Success with storms

[ebijack]

For me, you never really mark the fish in the top 10 to 15 ft of the water column. But 9 out of 10 times, the biggest fish of the day will come from that bait that is running in that top 15 foot. Also way too many times for me, I'm marking plenty of fish suspended, but the bait running just off bottom is the one taking most of the fish. 30 ft is fairly easy to cover, say, 20, 45, 70 and 90 out would do that ( 45 to 70 is only a 4ft difference in depth). Getting bit at 45, bring one rod up shallower to like 35 and see what happens. That's why I cover the water column. For me that's how I dial em in. As the sun comes up, usually so do the active fish. 60 f.o.w is more challenging but we usually have at least one more on board so 6 lines out. But that's my experience.

[Dr.Ed]

I'm flattered so many of you are on this website. It's become a clinic where amateurs and pros can exchange info for the common cause. I learned a long time ago you don't learn very much while you are talking so as soon as the motor turns over, I put my radio in scanner mode and listen intently as I head out. I keep preconceived ideas to a minimum. If I get positive info I may slide over in that direction but never too close out of respect. If a certain
presentation is working for someone, I would be a fool not to try it. To answer some questions, I use 17# green Trilene XT. If I"m running 4 boards and haven't heard any dropback zones, one each at 25', 30', 35' and 40' is a start. If I pick up a fish at one of those distances, the leads will be adjusted accordingly. After 30 minutes without a bite, I will drop the lures back 5-10 ft. more on each pole and if another 30 minutes of silence, I will let out more line. If another half hour goes by and the cooler is not being filled WE MOVE!
I run slow "S" turns at 1.8 to 2.0 mph usually with the wind. Upon catching fish on either the slow side or fast side of the boat, speed is adjusted to try and match what's working. Tomorrow I will start with 800 series Reef Runner Red Hot Tiger and others. I'll let you know what's working. Keep listening.

["chillin"]

What I'm saying is don't just take a stab in the dark and try to cover the entire water column. That could be a bit tough to do with say only 4 lines out fishing 30 feet of water.

Watch your fish finder and see what depth the fish are actually at. Then target your lures to run 2 to 5 feet above them based on the dive curve of the lure you're running. This past weekend I was running 6 lines in 30 feet of water anywhere from 25 to 40 back with 30 to 35 working the best. Play with the speed a bit until you find what they want.

Thats exactly how i do it when im trolling. Watch for marks on the fish finder, try to keep the bait a couple feet above them. I use 10 lb. Mono because its what my dive charts call for. It has done fine .

[Gettin Jiggy]

Thats exactly how i do it when im trolling. Watch for marks on the fish finder, try to keep the bait a couple feet above them. I use 10 lb. Mono because its what my dive charts call for. It has done fine .

I use to run 10 lb mono until I started adding snap weights to RR's and in line boards, hooked up with a couple of big fish and Eaven with the drag set I still lost about $40. Worth of gear when the line broke. Went to 20# mono works great.