Newby needs help with some trolling

[Fish junkie]

Just boat a boat that I am gonna set up to do some trolling this year. I am totally new to this trolling thing. Boat 2 okuma reels and two new rods today and some in line snap weights. Wasn't sure in what kind on mono line to buy. There were several options in the 20lb class but wasn't sure on brand. I always use stren and suffix for my bass fishing in my other boat. Are these two brands ok for trolling? Wasn't sure on line color as well. I always use low vis green is this color ok? Any help would greatly be appreciated

[Fishing Tiger]

It sounds like you are off to a good start.
Both are respected brands of line and low vis green is also good. When using mono, we use 15 #. We personally use 30# braid, but 15# mono is also a good choice for starting and is cheaper and easier to work with.

Do you have planer boards?

Also it is important to make sure your boat can troll slow enough. We troll as slow as 1 MPH in early Spring.

[Fish junkie]

Don't have any boards yet. My new boat doesn't have a kicker motor, but I did buy two drift/trolling socks that are a size bigger than I need for the boat to help with the speed if I need to. I haven't even had the boat out at all yet. Bought it at a dealer in November and had it wrapped and put into winter storage. It has a 5.0 Merc. Thanks for the help

[itsbob]

We have been using 15# Maxima ultragreen mono for past 8yrs and its worked well for me and my friends.Offshore inline planer boards are also a good addition to start your trolling.

[Fish junkie]

Thank you look into that brand as well. So I don't need to use 20lb. I can drop to 15lb? The other gentleman said that as well. I don't know why I had in my head that I needed to use 20lb. Great information guys. I really appreciate it

[itsbob]

The higher the pound test,the thicker the line.The diameter of your line will affect the height of your lures in the water.The thicker the line,the higher the lures will run.Most of the best, most experienced trollers actually use 10# or 12# test mono.The reason they use that low test mono is because most of the dive curve charts use a 10# diameter mono when making those charts.You could still use 20# line but i think 15# is best for a beginner to trolling.I really have never had our line break,so 15#is plenty strong enough.The thicker line also helps with releases holding onto the line and its easier to get your lines untangled.

[slimshady]

Regarding line size, I use 15 lb flouro on my trolling reels. One thing to keep in mind is that the Precision Trolling App that has dive-curves for just about anything you can imagine, is based on 10 lb test Trilene XT. They also have a curve for 30 lb braid. Therefore, if you want to be super precise, you should find a line that has a diameter that is the same as 10 lb XT.

That said, I think your first priority should be to get your boat set-up for trolling properly. Here's a list of items that you should ideally have for trolling on Erie:

• Rod holders - If you can get 6 or more, do so. You don't need to go super expensive though. I have the Cabelas brand (aka Scotty's) and they work great. I think they are about $25 each and they come with the base. I have pulled magnum dipseys with those things @ 3.5 mph, so don't let anyone tell you they aren't durable enough. Your rod would break long before they will.
• Kicker motor - You need a way to control your speed when trolling. Since you don't have a kicker, you can do that with multiple drift-socks. I would get two, one for each side. That said, I would never feel comfortable fishing on Erie or any large body of water without a kicker. There have been several times when I have needed it to get back home (over the course of my various boats) and I was happy to have it. It is obviously great to have for trolling as well.
• Trolling motor - I would say this is more of a "nice to have", but boy are they nice to have. I use my electric to troll downwind when we can get away with speeds under 1.5 mph. When I have to go faster, I will start the kicker. I still use the electric for minor speed changes and for steering/auto-pilot. The Minn-kota line-up Terrova/Ulterra/Ultrex are all really nice. I have a used Terrova (24V, 80 lb thrust, iPilot) that I will be selling, so let me know if you are interested. I upgraded to the Ultrex this year.
• Planer boards- If you are going to be trolling anywhere on big water, then planer boards are a must. Ideally, you would have as many boards as you have rod-holders, but get at least 2-4 to start with. I wrote an article about big boards vs in-line planers that may be helpful. Here's a link to it: https://slimshadycustoms.com/blogs/n...-planer-boards
• Electronics- One of the most important pieces of equipment for most trollers is our graph/sonar unit. If you are going to be fishing big-water, then you will need one with GPS mapping too. Without good electronics you are fishing blind. Sure you can catch fish without them, but it would be so much harder.

I know this stuff is expensive, so you may have to pick a few things up here and there until you have it all.

For some pointers on methods to catch them depending on the season, etc. I will be posting another article in the next day or so that should be helpful.

Cheers and good luck!

[cohoho]

Scotty’s will work but if you can afford racheting rod holders like cannons, they are worth it. I mainly fish Lake Michigan in my 25’er with Erie once a year. The racheting allows my to run wire dipsies.

another must for electronics is a radar. They can also get really expensive but there are some lower cost stand alone units that work just fine. I used to fish in dense fog and dark w/o radar, got one then realized how extremely lucky I was before. Radar can save your life! Bonus is, I can launch when everyone is waiting for the fog to lift…

my 2 cents.

BOAT = bust out another thousand (but it’s awesome good fun rigging a boat).

[Fish junkie]

Thanks everyone for the info. Greatly appreciated

[Bnature]

Just boat a boat that I am gonna set up to do some trolling this year. I am totally new to this trolling thing. Boat 2 okuma reels and two new rods today and some in line snap weights. Wasn't sure in what kind on mono line to buy. There were several options in the 20lb class but wasn't sure on brand. I always use stren and suffix for my bass fishing in my other boat. Are these two brands ok for trolling? Wasn't sure on line color as well. I always use low vis green is this color ok? Any help would greatly be appreciated

Already commented on was if you want to use Precision Trolling Data app, go with the line they suggest or comparable diameter. Plus, you have to calibrate your reels. Most pros do this and catch plenty of fish, most recreational anglers don't, probably should, but they still catch plenty of fish.

Haven't got any planer boards? Great! If all you want are walleye fillets, go with in-line planers. In lines are easy to use. If you actually want a bit of enjoyment when reeling in the fish (reeling in a fish on an inline isn't fun) then learn to use big boards. It's not rocket science, but it takes a bit more time to figure out how to use them seamlessly. It's called sportfishing for a reason. It's supposed to be sporty!