TROLLING TIPS
Ten Good Trolling Tips
1)Test your lures over the boat side before sending them down and back. Do this to make sure the lure wiggles and wobbles properly without going belly up or wandering off. Some lures can be adjusted, fine tuned actually, to impart maximum action. For example, a slight bend in the tail of a spoon or twist of the hook eye in the nose of a plug can make a noticeable difference in how the lure performs.
Also, when running two or more lures, make sure the offerings are compatible. Lures that run out of harmony with each other are bound to tangle and that means wasted time to straighten out the mess. Testing them first will avoid the problem.
2)Consider different sizes, shapes, and colors of lures. No one has ever figured out with precision what makes a fish strike or snub a lure. There is no doubt, that matching the forage (minnows, crayfish, etc.) in color, shape, action, and size can help trigger those strikes from hungry fish. On the other hand, if fish such as bluegills, small mouth bass or Coho salmon are protecting spawning beds, they may attack whatever is threatening. So, bright colors in lures may out produce bland colors.
3)Vary trolling speeds. Goosing the engine now and then or slowing to a crawl every so often will change the action of the lures and may get fish to strike them.
4)Vary trolling patterns and lead lengths. The amount of line you let out often determines how deep the lure will run and, to some extent, what degree of action it will impart. For starters, consider running lures about ten feet behind downrigger weights. If flat line trolling, put them back about fifty feet, then experiment depending on what the fish do.
Trolling patterns affect lure action too, that is why some anglers like to wheel a lazy S course. On turns, outside lures will speed up momentarily while inside lures hang for a moment or two. Fish may nail lures that change speeds. Also, zigzag patterns allow for more water coverage, plus it keeps lures out of propeller boil, an important consideration for browns and other wary species.
5)Locate fish on a vertical plane. Place lures in areas where fish might be. Skilled fishermen call these areas the “strike zones”. They include the edges of the week beds, structure along bottom,
6)Consider special knots and swivels. A
good ball bearing swivel will all but eliminate line twist and will aid in getting maximum performance from a lure. Many anglers add the tiny swivels to split rings already on the lure itself. On the other hand, a swivel may dampen the action of a sensitive lure, such as a Rapala. Some fisherman tie tiny improved cinch or loop knots. Loop knots in particular may enhance up and down and side to side action of lures. Any good fishing manual will explain how to tie these and other knots.
7)Consider releases for flatline trolling. A good tip is to secure a piece of downrigger cable or heavy monofilament to the water ski hook or handle below the transom of most boats. To the other end of the mono or cable, add a
8)Add a weed guard. Having trouble with weeds hanging up lures? Consider tying a three- inch piece of monofilament a foot above the lure. Leaves, smaller weeds and other debris may catch here momentarily then fall off to the side of the lure without tangling. Weedless lures are another smart consideration. Downrigger cables are effective weed catchers when trolling for pike, muskies, or bass in
9)Add a stinger hook. When fish short strike, slap at lures without becoming hooked, adding a stinger hook can solve the problem. Simply tie a treble hook to one end of a four inch piece of monofilament and then tie the extra hook to the last gang of hooks on your lure. The stinger hook, which trails the lure, provides extra insurance.
10)Keep hooks sharp. Some of the best fishermen sharpen all hooks after every fish caught. Hooks get dull through both use and misuse, and probably more fish are lost to dull points than anything else.
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