How To Troll?

[MetroMan]

Is there any specific way that one should troll while kayaking? Toss your selected lure out back, and set the drag appropriately? I have flush mount rod holders behind me, so I guess I'd have to listen for drag being pulled to know if I have a hit?

Does anybody use those small planers? I only ask because I saw them used the last time when I was on a boat trip trolling for blues.

[ictalurus]

I usually do a full cast behind me, start moving, then count off a few seconds. If I'm not catching anything, I'll change how long I count, reel in some line, or let out some line. It's not very scientific or reproducible, but it works for me somehow. It would probably work better if I standardized it. Crankbaits take out some of the fuzziness, but I've lost a Stretch 15 in 20ft of water. I guess I had too much line out.

I usually troll a 4" sassy shad with a 1/2-3/4oz head, a Bomber Long A 15 (about 5"), or a #14 or #15 Tony spoon with a 1.25-1.5oz trolling weight 4-6ft ahead of the spoon. I only troll one line at a time. Before last year when I really started topwater fishing in earnest, all my stripers were caught by trolling. Amazingly, I didn't get skunked too often.

I guess I could standardize it by marking off my line and making an inclinometer (an upside down protractor with a weighted line hanging from the center). If you know how far your rod tip is off the water, know the angle that your line is at relative to either horizontal or vertical, and know how much line is out (the hypotenuse), then figuring out the depth the lure is at is just trigonometry. However, I'm lazy, and that's a lot work for something I do for fun.

I usually feel or hear when the line gets hit if I'm not watching it. Depending on the fish, I feel a little tug throughout the yak like a slight hesitation, and the rod vibrating makes a kind of thump.

[MetroMan]

Oh man not the pythagorean theorum!!

Thanks for the info. I will give it a try one of these days

[DOGFISH]

Pythagorean theorum?



I am attaching the photo of how I have mounted two of my scotty rod holders for trolling. I mount my rods as if they are small outriggers, at a 90 degree angle, or so, to the kayak. This way I can see the strike, in addition to the clicker. I like to set the drag somewhat loose for the strike. Unless you set the strike drag loose, depending on the pound test of the line, you may not even hear a clicker. I use 15 or 20 lb test, mostly 20. Very heavy lines and tight drag could possibly rip the rod holder out of the kayak. Be careful.

If I were trolling bucktails, which I do on occasion, I let the line out slow, at the speed that I am going to troll, until I feel the sinker bounce bottom once. Engage the reel and it should then troll near the bottom. If you want it closer to the bottom, let the line out untill it bounces once again. Remember, rockfish tend to have upward looking eyes, on top of their head. So the fish that you catch are very likely to have been below your lures as they pass by.

As I have written here before, I like to troll crankbaits. In the spring I use the larger Rapalas, 15, 20 and 30, saltwater series, occasionally a strech. In the fall I like to downsize the lures. I generally use anywhere from 2" to 3" deep diving crankbaits, mostly rapala shad raps and X-raps. I also am very fond of Lucky Craft deep diving minnows. These both most closely resemble the young of the year menhaden. That is mostly what the rockfish are feeding on. I like to run my lines long. Possibly this goes back to my boat trolling days. The theory here is surface lines longer and deeper lines tend to be in closer. This has to do with the boat scattering the fish near the surface, so that as they move back in behind the boat, those longer surface lures pass by. This is to a lesser degree with a kayak. However, for me longer is better. At least the ladies think so. I mean the spring run rockfish ladies. I let my Shimano Calcutta TEs out 12 to 14 spool lenghts for crankbait trolling. You can estimate this by letting the line out until the line on the reel travels from one side of the spool to the other. Then measure the amount of line that you have out at the end of the rod. Multiply that by 12 or 14. That is the "Dogfish Theorum." If you really want to know how deep the lure is running. Set you lures as you have them run. Then go from deep to shallow. When you seen the rod tips start to bounce, you know that you have made contact with the bottom. The depth of you fishfinder is what you are running. Hope this answered some questions.

[MetroMan]

thanks for the insight...that definitely helps my understanding

[mmanolis2001]

Very good info. Its that time of year for me to step into the trolling game for the first time. If i get a fish on the first or second trolling trip i will be very happy. Lots of new stuff to learn.

Thanks again for the great info.

[ictalurus]

Thanks for the tips, DOGFISH. That's a good way to put a lure in a consistent location.

I've noticed that there are some color coded braids and monofilament lines. Has anyone tried these?

[DOGFISH]

I have used color coded lead core line in the past. However, I found that I would not use the color code. I have adopted the trolling methods that I previously wrote about. I do use braid, almost exculsively. The smaller diameter of the line cuts through the water much easier and gets down deeper. I just use green fireline with a rod length or so of florocarbon leader for crankbaits. I use a longer florocarbon leader with bucktails, mostly to keep the lure a little further from the sinker.

One other lure that I like to use, if the fish are nearer the surface, is a lipless crankbait made by Strike King lures. It is called a red eye shad. I use this when I read the fish shallower on the fish finder or when trolling near breaking fish. It has proven quite deadly. A similar lure made by Yo Zuri is the lipless hardcore series crankbait, much like the Strike King. I liked the color, so I have been using that type also, with sucess. They make a color that closely resembles a menhaden. If in doubt, I generally default to natural colors. I also use flashy lures during bright days and white or yellow during overcast days.

Good Luck.

[mmanolis2001]

DOGFISH,
What kind of terminal tackle do you use while trolling crankbaits?
Do you us a swivel to connect the flouro to the braid?
Do you tie the flouro directly to the crankbait or use some sort of clip?
What test flouro leader are you using? 30lb - 40lb?

[DOGFISH]

DOGFISH,
What kind of terminal tackle do you use while trolling crankbaits?
Do you us a swivel to connect the flouro to the braid?
Do you tie the flouro directly to the crankbait or use some sort of clip?
What test flouro leader are you using? 30lb - 40lb?

Generally the less terminal tackle the better.


No swivel. I tie the leader to the braid with a triple surgeons knot. I tie the leader directly to the crankbait. However, as of lately, I have been using a quick clip to attach the crankbait, for chance that I want to make a quick change. The only time that I use a swivel is when I use a lure that will twist the line, such as a spoon. I use a ball bearing swivel between the main line and the leader with spoons.


25lb or 30lb test leader in the fall when the fish tend to be smaller; 40lb or 50lb test leader in the spring with larger fish and larger lures. This is mostly as a shock leader, due to chafe from the fishes tail on the line. I have always believed that the less visible the rig, the better.


Hope this helps.
Good Luck

[MetroMan]

Now I wanna go trolling next time lol...

[DOGFISH]

Don't forget the DOS EQUIS.

[Grilled]

Don't forget the DOS EQUIS.