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  1. #1
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    Default Trolling Question

    Novice here asking a question about trolling. My buddy and I troll 4 lines with 2 being Offshore planer boards. When we hook a larger walleye (example-5-9lbs.) my buddy mentioned putting the kicker in neutral, allowing for less strain on hooked fish and line. I prefer to keep trolling (moving), keeping lines from sinking, tangling, unwanted drifting of boat. I've used the "keep moving" equation with success on several 8lb+ walleye. Any opinions here? I use 16# test line.
    Thanks guys
    Lund 1875 Sport Tyee
    Mercury Pro XS 150 4/stroke
    9.9 Pro Mercury kicker
    IPilot Ulterra 112
    Vessel View 703; Lowrance HD

  2. #2
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    90% of the walleye we bring in are landed with the boat moving the same as when we hooked them up.... trolling big boards, this also helps the fish center up between the other lines. However - when I know we've got a trophy coming in, I have been known to neutral up to help that fish come in.... but still bump forward enough to keep the boards and the other lines running right. I'll usually neutral up right as that fish approaches the back of the boat, especially if he is on the prop wash side (whichever engine I'm running....). Once in the net, forward we go again.
    Capt. Eric Litton
    614-679-2616
    37' Tollycraft "Pirate Clipper"
    www.eriecharter.com
    Lake Erie Fishing Charters
    Lake Erie Walleye Charters
    Lake Erie Charter Fishing

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Capt Eric View Post
    90% of the walleye we bring in are landed with the boat moving the same as when we hooked them up.... trolling big boards, this also helps the fish center up between the other lines. However - when I know we've got a trophy coming in, I have been known to neutral up to help that fish come in.... but still bump forward enough to keep the boards and the other lines running right. I'll usually neutral up right as that fish approaches the back of the boat, especially if he is on the prop wash side (whichever engine I'm running....). Once in the net, forward we go again.

    i troll erie and never stop the boat to bring fish in. but have been known to slow boat down to less than 1 mph then bump in and out of gear as needed to get a big fish boated.

  4. #4
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    Jun 2016
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    Thanks Captain Eric, good points here. Appreciate you sharing your years of expertise.
    Lund 1875 Sport Tyee
    Mercury Pro XS 150 4/stroke
    9.9 Pro Mercury kicker
    IPilot Ulterra 112
    Vessel View 703; Lowrance HD

  5. #5
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    Sherman,
    I'll adopt your technique. Thanks for your reply.
    Makes sense.
    Lund 1875 Sport Tyee
    Mercury Pro XS 150 4/stroke
    9.9 Pro Mercury kicker
    IPilot Ulterra 112
    Vessel View 703; Lowrance HD

  6. #6
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    Sep 2015
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    Just to be clear - I'm never actually stopping the boat.... just bumping in and out of neutral, bringing her to a crawl if necessary. When we get a big one hooked up, we REALLY REALLY want that one in the net!
    Capt. Eric Litton
    614-679-2616
    37' Tollycraft "Pirate Clipper"
    www.eriecharter.com
    Lake Erie Fishing Charters
    Lake Erie Walleye Charters
    Lake Erie Charter Fishing

  7. #7
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    Oct 2015
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    HARROD,OHIO
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    capt. Eric hit that nail right on the head. just keep everything square with the boat but dont stop completely.

  8. #8
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    You can slow down but do not stop.We have even put in neutral and gliding forward for a few seconds when netting a bigger fish.Question for captain Eric.When we have our yearly fishing charter on PoohBear, Keith makes it a point to make sure we never stop reeling or even slow down when bringing in a bigger fish.When on our boat,if a bigger fish starts pulling hard,I will stop reeling till I feel the pressure letting off before reeling in again.I "play" the fish the same as I would if I were casting.Your thoughts and how do you do it on your boat.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by itsbob View Post
    You can slow down but do not stop.We have even put in neutral and gliding forward for a few seconds when netting a bigger fish.Question for captain Eric.When we have our yearly fishing charter on PoohBear, Keith makes it a point to make sure we never stop reeling or even slow down when bringing in a bigger fish.When on our boat,if a bigger fish starts pulling hard,I will stop reeling till I feel the pressure letting off before reeling in again.I "play" the fish the same as I would if I were casting.Your thoughts and how do you do it on your boat.
    My technique - it's all about pressure! Once that fish is hooked up and off the board line - we want to keep the pressure that we're putting on that fish very constant, combined with full 90 degree bend in the rod. With the braided line we use, there is no stretch, we all know that... so it's up to the rod to absorb the jerks and tugs from the fish. My rule of thumb on the rods: you take 45 degrees of bend out and you lose 90% of the effectiveness of the rod. Do we ever stop reeling? Not too much, but again, depends on the pressure. Walleye don't tend to make too many runs, they just seem to shake their heads every now and then when fighting. The whole key is to let the soft rod bend absorb those head shakes, while continuing to inch that fish towards the boat. The rod bend/constant pressure keeps any slack from forming between us and the fish also. There's a million different scenario's - fish could be swimming toward the boat, you'll need to reel faster... big fish just wants to wallow and shake his head, you'll probably be reeling slower. It's not race to get the fish to the boat - but you don't want to delay it any longer than necessary either! The longer he's in his element, and we're in ours - the greater chance of getting away.

    Side note - or slightly off topic of your question maybe??? - Popping the lines off the release clips seems to be the hardest technique to really master... I've had guys want to jerk the rod like their carp fishing, others tap and tap and tap, never hard enough to release it but just enough to cause an earthquake on the tow-line! I personally use a one-handed whip with the rod, but that's the hardest of all to learn - so we try not to encourage customers to do it. We demonstrate the 'rod handle spank'....Here comes the critical part - the very instant that line comes off the clip you MUST take up that slack that was just created!!! Don't do it by reeling!!!!! Simply lift the rod quickly, straight up, and away from the fish, whichever side it's on.... you want to establish that pressure that's so important! Once you taken up that slack, and put some bend in the rod, let the fish center up between the other lines (if necessary...) and then start bringing it towards the boat - steadily!!! Steady pressure - my people hear me say that a million times!

    Hope I've answered your question! By the way - people on my boat will also hear over and over "That's the most important fish of the day!" .....they usually figure out why I'm saying that by about the 28th fish or so......
    Capt. Eric Litton
    614-679-2616
    37' Tollycraft "Pirate Clipper"
    www.eriecharter.com
    Lake Erie Fishing Charters
    Lake Erie Walleye Charters
    Lake Erie Charter Fishing

  10. #10
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    Sep 2010
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    X2 on the rod spank. After my first year of first mating, I would say of the fish lost, a super high percentage occurs between when the rods come out of the holder to getting the fish centered up. I watched customers take the rod from holder and quickly drop rod tip, after the spank off, 8nstantly drop rod tip. Any quick movements is bad......slow and steady. The biggest issue I saw with the spanking off was ppl being too soft it. It's not about how hard it's spanked as if is the speed generated by it. It seems to work best if as the rod come from holder, tip up tI'll at the back of the boat, slowly down with the tip....point the rod at the clip being released much like aiming a gun......I hold the rod with one hand in front of the reel, turn to I'm 90* to the rod, use my other hand to spank the rod handle while letting the rod pivot around the hand I'm holding it in...then quickly bring my pivot hand up to the rod to keep tension on the line as line come out of clip. If the rod doesn't pivot, the actions seems to become a hard pull. Like setting the hook while bass fishing.

    Getting the line right in the clip really effects how it releases, to far back or deep makes it a lot harder to get off. When using rubber band in the clips seems if you stretch the band between your thumb and index finger as clipping thins the band out a little. Also for the outside clips, if they are in the water this also increases how hard it is to release. So take a few seconds and time your strike to when the clip is out of the water.

    Another thing I see that causes lost fish is ppl turning the drags back up, especially on big fish. Seems ppl see they are cranking and not making much headway so the crank the drag and then pop the fish off.

    Remember in the spring when speeds are much slowe than summer, the fish a lot of times won't really be hook up well, more like just riding on the hooks points. This is evidence when betting the fish, the moment the fish touches the net the hook is off. The exact same thing happens if any slack gets in the line.


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