Long-Lining ????

[rowyourboat]

Just read an article where Starks won the elite series event on douglas lake using this technique. So what the heck is it? I've never heard of it

[aclark609]

You cast your crankbait as far as possible then troll in free spool until you have like three hundred yards of line out then reel it all the way back getting your crankbait as deep as 35 feet. I think it's a little silly.

[Gatorbassman]

I've heard it called Strolling and it is a very effective way to catch deep bass. You need to be very careful in a tournament setting because, without a witness you could be called out for trolling which is usually against the rules.

[outdoorsman110]

haha strolling, I do this with my deep divers on the Potomac, I'll kayak the width of the channel and let line out, once I'm to the other side I reel in and usually catch a big un. I wanna catch a 10+ pounder again, I caught my PB when I was 6, " strolling " from the back of the pedal boat. 10lb 15oz

[WookieeJedi]

I always thought of this as trolling, but if you stop the boat before beginning your retrieve, I suppose that is another, albeit harder, way of doing it. I started doing this a long time ago to catch stripers on my home lake. Sometimes I use a jerkbait or a shad rap behind a rubber core or pegged weight. It works with grubs and bucktails too. Cast it out, let it sink to the bottom, and paddle off with the reel in free-spool. Once it is out about 65 yards, I engage the spool and start paddling again. I even have a saved trail in my GPS for it. It isn't exciting, but it is good exercise. A line-sider can really give you a tussle if you spot him a lot of line.

[WookieeJedi]

I caught my PB when I was 6, " strolling " from the back of the pedal boat. 10lb 15oz

My little guy got a nice one like that last year, he was 4 and we were camped at Alatoona Lake in GA. I took him out for an evening paddle, and gave him a rod to hold just to keep him occupied. Next thing I know, it's "Daddy, Daddy!!" He fought him like a champ, though.

[J Francho]

I've always heard the term "strolling" used in the context of drifting. As in, the wind or current is pushing you, and you are dragging a bait, like a tube or drop shot. If you are using the trolling motor to primarily move the bait, then it's trolling plain and simple. Long lining is different. Never really heard of it for divers, but I suppose it might help a little. Thing is, anyone with experience trolling knows that there is a point of diminishing returns with regard to how much line is out with a diver. You get a bow in the line from drag resistance of the water, and the bait will go no further. For instance, with 14# mono, a DD22 will go no deeper than about 18-19 feet. Doesn't matter how much line is out, it just won't go any deeper without help, like added weight, or weighted line. Seems like the benefit would be keeping the bait in the depth zone longer, not running deeper.

Now, long lining a floating swimbait or a frog....now there's a deadly technique.

[basscatcher8]

Now, long lining a floating swimbait or a frog....now there's a deadly technique.

J is that for the same reason you said above that because it sits in the strike zone longer when working teh swimbait or the frog back while long lining?

[J Francho]

It gives super shallow fish a chance to get comfortable, and forget all the negative cues from the boat. For frogs, it's also a cool way to emulate a spooked frog jumping in from shore. I've watch big bass watch the bank, waiting for frogs, especially where people walk.

[NCbassmaster4Life]

I have been doing this for years on a local reservoir, didn't know it was a technique. And it does work. Covers a lot of ground.

[WRB]

Long linning as discribed during the Lake Douglas event is a form of trolling and the angler should have been DQ'd. You are not allowed to move the lure with the aid of the boats forward motion; it called trolling in bass tournament rules.

Making a cast, then moving the boat away from the lure is trolling. You can argue that the line coming off the reel spool isn't moving the lure, but you would be wrong. The water drag on the line will move any lure and gives it some life like movements, attracting bass to strike. Moving the several hundreds yards takes time and during that time period the lure is swimming with the line drag; you are trolling the lure.

When the boat motor stops the baot still moves forward until it comes to a complete stop, continuing to move the lure. You start your retrieve taking up several yards of line bow in the water and could not feel a bass at the end of the line until all the line is tight, the bass may have hooked itself via the line drag and you are just catching up to the fish that you may have hooked while the boat was still moving forward, clearly trolling.

Strolling was at one point in time known as dragging; moving a soft plastic lure along or near the bottom with the aid of the boats forward movement, sometimes controlled with the trolling motor; strolling is also a bass tournament rule violation for most professional bass tournament circuits.

Fun fishing or trophy fishing the angler can do whatever is legal within the states regulations; long linning, trolling, strolling is legal everywhere to the best of my knowledge.

Tom

[WRB]

How deep can a diving run without being weghted? about 18-20 max depth. 300 yards of line doesn't get the lure to run any deeper than 150 feet of FC line. The line drag prevents the lure to run deeper, unless the line is heavy like lead core or monel wire line, then you can get the lure down to 50 to 60 feet with 200 feet of line. There isn't any bass tournament rule that would prevent using lead core or wire linning if you could cast heavy line. You can't cast lead core or monel wire, so it's common practice to troll or "long line" as it was discribed at Lake Douglas.

Tom

[WookieeJedi]

Long linning as discribed during the Lake Douglas event is a form of trolling and the angler should have been DQ'd. You are not allowed to move the lure with the aid of the boats forward motion; it called trolling in bass tournament rules.

Making a cast, then moving the boat away from the lure is trolling. You can argue that the line coming off the reel spool isn't moving the lure, but you would be wrong. The water drag on the line will move any lure and gives it some life like movements, attracting bass to strike. Moving the several hundreds yards takes time and during that time period the lure is swimming with the line drag; you are trolling the lure.

When the boat motor stops the baot still moves forward until it comes to a complete stop, continuing to move the lure. You start your retrieve taking up several yards of line bow in the water and could not feel a bass at the end of the line until all the line is tight, the bass may have hooked itself via the line drag and you are just catching up to the fish that you may have hooked while the boat was still moving forward, clearly trolling.

Strolling was at one point in time known as dragging; moving a soft plastic lure along or near the bottom with the aid of the boats forward movement, sometimes controlled with the trolling motor; strolling is also a bass tournament rule violation for most professional bass tournament circuits.

Fun fishing or trophy fishing the angler can do whatever is legal within the states regulations; long linning, trolling, strolling is legal everywhere to the best of my knowledge.

Tom

This got me to thinking, I have seen plenty of tournament guys fishing spinnerbaits and crankbaits while running their trolling motor simultaneously. Since the boat contributes to the movement of the lure, would this also be considered trolling? Seems like the only difference is the amount of line off the reel.

[bigbassctchr101]

This got me to thinking, I have seen plenty of tournament guys fishing spinnerbaits and crankbaits while running their trolling motor simultaneously. Since the boat contributes to the movement of the lure, would this also be considered trolling? Seems like the only difference is the amount of line off the reel.

Exactly! I think the article that called this "strolling" is wrong by giving it that name. This method had nothing to do with any type of pulling or movement of the bait by a motor (electric or gas) to catch a fish. And, even if the bait was moving due to the electric trolling motor, I think the rules state that trolling is defined as aid from the big gas motor.

I have always called, heard, and understood strolling to be the same as trolling, except using the trolling motor to keep speed, distance, and action all continuous and constant.

Starks was simply casting, then using his trolling motor to get as much line out as possible before he started his retrieve. Yes, I am sure that the lure moved due to drag. But he was fishing in open water off points and humps when he was over here, I'm positive that he didn't get any fish by any movement of the trolling motor to his bait.

[Traveler2586]

This got me to thinking, I have seen plenty of tournament guys fishing spinnerbaits and crankbaits while running their trolling motor simultaneously. Since the boat contributes to the movement of the lure, would this also be considered trolling? Seems like the only difference is the amount of line off the reel.

That would be hard to adjudicate, one could argue they were maintaining position.

I have used a technique using an in-line egg sinker to hold a crank in what I thought was the "strike zone". It was hit and miss; and hard to cast, so I would drift a while before retrieving.

[WRB]

Every fresh water bass tournament org prohibits trolling. Casting a lure behind the boat and then moving the boat away from that lure when it is behind the boat is trolling. You can agrue that you are letting out additional line, but you are trolling as the moves away from your lure under power and if fishing a bass tournament should be DQ'd.

Tom

[NCbassmaster4Life]

What If you are letting your line out and the lure does not move, just the boat...I do believe that's what long-lining is....correct me if I am wrong?

[WookieeJedi]

It seems to me that the spirit of this particular rule is to prohibit the use of the outboard for trolling purposes. If you get into legalism for a rule like this, then every angler is going to need to put down poles or anchor before making a cast. Doesn't sound like much fun, does it? As far as long-lining goes, I use the technique, and it takes time to do; and from what I can tell, time is a precious commodity when fishing a tournament. You need to be very confident that you are on the fish, and that they will take the lure using that presentation. At 10 minutes per cast, that gives you about 6 casts in an hour. It isn't an unfair advantage, it's a gamble.

[Traveler2586]

It's been so long now I can't recall the basic premise behind the objection to trolling, is it a safety issue or what?

[WRB]

The B.A.S.S. tournament rules allows the use of a trolling motor to control the boats movement and maneuver the boat. Everyones knows the difference between manuever the boat and boat control to stay withing casting distance or to stay on top of a deep water structure.

When you cast behind the boat and maneuver away from the lure, you are trolling. Trolling doesn't mean that you are effectively moving the lure, it means you have a lure in the water and intentially move the boat away the lure in an effort to catch fish. How effectively you troll doesn't matter, the fact is your are trolling.

The problem becomes detecting trolling; back seater often "stroll" soft plastics along the bottom, behind the boat and use the boats movement to move the lure. The back seater lets line out, moves the lure a few feet, lets more line out and continues to repeat this drag-pause until the line is out 150 to 300 feet. Strolling became chronic out west during the 80's and you will be DQ'd today in most western tournaments if someone protest.

I think we have dragged this far enough.

Tom

[Osprey39]

It seems to me that the spirit of this particular rule is to prohibit the use of the outboard for trolling purposes. If you get into legalism for a rule like this, then every angler is going to need to put down poles or anchor before making a cast. Doesn't sound like much fun, does it? As far as long-lining goes, I use the technique, and it takes time to do; and from what I can tell, time is a precious commodity when fishing a tournament. You need to be very confident that you are on the fish, and that they will take the lure using that presentation. At 10 minutes per cast, that gives you about 6 casts in an hour. It isn't an unfair advantage, it's a gamble.

Exactly. This is hardly an efficient way of fishing. Not only is the time involved prohibitive but staying on your trolling motor constantly means you will be lucky if your batteries last all day.

[RoLo]

I've always heard the term "strolling" used in the context of drifting. As in, the wind or current is pushing you, and you are dragging a bait, like a tube or drop shot. If you are using the trolling motor to primarily move the bait, then it's trolling plain and simple. Long lining is different. Never really heard of it for divers, but I suppose it might help a little. Thing is, anyone with experience trolling knows that there is a point of diminishing returns with regard to how much line is out with a diver. You get a bow in the line from drag resistance of the water, and the bait will go no further. For instance, with 14# mono, a DD22 will go no deeper than about 18-19 feet. Doesn't matter how much line is out, it just won't go any deeper without help, like added weight, or weighted line. Seems like the benefit would be keeping the bait in the depth zone longer, not running deeper.

Now, long lining a floating swimbait or a frog....now there's a deadly technique.

John Nailed It.

To use his example, if you let out too much line, instead of a plug going deeper it will actually begin to "rise" in the water column as more line is paid out.

One time in the ocean I was trolling a spoon for bluefish, when I noticed a strange surface disturbance far astern of my vessel.

That strange disturbance was my trolled spoon. I paid out way too much braided dacron line and the line bow from cumulative line-drag put the spoon on the surface.

Fish were marking about 35 ft down, so I should've been trolling with lead-core line or monel....that happened later ;-)

Roger

[J Francho]

That's what we called "spinning out." some baits didn't troll well.

[SirSnookalot]

If a boat is under power with a lure trailing I don't see how it can be interpreted any other way than trolling. I personally do not care to have 150'+ line out, I think the chances of getting unbuttoned are increased. I feel there is fatigue factor if you are holding the rod, placing the rod in the rod holder removes any doubt whether you are trolling or not.

I've trolled for bluefish and many other kinds of fish in the ocean, plugs, spoons, streamers quite commonly "bounce" on the surface, that's ok, those fish will come and get it. If you want your lure deeper, use a planer or trolling in line sinker, or slow the boat down a bit.

[bigbassctchr101]

If a boat is under power with a lure trailing I don't see how it can be interpreted any other way than trolling. I personally do not care to have 150'+ line out, I think the chances of getting unbuttoned are increased. I feel there is fatigue factor if you are holding the rod, placing the rod in the rod holder removes any doubt whether you are trolling or not.

I've trolled for bluefish and many other kinds of fish in the ocean, plugs, spoons, streamers quite commonly "bounce" on the surface, that's ok, those fish will come and get it. If you want your lure deeper, use a planer or trolling in line sinker, or slow the boat down a bit.

The boat was not underpower when the lure was retrieved. So the lure wasn't trailing...it was stationary.

He said he retrieved well over 25miles of line. And when watching him, he wasn't using the boat, or motor, to make his retrieve in any way. I just don't see why people are so sore about this method...he got 10-15 cast per hour.

I am a very conservative person when it comes to things. lol But I guess i find myself being much more of a liberal person when it comes to fishing. I think its great that people use their heads, and not bend the rules...but figure out what the rules are really saying. (have you ever taken an IQ test?? you have to really read and think about what the questions are asking.) There isn't books written on how to make a 20ft diver dive 35+. There wasn't a rule saying you couldn't use the trolling motor to move farther from a casted plug. And there wasn't a rule stating that 5 baits tied to a single harness wasn't just one bait. I think it takes people like these guys to really advance fishing. We wouldn't have 7.1:1 reels if someone didn't see a need to make a bait go faster than the 4.3:1's or slower geared reels could make them go or get a retrieve in faster.

*SIRSNOOK- wasn't directing any of that towards you past just saying the boat wasn't under power on retrieve. In no way am I suggesting anything about IQ or furthermore. Just wanted to make that clear when I was going back over it.