BRUTAL. so brutal, i resorted to TROLLING.

[casts_by_fly]

Trolling is a skill of its own.  You've got the 'finding fish' part, lure selection, boat control, and then getting the lure down to the right depth and keeping it there.  There is no doubt its effective.  Its just not for me I don't think.  I've tried it a couple times here.  We have a couple big lakes with various trout species (including landlocked salmon and lake trout).  You can see fish on the fish finder hovering at depth.  I've pulled minnow baits through them behind jet divers but still not caught anything.  After an hour of riding around I get bored and want to cast.  I've been on trolling boats inshore for saltwater species and its much of the same.  Fine if you're with a group of people you have fun with and are drinking some beers.  Not something I'm going to buy a boat set up to do it myself.  

[Swamp Girl]

I always troll when padding from one casting spot to the next.

[Dwight Hottle]

48 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I always troll when padding from one casting spot to the next.

 

And how many extra fish do you catch Katie? If you caught a new PB trolling would it be any less of an accomplishment than if you were casting? 

[Darth-Baiter]

2 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

And how many extra fish do you catch Katie? If you caught a new PB trolling would it be any less of an accomplishment than if you were casting? 

not understanding where you are going with this.

 

i also dont find a Carollina rig all that enjoyable to me, and i much rather fish off my kayak than my friends bass boat.  we all have a "pecking order" to things we do and like. 

 

i dont enjoy trolling, but i know it is a very viable way to cover water and find elusive fish.  the BEST thing about trolling is running 3 kayaks side by side within S-talking distance and just joking around.  i do love how a fish hitting a trolling bait pretty much stops all forward motion of the bait.  there is no denying a fish hit. 

 

i am aware my two PB's come from my friends bass boat, and not my kayak.  i want to top them off my tiny plastic boat.  its just me.  

 

one of my friend ONLY troll.  if you saw him cast, you would understand why.  i wouldnt have bet against him anyday.  he cleans up.  

[Blue Raider Bob]

3 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I learned to troll as a kid rowing a rowboat while trailing a Helins flatfish behind. I caught my first largemouth over 5lbs while trolling a june bug spinner trying to catch a musky as a teenager. Trolling just flat out works. It's is probably the most effective way to locate & catch fish especially on big water systems. Trolling is so effective that bass tournaments have banned it because the trollers had an advantage over the casters. It is inherently more productive. When trolling the bait is always in the water and in the fish zone. Casters waste time casting & retrieving; pulling the bait out of the water to recast. You have zero chance to catch a fish while the bait is out of the water. Trollers  achieve better depth control than a caster because they can fish their baits further away from the boat allowing the bait to reach maximum depth & to stay at that depth indefinitely. And where legal trollers can fish multiple baits at the same time with two or three rods deployed. It is an extremely efficient way to fish. I personally enjoy all styles of fishing including trolling & live bait shiner fishing. Historically some of the best fisherman have been trollers. If you are really efficient as a troller it is not boring in the least. Having mutiple fish hooked up simultaneously is as exciting as fishing gets. 

Absolutely agree but on the Tennessee River we have to contend with the dreaded Eel grass. You can't hardly troll and relax without having to constantly maintain your cranks. If you can pull for a while without fouling then you have a great chance of hooking up. During the summer the bass pull away from the bank most days, and trolling can save the day occasionally. The umbrella saves the day always!

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

And how many extra fish do you catch Katie? If you caught a new PB trolling would it be any less of an accomplishment than if you were casting? 

 

I don't consider trolling to be a lesser form of fishing. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that the rod is an awkward position when a fish hits. I have it sitting on the canoe's gunnels, with one leg over it. When I grab it, there's a half second where I lose some tension and I have lost some fish at that moment. When a bass hits, I paddle as hard as I can for three or four strokes to buy me some tension. It works a little.  

[Dwight Hottle]

26 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I don't consider trolling to be a lesser form of fishing. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that the rod is an awkward position when a fish hits. I have it sitting on the canoe's gunnels, with one leg over it. When I grab it, there's a half second where I lose some tension and I have lost some fish at that moment. When a bass hits, I paddle as hard as I can for three or four strokes to buy me some tension. It works a little.  

 

I figured you would say you caught a few extra fish each outing by trolling between spots. I also assumed you would be as proud of a new PB caught trolling as caught casting. As for the awkward rod position when using a canoe I understand. Maybe you could rig up a rod holder device or secure a PVC rod holder to the canoe. I get your paddling hard to increase tension after a hit. We used to troll for lake trout after they went deep & had a guide who would goose the throttle when we got a hit to help set the hook & keep tension on the line until the angler was fully engaged. It did work well. 

[Swamp Girl]

I catch a lot of fish when trolling and you're a big part of my success, Dwight, because you advised me to troll my Whopper Plopper. Bass love a trolled Whopper Plopper. The only thing I miss about trolling the Plopper is not seeing the strike, but it's still fun to hear it. 

 

I did buy a rod holder. It was about 75 bucks, but I could never secure it tightly to my canoe. My gunnels aren't your typical gunnels.