Trolling for bass, good or evil?

[Way2slow]

Not my cup of tea, too hard to do it right and it's hard on a big motor.  On rare occasions I troll for stripers but I put my 4hp on beside the big motor and have it so it steers with the big motor.  When I was a kid that was the only way I knew because that was the way everybody that took me fished.  I didn't like it and when I got where I go on my own, I cast.

[fishwizzard]

Living by the Chesapeake bay, most of the local kayak fishing scene is all about trolling for striped bass. I enjoy casting and working a lure enough that trolling holds little appeal to me, but then again I don't catch nearly as many fish as the trolling guys.  

 

I do usually flip a weedless lure over the side when moving form spot to spot when bass fishing.  I rarely catch anything, but get the occasional bass out of it.  Some of the larger resivors I fish have some large catfish in them so this year I might try trolling a jighead with a Slimjim rigged like a shakyhead to see if I can catch one.  

 

[Hawkeye21]

It's nice to see more people who don't see it as a big deal.  This topic opened up a lengthy debate with Kayak Bass Fishing.  Currently trolling motors and trolling lures is allowed in their kayak tournaments.  Some feel that it's cheating, not ethical or just wrong for the sport of kayak fishing.  There just seems to be some kayak bass fishing purists that feel a kayak has to only be self propelled only and that trolling for bass in general is not what bass fishing is about.

 

I told them that I had no issue with it not being allowed since it's not one of my main techniques but I feel no reason to ban it if their isn't a valid reason too.  Most of their reasons were because the bass boat tourneys don't allow it or that they just personally didn't like it.  To me those are not valid reasons.

[J Francho]

For the most part, propulsion is an advantage because of covering distance quickly without physical exertion.  That's where much of the debate lies. Trolling lures is slow, and not really an advantage in a kayak.  It's more of a secondary debate.

[Hawkeye21]

21 minutes ago, J Francho said:

For the most part, propulsion is an advantage because of covering distance quickly without physical exertion.  That's where much of the debate lies. Trolling lures is slow, and not really an advantage in a kayak.  It's more of a secondary debate.

 

Advantage over who though?  Every angler is allowed to do it.  Just the same as every angler has the ability to use a pedal kayak instead of paddles or use a fish finder with side imaging or a power pole anchor system.

[J Francho]

It's a case of the haves and the have nots.  I would prefer to lump paddles and pedals in one group, and powered in another.  Just because every angler has the right to use the equipment doesn't mean they can afford or want to use the equipment.  Some got into kayak fishing for the purity and simplicity of a non mechanical fishing platform.  It's only natural to take it to the next phase: competition.  In competition, any advantage, within the rules, will be concocted.  Pedal is an advantage of paddle, but not as much as a motor.  Once you put a motor on a kayak, it ceases to be a kayak, and becomes a personal motor boat.  It's only a matter of time when something marketed as a kayak (which, BTW, is the rule for what is allowed as a kayak in competition), has a hull engineered for speeds and power, much higher than we've seen offered. Not a trolling motor, but a light, powerful, outboard style motor.  I don't begrudge this at all - just the opposite.  It's really cool, and I dig the new technology.  But sorry, it ain't kayak fishing.  I think what will happen down the road, either no one will paddle a kayak in competition, there will be separate divisions, or someone will branch out and start their own "powerless" series.  Whatever direction this goes, it's not going away, and can only evolve.  After having been in this movement for well over a decade, it's progression has been amazing.  I may even be totally wrong on what I think will happen.  I remember thinking this competition thing would never grow to what happened last weekend - $40k+ purse for the winner of a national competition. 

[WRB]

The only place trolling isn't allowed is during bass tournaments with rules agianst it. Prior to 1968 when BASS Ray Scott's tournament rules disallowed trolling and the use of live bait, trolling and live bait fishing was a common practice for bass fishing. Today with a few generations of anglers growing up watching bass tournaments and local club events adopting BASS rules, trolling and live bait fishing has become thought as cheating or unsportsmanlike behavior.

like any other presentation of lures trolling requires skill to keep a lure in the strike zone at the right pace to catch bass consistently. I know several tournament bass anglers that trolling lures like deep diving crank baits to locate bass and figure out what lure and color is working better than others prior to a tournament because it can save time. The practice of strolling crosses the tournament rules, letting out over a hundred yards of line using the trolling motor then retreiving a lure or dragging a bottom contact lure like jigs and worms using the trolling is a common practice with tournament bass anglers, it's OK to bend the rules. 

Recreational or weekend bass anglers can troll for any fish specie if the use legal techniques within thier states fishing regulations. 

Tom

PS, the world record Smallmouth bass was caught trolling.

 

[Team9nine]

Trolling for bass = good ? If it was allowed on Tour, you'd see at least 1 or 2 events won with the technique. As it is, they already push the limits to that end of the spectrum in certain events. Also good to see politics and BS making its way into yakkin' tourneys - it will only get worse 

[J Francho]

1 minute ago, Team9nine said:

Also good to see politics and BS making its way into yakkin' tourneys - it will only get worse 

 

I remember thinking "Kayak bass fishing tournaments? Catch and release?  Oh boy, this will be interesting."

 

I gotta hand to the guys at TourneyX.  They came up with a good solution for this.

[J Francho]

BTW, I think it's safe to say, this is big league stuff now:

 

 

[Hawkeye21]

33 minutes ago, J Francho said:

It's a case of the haves and the have nots.  I would prefer to lump paddles and pedals in one group, and powered in another.  Just because every angler has the right to use the equipment doesn't mean they can afford or want to use the equipment.  Some got into kayak fishing for the purity and simplicity of a non mechanical fishing platform.  It's only natural to take it to the next phase: competition.  In competition, any advantage, within the rules, will be concocted.  Pedal is an advantage of paddle, but not as much as a motor.  Once you put a motor on a kayak, it ceases to be a kayak, and becomes a personal motor boat.  It's only a matter of time when something marketed as a kayak (which, BTW, is the rule for what is allowed as a kayak in competition), has a hull engineered for speeds and power, much higher than we've seen offered. Not a trolling motor, but a light, powerful, outboard style motor.  I don't begrudge this at all - just the opposite.  It's really cool, and I dig the new technology.  But sorry, it ain't kayak fishing.  I think what will happen down the road, either no one will paddle a kayak in competition, there will be separate divisions, or someone will branch out and start their own "powerless" series.  Whatever direction this goes, it's not going away, and can only evolve.  After having been in this movement for well over a decade, it's progression has been amazing.  I may even be totally wrong on what I think will happen.  I remember thinking this competition thing would never grow to what happened last weekend - $40k+ purse for the winner of a national competition. 

 

I agree that once the sport is large enough there will most likely be separate divisions.  Right now it's still in it's infant stage as for competitions.  I can't afford a $3,000 kayak that pedals or a micro power pole.  I have a trolling motor I could rig up but I don't really want to.  Right now I just have a $500 fishing kayak with the usual mods and a nice fish finder.  I don't have any issue going up against the guys with the better rigs because in the end it all comes down to fishing ability.

[J Francho]

$100K in payouts, over 350 qualifying anglers for the national championship.  Hardly "infancy" phase.  These leagues have matured quickly.

[Hawkeye21]

4 minutes ago, J Francho said:

BTW, I think it's safe to say, this is big league stuff now:

 

 

 

Very big league stuff now.  It will be even larger next year.  I followed the whole tourney last week and they still have plenty of kinks that need to be worked out but it's pretty awesome.  I just started kayak fishing last year and started fishing online tourneys this year.  I'm currently in a month long state tourney and I'm really enjoying it.  It just adds that extra level of excitement but not to the extreme a one day, boat tourney does.

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

$100K in payouts, over 350 qualifying anglers for the national championship.  Hardly "infancy" phase.  These leagues have matured quickly.

 

Just because it's large right now doesn't mean it's not in it's early stages.  They are still learning a lot and tweaking the rules.  It has a ways to go yet to be a well oiled machine but they are doing well.  It got really big really fast.

[J Francho]

Yeah, the last five years has been pretty wild.  I remember being on the phone with Chad Hoover years ago, and he was discussing what he saw for the future.  He's an ambitious guy. 

 

Are you in a state series linked to the national championship?  I made it through two years ago, but didn't go.  Another member here competed, @clayton86.  He didn't finish very high, but learned a lot.

[Hawkeye21]

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

Yeah, the last five years has been pretty wild.  I remember being on the phone with Chad Hoover years ago, and he was discussing what he saw for the future.  He's an ambitious guy. 

 

Are you in a state series linked to the national championship?  I made it through two years ago, but didn't go.  Another member here competed, @clayton86.  He didn't finish very high, but learned a lot.

 

Yep.  I'm signed up in one of the KBF State tourneys.  I don't expect to do much but like the feeling of competition.  If I did earn a spot in next year's championship I'm not sure if I'd go or not.  That's a bit over my head.

[J Francho]

If you're using TourneyX, it's pretty exciting.  Good luck!

[Hawkeye21]

Just now, J Francho said:

If you're using TourneyX, it's pretty exciting.  Good luck!

 

Thanks!  I knew I'd be really busy this month but I was excited and signed up for it anyway.  I was able to fish last Saturday and get my 5 fish to put myself in 2nd place early.  I'm not sure the next time I'll be able to get out again.  Probably not until next weekend.

[Clinton john]

I don't see a reason to think it a bad move for bass fishing, we use to troll for white perch when I was a kid on Toledo Bend in front Red's point but that was years ago.

 

For me I don't think it would be worth while money wise to try and troll for bass on the Bend to many stumps and would lose too many baits, but I'm sure there are guys that have figured out how to do it and catch some nice bass doing it.

 

 

[clayton86]

23 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Yeah, the last five years has been pretty wild.  I remember being on the phone with Chad Hoover years ago, and he was discussing what he saw for the future.  He's an ambitious guy. 

 

Are you in a state series linked to the national championship?  I made it through two years ago, but didn't go.  Another member here competed, @clayton86.  He didn't finish very high, but learned a lot.

 That's putting it mildly lol. I got my butt kicked. Struggled to say the least. Coming from fishing small tributaries chasing smallies to a giant lake in high winds I was completely out of my element. I did learn a lot and will be back next year hopefully I'll earn a spot threw challenges and the month longs. I've given up our state events other than the cayuga trail stop. 

 

I finished 296/359 and 130th in the hbbb with a 18.5" large mouth I got in the last hour of the last day. 

[jimf]

If it's legal, it's fine by me.  

[Further North]

I look at trolling as neither good nor evil...just duller than a cheap knife dragged blade down across a six lane highway.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

 

The fact that trolling and The Rig cannot be used in tournament fishing might be your first clues.

Both are VERY productive, especially in combination. If you are struggling, give it a try and as

J Francho suggested, when you get bit stop and fish the area with other techniques.

 

Find 'em, catch 'em!

 

[flechero]

Although I rarely troll- I learned and invested time in it years ago... done right, it's incredibly effective!  THose who bag on it, either don't understand it or don't know how to do it.  It's a lot more interactive than blindly chucking a stinking rattle trap.  You need to know your terrain, targets and depths but also have to manage turning radius and line angles as you navigate to keep bait in and on target areas.

 

I used to troll one particular lake that had a series of planted plies in the 30' range- they were so pressured that it was near impossible to catch on jig or plastic but they never saw much else...  caught over a dozen fish exceeding 8 lbs (as well as smaller fish) by trolling... when still fishing the same, I have only caught smaller fish on those piles.

 

one example of many.  It's not best or right for all occasions but even as a change of pace on a slow day, it can be tremendously effective.  I don't get bored catching large bass- heck I don't think anyone here would pass up a big fish caught trolling if offered the chance. 

 

Now, given the choice, I'd much rather pitch shallow brush or punch grass mats!  But trolling beats the pants off not catching. 

[scaleface]

I troll occasionally . Its a quick way to cover flats . I troll crankbaits at the depth most fish are showing up on the sonar . Often you see the fish first . I catch lots of channel cats dragging a crankbait around .

[david in va]

Trolling fishing is like deer hunting from a pickup and shooting a buck 300 yards standing still. It just does not appeal to me.

I fish for fun trolling is no fun for me.