The trolling method is a sure fire way of catching more fish. Trolling allows you to cover
more water and identify the most productive areas. It might seem extremely basic but it still
takes coordination, expertise, and practice to constantly catch fish under the dynamic
conditions. Here we have a guide on how to troll and do it right.
1. Work with the appropriate gear
This style of fishing is very gear specific. So having the right reels and rods is essential to
depth control. Bait-casting reels with line counters will enable you to decide how much line is
out (and hence how profound your goad is) and planer boards will significantly build the
width of your trolling spread. Good news is that trolling gear need not be of the expensive
variety. Quality rods can still be purchased for under 75 bucks.
2. Work with a plan
Just as you don’t go to the nearest bank to fire casts, you need to have a concrete plan.
Having an idea of which lures to use is very important. The best places to start are river
channels and stumpy flats. After identifying the route to use, remember to stick to it.
3. Work your way up
It is good to start small, maybe with 3 lines, a line out the back and a planer board to each
side. Get comfortable with that before adding complexity to your spread. A skilled angler
with 3 lines out will get more fish than somebody with 10 lines out that are continually
tangled and not in the strike zone.
4. Push on
After hooking up a fish, don’t stop yet. Instead, keep the boat moving forward. The same
applies when it comes to putting out lines. It’s really simpler to get lines unsnagged while
moving because currents push everything outback.
5. Try out different methods
If you haven’t got any fish dialed in, try different baits and colors throughout your spread.
What you accomplish by having many lines in the water is letting the fish tell you what they
want. Change colors or baits every quarter minute if you are not getting bit until you start
getting bit.
6. Alternate speeds
Take care not to lock your boat onto one trolling speed and forget it. You might want to start
at a slow speed say, 1.8 mph for cranks and 1.0 for harnesses then move up if you aren’t
getting bit. Finding the key speed might mean you suddenly start catching them.
