Walleyes across quite a bit of their territory practically locked in their feeding patterns by late summer and early fall. Concentrating on obtaining as much weight as could be expected heading into the fall. In the Great Lakes, inland reservoirs, and river systems, this implies that walleyes are spread out and pursuing any accessible baitfish. Hence, trolling is the main procedure for placing numbers of walleyes in the boat. Trolling permits you to efficiently cover an enormous amount of water in a day – and rapidly recognize productive areas.
Even though trolling is very easy at its most fundamental level (just put a line out and push the boat forward), it takes expertise, coordination, and practice to reliably get fish under the regularly changing conditions fishermen are going against.
Think about this as a “beginners’ guide” to trolling– so if you want to figure out how to troll or troll effectively, keep reading.
What is Trolling?
Trolling is an extremely “dynamic” kind of fishing. This implies that it requires more consideration, exertion, and gear than some different sorts of fishing. Yet, it is one of the most energizing and rewarding types of fishing!
Trolling is at all times done from a boat, kayak, or another kind of watercraft (like a canoe or float tube). A bait or artificial fly is dragged through the water behind a watercraft at different depths and paces when trolling. The depth and speed at which bait is trolled rely upon the types of fish you are after.
Make sure to check park guidelines before your trip. A few sorts of motors may not be permitted in specific park streams.
Where to Troll?
An extraordinary aspect concerning trolling is its adaptability. You can troll out in the sea, on a lake, and even on a waterway. What makes a difference is that the water is deep enough for a boat. Some fish would be acceptable, as well – yet more on that later on.
You must focus on two things when attempting to locate a decent savaging spot. Number one, drawing near to your fish. You can do this by either utilizing a sonar to discover schooling baitfish, keeping an eye on birds diving into the water, or finding floating weed lines.
Number two, hitting the exact depth. You can use a few tricks to bring down your lures to precisely where the fish are. To do this, you will need a couple of equipment. Some are fancier than others, yet they all serve their purpose.
Now, let’s see what fish you can hope to catch with this technique.
Common Catches
As mentioned, you can troll for fish in different bodies of water. The reason why the list of species you can get is a pretty long one. It is more similar to a book than a list to be entirely straightforward. However, that is the thing that you get with a fishing technique as powerful as this one. To give you a brief look at what you can expect, we will cover a couple of signature species for each sort of water you can fish in.
Freshwater trolling can land you various Salmon and Trout species, just as Bass, Walleye, or Sturgeon. In saltwater, the nearshore trolling staples are Kingfish, Wahoo, and Barracuda. And next offshore, you can discover interesting major big game species like Mahi, Tuna, Sailfish, and Marlin. With A-listers like these, it is easy to perceive any reason why so many bucket list ideas were made decisively on trolling trips.
Enough information is given, yet how do you go about catching one of these fish? First, you need to gear up.
Gear for Trolling
Regardless of whether you are pursuing giants offshore or fishing on a lake, there are a couple of things you ought to have in your trolling stockpile consistently. Quality rods, reels, and tackle are number one and will go far in getting your fish locally available. Also, there are the riggers, which you can use to put your bait at the correct depths.
Rods
A usual trolling boat can have somewhere in the range of two and six rods. Each has its place on the boat, mostly in one of the rod holders on the boat’s gunwales.
Reels
Trolling reels are a subject of unending discussion among anglers. Once more, focusing on bigger fish offshore will usually require more modern reels. That does not imply that you ought to get any old reel if you are fishing in freshwater.
Line
There is no standard solution with regards to trolling lines. Most anglers will admit that a monofilament is a decent alternative when trolling at higher speeds. The mono’s stretch limit will give it excellent shock absorption, which can be a lifeline while pursuing a big catch.
On the other side, braided lines are much stronger, usually boast a smaller diameter. This enables you to troll your baits at a lot more prominent distance, dependably. A braided line is lighter than mono, so this is presumably the best approach if you’re trolling deeper waters.
Riggers
The best thing about trolling is that it enables you to make more progress than other fishing techniques. You can drive through a significant amount of water with simply a single line out. However, if you genuinely need a stable catch, you will need much more than one line. That is the place where riggers come in.
Outriggers
Outriggers are simply long poles fitted to the sides of the boat. They allow you to have more lines in the water. They also spread out your lines, significantly decreasing the chances of a tangle. And lastly, outriggers will enable you to establish your bait in clear water, away from the bubbling splash made by the motor.
Downriggers
Downriggers are gadgets you can use to spread out your baits like outriggers. The goal of a downrigger is to bring down your bait further submerged, using a heavyweight.
They are particular contraptions used by anglers in freshwater and at sea. They are costly, yet they certainly take care of business.
Planer Boards
A less expensive option than downriggers, planer boards, are another tool you can use to spread and lower your trolling baits. These are little floating gadgets through which a fishing line passes descending.
Lures and Baits
Selecting the right presentation will sensational impact your trolling bite rate. Similarly, as with most fishing presentations, you will need to choose between using live bait, dead bait, lures, or a mix of lures and bait.
Other Gears for Trolling
Below are other gears or devices also needed before trolling fishing, especially on a big game.
- Valid fishing license
- Boat or other types of personal watercraft
- Trolling motor
- A pair of needle-nose pliers to safely remove the lure from the fish’s mouth.
- Fishing net (one with rubber or knotless mesh)
- Fishfinder (sonar) *optional*
Once you choose your lures and gear, know about any park guidelines that forbid the use of lures containing lead.
Read park boating guidelines before heading on to your next experience. A few parks or streams may not permit specific sorts of watercraft or trolling engines. Continuously obey laws concerning the usage of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and different guidelines for watercraft activity.
How to Troll: Beginners Guide
1. Get the Right Gear
Trolling techniques are particular to gears as there is in fishing, and having the correct rods, reels, and lines will have an immense effect inside and out of control and success. Most trolling rods are long (7 ½ to 9 feet) and have excusing tightens. Baitcasting reels with line counters will help you decide how much line is out (and consequently how deep your bait is), and planer boards will drastically expand the width of your trolling spread. Luckily, trolling gear doesn’t need to be costly, and you can get quality beginner-level rod or line counter reel combos for under $75. This should be your first investment if you consider trolling as a serious business.
2. Have a Plan
When casting, you don’t simply launch the boat, go to the closest bank, and begin casting. Accordingly, you can do such while trolling. Identify which lures you will be using. Study a map or aerial photo and plan before you get out on the water. Short pads, brake lines, stream or creek channels, and points are great spots to begin. Distinguish a track on the map, and stick to it while you are fishing.
3. Make Use of Your Electronics
Before fishing, travel around on planes through likely areas and do a speedy investigation of your fishing electronics to get a thought of what depth the bait (and fish) are holding. Baitfish and school of fish will appear on most electronics, even planes, and knowing which depths hold the most bait will significantly speed up your research. Keep on checking your gadgets while trolling, and focus on hints like weather changes, the bottom surface material, and fish locations.
4. Start Small, Work Bigger
Undoubtedly, top walleye guides and tournament professionals can efficiently run six boards, control the boat, and catch fish, all while trolling through waves. That doesn’t mean you should attempt the same while you’re learning. Begin with three lines, a planer board to each side, and one line out the back. When you are comfortable with that, keep on adding difficulty to your spread. You can have confidence that a skilled angler with three lines out will get more fish than somebody with ten lines out continually tangled and not in the strike zone.
5. Try Not to Stop
This is the usual mistake for a novice troller. They get a fish snared and kick the boat into neutral. Doing so is only an obstacle in the works. Regardless of what you do, keep your boat pushing ahead, and battle the fish while moving. The same goes for putting outlines and reeling in your spread by the day’s end. It is additionally really simpler to get lines unsnagged while moving, as the current pushes everything rearward of the boat.
6. Attempt Multiple Presentations
Walleyes can be extremely specific about bait and color, so if you have the fish dialed in, it pays to try different things with various bait and colors throughout your spread. The advantage of having numerous lines in the water is that you can let the fish tell you what they need. If you’re in a territory that is your sure-hold fish, yet you’re not getting bit – don’t be reluctant to change colors or lures every 15 minutes or so until you begin getting bit. This remains constant for both hard baits, just as crawler tackles.
7. Change Speeds
Walleyes are likewise sensitive in speed, so don’t simply secure the boat in one trolling speed and fail to remember it. Begin at a moderate speed (1.8-2.0 mph for wrenches and 1.0 for saddles) and gradually accelerate if you’re not getting bit. You might be stunned to find that you abruptly begin getting them once you locate the critical speed.
The Best Technique in Trolling
Trolling is, without a doubt, one of the best techniques an angler can do one’s best. Indeed practical and extremely fun, this is one of the most addictive ways to catch fish.
Trolling requires persistence and a game plan. Attempt to evade random sea wandering when you’re not catching fish. You should show patience, a unique product in the current culture. Work the areas you know well and consistently be confident. Embrace the outlook that you are generally trolling towards your next bite, and ensure everybody is mindful and searching for pieces of clues. The best question to hours of biteless trolling is consistently the same– do I remain or do I go? No matter what species you pursue, the appropriate response is consistently to continue, look, learn, and possibly move off the chance you have a superior plan. Holding tight to bite time on a good spot consistently beats irregular boat driving.
Despite what species you pursue, figuring out how to troll effectively is a skill unquestionably worth putting time in. A decent troller gets fish through consistent perception and turns those little, apparently insignificant clues into a fish on the line.
Now that you know how to troll for fish, you have all the instruments for a remarkable journey on the water.
