I will work up from there. Going to go with inline planners on the outside and tt 30's off the back. (Fishing west of beesy and south of west sister to the turn around. ) I've read mono is best to use with in lines. Question; am I pointed in the right direction for a low dough weekender? Capt. Jules Capt Eric your word is gospel to me. And all else that contribute. Like I said I'm just a weekender that wants to show my parents and wife a great time. Any advice would b great. I intend to buy my lures locally. Where can I get the ib frozen and other popular bandits?

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Welcome to the "dark side", haha! Sounds like you should get at least 6 rods. 2 dipseys would be good too for getting down deeper later in the year. Rickards Bait has a wide variety of bandits and spoons. Auto pilot is almost a must and you need a kicker or bags to get your speed down. You mentioned running boards off the sides and tt's off the back? While you can certainly straight line 1 or 2 lines, you may want to run at least 2 boards on a side. Its much harder to tell if a fish is on if you don't have multiple boards running in line to see one fall out of line. If you run a bandit behind 1 board and a tt with spoon behind the other, they will pull substantially different. I like running bandits on one side and tt with spoons on the other. Going on a charter with Capt. Jules would be very educational. Capt. Eric has walk on days, but because he runs big boards it might not be as beneficial for you.

i understand you wanting to save money. but you can save to much and really be disappointed with your trolling experience. i started with cheap okuma's and they did work but as soon as i could i upgraded to Daiwa accudepth plus adp17lc and sealine sg17lca reels. i was very happy with the upgrade. im still using the sealine's but upgraded the accudepth because i got a super deal on sealine sg17lc3b reels. but the accudepths served me very well for several yrs and was still working like new when i sold them. i also have some Okuma convector 20 reels that seem to be great reels but i haven't used them enough to know how well there going to stand up.

i recommend you invest in accudepth reels if you have the money at all. or the convector reels for a little more money. then if your budget will allow the Daiwa sealine is around 100.00 on ebay. you can find the accudepth plus adp17lcb for around 65.00 to 70.00 on ebay but do an online search before you buy. if none of these are within reach look at the Okuma magda pro. you can get a set of 4 of the 20dx for around 45.00 each. these aren't Daiwa but they'll work for what you want. then you can start updating if you choose 1 reel at a time. but try to use all the same brand and size reels. if not you wont be able to repeat on a different reel whats catching fish on a different size/brand reel.

as others have mentioned but i forgot to post about is boat speed. you really need some type of fish finder/gps. the gps will give your speed. early in the yr you'll need to run in the 1.5 range with cranks and raise speed as water temps rise. with spoons in warm weather you can run anywhere from 2 to 3 mph and catch fish. depending on where you fish will let you choose how you fish. you can start with cranks on boards or use snap weights on the cranks to get them deeper in the western basin. you wont need tt's for getting cranks down but will need them for spoons or harnesses.

my first piece of advice would be to fill a few open seats before hitting it on your own. but you can start with 2 boards and 2 cranks out each side. if you want more lines in the water you can add 2 cranks off each corner. or you can go to 4 boards 2 off each side and a crank off each side. as the water warms then you can think about spoons or harnesses. to get them down on the boards you can go with inline weights from rednekoutfitters.com they have a depth chart. also if you move east to deeper water you might want to think about a dipsy off each side with inline weights on your boards.

don't forget the open seats!!!

I have set a couple guys trolling.Yes 4 line counter reels the way to go.Diawa deadline for around $110 bucks each and you can get wilderness trolling rods for $20 each.Mono is line to use,we used mono on dipsey for few years and you can get by with that.I would get 4 inline boards to start also.We troll worm harnesses most the time with the #2 tadpoles and works great.You can get some spoons and they work with the tadpoles.If going to be fishing early or late enough to use cranks,I would get stock color bandits first then add the custom colors as you see fit.Must control your speed,bags cheapest way to do on most boats.Good luck and keep reading these posts to get better each year.

Thanks for all your advice guy's , basically my budget for this start up is about $300 so I'm going with the minimum right now. I i have an elite 4 gps/fish finder and according to that my boat (22' sundowner) It idles at about 2 mph. So if I troll into the wind that should drop a little. I might have to get a drift bag but we will cross that bridge later. Thanks guys I'll let u know how it goes.

You will want trolling bags, they are built heavier than drift bags. Most smaller boats, especially with running little boards tend to do better picking fish going with the waves, in line boards run smoother this way. Keep an eye on cl or ebay, might find some used boards or bags to help stretch that 300 budget, unfortunately 300 doesn't go far when buying fishing tackle.

Might try contacting some of the captains you know, they might have some older equipment they have cycled out or upgraded that still works fine they might be willing to let go.

Don't overlook running a few dispeys too, they are like 15 bucks or so each and you can run several per side. Won't have the spread of inline or big boards but they do put fish on the boat. I know almost every trip we run at least 2 if not 4. They are not normally our main producer of fish, but seems like during the summer months the larger fish of the day seem to come on them.

for warm water trolling most days you can get away with 2 mph. but there are days when the fish want it at around 1.6 to 1.8. and your much better off most days trolling with the waves. its much harder to control the boat going into the waves. you really need to invest in trolling bags or a trolling plate. bags being my 1st choice. you want trolling bags that can be tied off at the back of the bag for better boat control. i tried drift bags and there just no good for trolling. trolling bags can be used for drifting. the whole idea is to catch fish. good luck out there and have fun and catch a bunch of fish.

I was at Jann's Netcraft last week and they had Okuma reels the Magda series were at $40 each look at rods hands on will be better that looking at pics. They have stock Bandits, Customs by Domka also. It's a short drive for ya for sure. A drive to Monroe will get you to Domka's Great outdoors also. He just opened a shop there, I have not been there but planning a drive soon.

Gene

I have used the madgna pro 30 dx for 5 years now, the only issue I have seen is sometime the reset button wants to stick in on one of 12 we have, and one was dropped off the boat to ground at launch and that one you hear the drag making noise on......never took it apart to see what's going on.

Now these are not as good as cold waters or tekotas but are a lot cheaper and the average fisherman/women should not wear them out quickly. At the 30-40 bucks they are a great value.

Whatever rod/reel you go with, take the time when filling to make sure that when the counter says 100ft, that it actually measures that out, if all your rods/reels are the same once you get the first couple done you will have a good idea of how much it takes on the rest.

But look around there are some OK deals out there
https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/s...527000699.html

https://porthuron.craigslist.org/spo...540858856.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/s...557605467.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/s...547143299.html

These are just a few things that might work I just did a quick 5 minute look

second that on dipseys with spoons for the summer bite...get them and learn how to run them...most times they catch more fish than boards...bigger fish usually come on boards though.

Also if you don't want to spend a lot on bags, Menards has 2 for 5 dollar,5 gallon buckets. Poor man's drift sock/trolling bag.

Lots of good info...

I'd look at Okuma Convectors or Accudepths for a decent reel that should provide you with years of use. For rods...thats a huge personal preferences. I love my Taloras but are the most expensive. Also have the Shimano TDR's...i feel they are a great rod for around $30. Wilderness are cheaper but have no experience with them.

From here...my first and really important question will be how many people will you have on board on average? 2, 3, 4?

Everyone has their preferences and advice...no shortage of that.

Personally, I threw out every Cabela's DepthMaster I had last year. I had lots of problems with the counters on 4 of the 6 I was running. They were only 2 years old and I was extremely disappointed. I had 2 Penn Rival Levelwind Line Counter Reel RIV15LWLC 5.1:1 that I liked using, so I replaced all of the DepthMasters last year with these. It has an oversized handle that lets you really get some leverage on those hawgs (especially if you flat line a Smithwick at 280ft back...which I always do). You can get them for about $60-$70 each. You will never want to use another reel once you get used to them.

For a decent, inexpensive rod, I have run Wilderness rods for years with zero issues. I have 2 heavier rods for dipseys, but honestly don't run them that often anymore. You can get a Wilderness for about $20

Another option is look on CL. Guys are always selling their old trolling stuff and upgrading. I have gotten some good deals in the past.

I run mostly snap weights and inline boards. You can run the weights on anything you throw out. I do occasionally run the TT-20s also.

To save on your budget to start (until you can afford the Amish Trolling Bags), drill some 1/2 inch holes in 5 gallon buckets. I haven't done this in many years, but it always worked on my smaller boats.

Tight Lines!

Wow, To start out trolling equipment with a $300 budget is atough one.Yes the widerness rods at $20 each works great.I would look for some used line counter reels since they are the most expensive.Using dipsey instead of boards is cheaper and getting spoons is way to go.Dont even consider cranks yet.Yes,a 5 gal bucket can be used to slow you down.We even trolled before with two rods with braid straight off back with bottom bounces and harnesses.Sometimes they caught great and could have used mono without much issue.Will take several seasons to accumulate what you want but evenyually you should have the equip and know how to catch trolling.

(especially if you flat line a Smithwick at 280ft back...which I always do).

Just curious how far down does this put a p10????? That's a lot of cranking for sure

if i was going on the cheap it would be the Okuma magda pro. 45.00 to 50.00 on ebay. but you'll be miles ahead with Daiwa accudepth plus reels 65.00 to 70.00 on ebay. these will last you for many yrs.

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Originally Posted by branhamautomotive

(especially if you flat line a Smithwick at 280ft back...which I always do).

Just curious how far down does this put a p10????? That's a lot of cranking for sure

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I am guessing it is running between 7 and 9 feet with all of the line drag (running the Berkley 10# XT on that pole). For some reason, when the boat passes over those fish, they swim back behind the boat after we pass, and right into that P10. The biggest fish I caught over the past 3 years trolling, have generally come on that P10 280 back. It was so good last year, that my 20 year old son refused to fish with me if I put that line out. He was exhausted pulling in the 10+ lb fish that far back.

We generally run the Pink Squirrel or Floyd on the flat line. I have tried others at different times of the year, but those two generally produce best.

Interesting idea, and being that far back there would be little chance of it getting tangled with other more traditional line depths, even when they come around behind the boat they should slide right under that line

Is there an ideal rod length for trolling that I should be looking for? Bass pro has a strata max combo for $70, does anyone have any experience with these? Junk or good deal?

I had 8.5 fters,,,to long use 7fter now, wouldn't mind using a 6fter. The bigger your boat the longer the rod you seem to be able to get away with using

Take a look at the Okuma Deadeye rods. They make a 7'-10" telescopic (Model #DE-C-7101M-T) that has a nice action for $30 - $35 each. Lot's of rods in that series for just about every application at very reasonable costs.

If you shop around a bit you can pair it up with a 20 series Okuma Convector (CV-20D) for about $100 per set up.

Personal Message sent to you.

Gene