Trolling For Lmb

[Loop_Dad]

Who here regularly troll for LMB?

[Sam]

Probably very few, if any.

 

Trolling is illegal in BASS and FLW.

 

The other techniques are much better for largemouth bass than trolling.

[Loop_Dad]

I had never thought about it until the book 'spoonpluggin' by Buck Perry that I am reading right now. I was just wondering. Didn't know they were outlawed in certain organizations.

[bmac31]

Ive trolled for lake trout. Not my cup of tea, i was pretty bored. To each there own. I guess its not to bad if you just wanna relax and hopefully land a huge trout.

Brian

[rmcguirk]

Sometime, when I'm kayak fishing, I'll throw out a crank bait when I'm moving from spot to spot. I've caught all sorts of fish that way, including LMB, SMB, pike, pickerel, trout, sunfish, and perch. Strikes are usually pretty violent.

[Team9nine]

Regularly, no, but occasionally, yes. Like any other technique, there are times and places when it excels. Most all of the well known big bass chasers from out west have used trolling methods to help catch some of their biggest bass.

 

-T9

[flyfisher]

Sometime, when I'm kayak fishing, I'll throw out a crank bait when I'm moving from spot to spot. I've caught all sorts of fish that way, including LMB, SMB, pike, pickerel, trout, sunfish, and perch. Strikes are usually pretty violent.

Same experience here.  I have caught quite a few along channel edges and then marked the spot, anchored up and caught a few more  

[Darren.]

Sometime, when I'm kayak fishing, I'll throw out a crank bait when I'm moving from spot to spot. I've caught all sorts of fish that way, including LMB, SMB, pike, pickerel, trout, sunfish, and perch. Strikes are usually pretty violent.

 

LOL. I tell ya. I've never caught anything trolling from my kayak. But on occasion, I will troll a crank or something while moving from spot to spot. Nothin'...

 

But no big deal. I usually nab 'em with soft plastics anyhow.

[WRB]

Trolling for LMB is common with both crankbaits and A-rigs. There is a A-rig Vedio recently posted on this site.

Outside of yor sonar unit the fastest method to locate active feeding bass is by trolling. More tournament anglers troll than you realize, some team tournament angers use the boats forward motion while dragging lures behind the boat while the front seater is fishing with the trolling motor. Trolling is technically illegal during some tournaments depending on rule interpretation.

Before we had electric trolling motors, we used small outboard motors to troll deep diving plugs called crankbaits today. The Smallmouth world record bass was caught trolling a plug.

When I teach new bass anglers to use a crankbait, I troll them. It's a lot easier to learn what strikes feel like when you are covering the right depth for several hundred yards at a time, then just a few feet during a cast.

Today's bass anglers may look down their noses at trolling, but it takes the same skill to catch LMB as any other presentation because you still need to put the lure in front of active bass.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I used to troll when all I had was my 2 man. When I was moving from one spot to another it was a way to pass the time and occasionally revealed deep water holding areas to me. Now that I have a boat with an outboard I can't stand the boredom of trolling, although it can be extremely effective at times. 

[Catt]

Y'all know why trolling is outlawed in tournaments?

The same reason the Alabama Rig is!

[roadwarrior]

Y'all know why trolling is outlawed in tournaments?

The same reason the Alabama Rig is!

 

There is no better combination!

 

Trolling The Rig will locate the bass, then stop and "fish". 

[livetofish28]

I open my bail when fishing a crankbait and run the trolling motor till my spool is almost empty and then just crank the crankbait back to the boat which gets the crankbait down to maximum depth I tried if after reading an article written by JVD I think

Tight lines

Andrew

[Spoonplugger4Life]

  Keep Reading Mr. Perry's Book there young man! U are on the right track... When U finish it, let me recommend his expanded series, 9 volumes of 'workbook like' versions to better help U understand Everything Buck is saying.  As U can see, some of the replies here are from those who don't know who Buck is/was, nor his contributions to fishing.  There is more to fishing, even Bass Fishing, than just Tournaments... your personal satisfaction or putting family members on fish is another.  Quite a funny reply on here that there are better techniques when U look at his signature comments about "Ignorance can be corrected. Stupid lasts a lifetime",  we can see how it lasts a lifetime. Or another that comments he was bored, he wasn't really trolling, just dragging a lure behing the boat. It is OK, however, 'cause U don't know what U don't know, But now U have the Single greatest source of Fishing Knowledge in front of U, so U will know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How if U 'Study' Spoonplugging.  I mean it is more than a 1 Time Read... re-read it, study, & apply it, then more of it will make sense, when U read it again!  

   Trolling was made illegal in Tounament Fishing to prevent the Spoonpluggers from winning all the Tournaments, since they had already shown this to be the case, & the numbers of entries declined especially if they knew Spoonpluggers were attending.  Trolling is our Teacher, as Buck Says... but understand Buck's definition of Trolling vs. just dragging a lure thru the water behind the boat. A couple others here have the right idea, locate the fish trolling, then stop & cast to catch more, but only if the Depth & Speed can be duplicated to make the fish Strike.  Some Situations, the Depth & Speed required cannot be achieved on the cast, & Trolling is the only way to make the Catch. What we must do to put the fish on the Stringer/in the Boat is our concern... I would definitely read what Tom has to say on here... he undertands that successful Trolling can be more difficult that just casting one's arm off all day long at whatever can be seen. The Commercialism side of the industry drives many to things they just don't need... fish don't care how fast your boat is, how much your rod cost, or how many lures/rods, Big Screen sized depth finders is on your boat. 

    Most will not want to put in the time & effort to become a successful Spoonplugger... they still believe that Success can be purchased w/this years new hot lure or device, etc.etc.  They will never know the Thrill & Satisfaction of Catching 10, 20, 30, 50 or more fish (any Game Fish) on Consecutive Cast or Trolling Passes... which is just one of our goals.   Knowledge is the Key to Success, & U are well on your way...   So as Buck would say,   Good Fishing Always 

[Loop_Dad]

  Keep Reading Mr. Perry's Book there young man! U are on the right track... When U finish it, let me recommend his expanded series, 9 volumes of 'workbook like' versions to better help U understand Everything Buck is saying.  As U can see, some of the replies here are from those who don't know who Buck is/was, nor his contributions to fishing.  There is more to fishing, even Bass Fishing, than just Tournaments... your personal satisfaction or putting family members on fish is another.  Quite a funny reply on here that there are better techniques when U look at his signature comments about "Ignorance can be corrected. Stupid lasts a lifetime",  we can see how it lasts a lifetime. Or another that comments he was bored, he wasn't really trolling, just dragging a lure behing the boat. It is OK, however, 'cause U don't know what U don't know, But now U have the Single greatest source of Fishing Knowledge in front of U, so U will know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How if U 'Study' Spoonplugging.  I mean it is more than a 1 Time Read... re-read it, study, & apply it, then more of it will make sense, when U read it again!  

   Trolling was made illegal in Tounament Fishing to prevent the Spoonpluggers from winning all the Tournaments, since they had already shown this to be the case, & the numbers of entries declined especially if they knew Spoonpluggers were attending.  Trolling is our Teacher, as Buck Says... but understand Buck's definition of Trolling vs. just dragging a lure thru the water behind the boat. A couple others here have the right idea, locate the fish trolling, then stop & cast to catch more, but only if the Depth & Speed can be duplicated to make the fish Strike.  Some Situations, the Depth & Speed required cannot be achieved on the cast, & Trolling is the only way to make the Catch. What we must do to put the fish on the Stringer/in the Boat is our concern... I would definitely read what Tom has to say on here... he undertands that successful Trolling can be more difficult that just casting one's arm off all day long at whatever can be seen. The Commercialism side of the industry drives many to things they just don't need... fish don't care how fast your boat is, how much your rod cost, or how many lures/rods, Big Screen sized depth finders is on your boat. 

    Most will not want to put in the time & effort to become a successful Spoonplugger... they still believe that Success can be purchased w/this years new hot lure or device, etc.etc.  They will never know the Thrill & Satisfaction of Catching 10, 20, 30, 50 or more fish (any Game Fish) on Consecutive Cast or Trolling Passes... which is just one of our goals.   Knowledge is the Key to Success, & U are well on your way...   So as Buck would say,   Good Fishing Always 

 

Thanks, it's been awhile since I was called a young-man Anyhow, what is the name of his 9 volume material? Didn't come up anything on eBay...

[Spoonplugger4Life]

^{Its referred to as the "Home Study Guide", & while U can find them from time to time on Ebay, U can go get it direct from the Source, Buck's Baits is still kickin'! BuckPerry.com will get U there, Scott has run it since Buck's passing in '05, & usually has some specials where U can get the Home Study Guide along w/some Spoonplugs, &/or other "Tools" Buck designed to do the Job.  Sharing the Knowledge is part of Spoonplugging, which is just the opposite of most all fisherman that are not trying to sell U anything.  Buck's Teachings have withstood the Test of Time since he focused on Facts, & not what some might have thought or liked. He mapped lakes using his Spoonplugs before the days of satelite photos... & the fish just got in the way! Another Great way to Accelerate the Learning Curve, is to find a Active Spoonplugging Club U can Attend meetings & local as well as national outings! These gatherings of Spoonpluggers allows one to benefit from their years of experience w/any difficulties they might run into... The Clubs are not as prevelent as they used to be, but there are still several around, just hoping that U are geograophically located to make it easy to join & attend. NSOA, is the National Spoonpluggers of America, & is headed up by Mrs. Perry, 'Jeri', along w/the help of Buck's right hand man, Terry O'Malley, who is in charge of education & our Senior CSI, Certified Spoonplugging Instructor.  There are several CSI's that are also available for on the water lessons for someone that would really like to jump start their Spoonplugging. Be sure to look for the links to other Spoonplugger sites!}

[Dwight Hottle]

  Keep Reading Mr. Perry's Book there young man! U are on the right track... When U finish it, let me recommend his expanded series, 9 volumes of 'workbook like' versions to better help U understand Everything Buck is saying.  As U can see, some of the replies here are from those who don't know who Buck is/was, nor his contributions to fishing.  There is more to fishing, even Bass Fishing, than just Tournaments... your personal satisfaction or putting family members on fish is another.  Quite a funny reply on here that there are better techniques when U look at his signature comments about "Ignorance can be corrected. Stupid lasts a lifetime",  we can see how it lasts a lifetime. Or another that comments he was bored, he wasn't really trolling, just dragging a lure behing the boat. It is OK, however, 'cause U don't know what U don't know, But now U have the Single greatest source of Fishing Knowledge in front of U, so U will know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How if U 'Study' Spoonplugging.  I mean it is more than a 1 Time Read... re-read it, study, & apply it, then more of it will make sense, when U read it again!  

   Trolling was made illegal in Tounament Fishing to prevent the Spoonpluggers from winning all the Tournaments, since they had already shown this to be the case, & the numbers of entries declined especially if they knew Spoonpluggers were attending.  Trolling is our Teacher, as Buck Says... but understand Buck's definition of Trolling vs. just dragging a lure thru the water behind the boat. A couple others here have the right idea, locate the fish trolling, then stop & cast to catch more, but only if the Depth & Speed can be duplicated to make the fish Strike.  Some Situations, the Depth & Speed required cannot be achieved on the cast, & Trolling is the only way to make the Catch. What we must do to put the fish on the Stringer/in the Boat is our concern... I would definitely read what Tom has to say on here... he undertands that successful Trolling can be more difficult that just casting one's arm off all day long at whatever can be seen. The Commercialism side of the industry drives many to things they just don't need... fish don't care how fast your boat is, how much your rod cost, or how many lures/rods, Big Screen sized depth finders is on your boat. 

    Most will not want to put in the time & effort to become a successful Spoonplugger... they still believe that Success can be purchased w/this years new hot lure or device, etc.etc.  They will never know the Thrill & Satisfaction of Catching 10, 20, 30, 50 or more fish (any Game Fish) on Consecutive Cast or Trolling Passes... which is just one of our goals.   Knowledge is the Key to Success, & U are well on your way...   So as Buck would say,   Good Fishing Always 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your insight. I read Mr Perry's book way back when and he pretty much hit it on the nose. I even bought two different colors of his spoonplugs in the full series from small to large. I still have a few laying around in my boat garage. People that don't understand trolling often don't understand fishing or should I say catching.

[Jar11591]

I actually had a ton of luck trolling for largemouth this past summer. Most of the lakes i fish are small so we always do at least a couple trolling runs around the lake. Its a great way to locate fish. Even caught three 30+ inch Northern Pike and a dozen big bluegill and crappie. Another great thing about trolling is you run the lure by so many different fish, you never know what is gonna be at the end of your line.

[SirSnookalot]

As a kid we had a cottage on an 1100 acre lake.  Before I had an OB I rowed and trolled the drop off around the lake.  Caught bass and other species too, I always enjoyed rowing and fishing.

[Crestliner2008]

I'm a firm believer in the productivity of the Spoonplugging presentation and study. First read his book back in the early 70's. What he had to say then is still viable today. Although I don't troll much anymore, I've caught some dandy smallmouth on Spoonplugs in the river, over the years. I still carry a set with me when I go out....but haven't used them much. Not sure why either!

[Catt]

Back in the early 70s I spent 40 hours in a classroom & our teacher was Mr Perry. But what we learned during breaks & lunch was not in a book. I did troll quit a bit but it was with Hellbenders & Mudbugs.

[Ratherbfishing]

When the bass seem to be scattered and/or suspending deep and I cannot reach them (depth-wise) with a regular cast, I'll troll.  It's a great way to cover a lot of water and pick off the active biters.  I catch a fair number of crappie this way, too.  And if I'm on a trolling-motor only lake, it's a great way to maximize my time when I'm moving from point A to point B.  (Can't catch fish if your lure isn't in the water).

[Loop_Dad]

Any of you use special equipment to troll? Buck Perry was saying something like use 4' stout rod, but that's yestayears standard and today people use a bit different kind of equipments I assume. I'm thinking about give trolling a shot with a H rod I have...

[WRB]

You can troll with your standard tackle, the boat moves the lure instead of the reel.

If you plan to troll deep diving large style spoon bill crankbaits, than a heavy crankbait rod is appropriate.

Medium divers a med/heavy crankbait rod works good.

Spoon plugs are a metal diving lure similar to how a Lazy Ike achieves diving depth.

Good luck.

Tom

[Catt]

All I can say is set your drag kind of light cause ya gonna get hung up & ya aint gonna have time to push a button.