First time trollers

[Domers98]

Hello,

Posted this in the General Discussion area and did really get anyone to respond...so i'll try here...

-Will be on south bass

Going to be launching outta the state park June 22-29. We usually drift fish, although we are all set up to try some trolling. We are looking for some advice as far as a good starting point. We have dipsys, Jets, and Church inline boards, spoons, RR's, harnesses, etc........any advice on what would be the easiest to start with, or area to start would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[wakina]

That is 3 weeks away, and a lot can change by then. I suggest following the reports for the next two weeks then re posting your question. As to many things can change between now and then. to give you an Accurate starting place now.

[Domers98]

Obviously I know fish patterns are going to change, was really asking about where to start as far as what will be the easiest to start with, as far as equipment for a first timer for trolling

[rollin-n-trollin]

Jets with spoons I use a 4 to 5 foot leader. Dont know if you have line counters but they will be extremely helpful. Your depth and speed are your main things to worry about. Colors of spoons for me anyway was never an issue. Hope this helps.

[Domers98]

Yes we do have line counters, thanks for your info!

[Dr.Ed]

3 weeks from now things will surely change but here is what worked for me today. I run Church Walleye side planers, 27LC Diawa reels spooled with 20 lb Trilene XT, 40 Jet Divers and the small Scorpian Stinger spoons on a 5' lead, also 20 lb Trilene. 45' to 55' leads off the boards which I run out 70' to 100' from the boat which is cruising at 1.7 - 2.0 mph. The colors today were Jager Bomb, Helmut and Chartreuse PoohBear. all bright colors. With the fairly strong southerly flow of air, I started at "E" can and trolled north toward Niagara. Just passed Green Island I was done and I never lost a fish. Listen on Ch. 79. You should hear everything you need to know without asking a single question. Good luck and stay dry.....

[Domers98]

Thank you Dr. Ed! I will continue to monitor the reports leading up to the trip, I have researched the trolling aspect a lot and my uncle and I are pretty confident we will be fine...any other advice is greatly appreciated

[skipper9]

Hello,

Posted this in the General Discussion area and did really get anyone to respond...so i'll try here...

-Will be on south bass

Going to be launching outta the state park June 22-29. We usually drift fish, although we are all set up to try some trolling. We are looking for some advice as far as a good starting point. We have dipsys, Jets, and Church inline boards, spoons, RR's, harnesses, etc........any advice on what would be the easiest to start with, or area to start would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

If you want you can give me a call a couple days before you start fishing and I will give you all the info you need... 614.327.7144...

[Domers98]

Thanks skip!

[slimshady]

I have trolled all types of baits and set-ups and my favorite way to catch them trolling is with spinners and crawlers. I primarily fish for the sport and the fight, so I much prefer the slower trolling speeds that you use with harnesses. Pulling Jets and spoons is very productive, for sure, however, it is all personal preference.

Before I can give you a specific recommendation, I would need to know if you plan on trolling with a bow-mounted electric (like a Terrova), or if you will use a kicker or big motor?

I normally troll my spinners at 1 - 1.5 mph with 1 - 2 oz. in-line weights. I run some out behind off-shore boards and some straight back. The ones that are straight back, I normally run deeper than the ones out to the sides. I pull spinners with a Terrova iPilot, which allows you to get very precise with the speeds, etc. If you can't do that, you might want to run a couple drift socks to help dial-in the speeds. I have found that it helps to change speeds often. With the iPilot, I will bump my speed up to 1.5 from 1.2 and leave it for a minute, then drop it back down. Sometimes I go the other way. It is amazing how often they hit when you do that. Sometimes all 4 rods will go off at once. You can also try slow, wide S turns to get the same effect. Be careful not to go too tight of turns or you may tangle everything. Be careful not to go much further behind your boards than it is deep. Otherwise you risk fouling your hooks with zebra mussels on the way out. It also helps to speed up the boat when setting the lines, then drop it down.

If I am pulling spoons and jets or mini-disks, I will use my kicker to push along with the terrova for steering and precise speed changes. With spoons, I will typically troll anywhere from 1.8 - 2.5 mph.

Some days, 90% of the fish will come from the boards. Other days the boat rods will do well. It really depends if they are high in the water column or not. When they are up high, it is very tough to catch them straight behind the boat, as the boat seems to spook high fish out to the sides.

If you are pulling boards with spinners and meat, it is critical to have the spring loaded "tattle flags" on your boards, otherwise you might pull a white perch around for an hour. If you are pulling spoons, I normally just leave my reels on clicker and have the drag just tight enough so the board won't pull it out. That way, when a fish hits, you will hear the reel click. It usually clicks even for smaller fish.

By the way, it pays to go with a guide that fishes the with the methods that you are going to use first. There are so many little details that you will pick up, plus you will gain a ton of confidence in the system.