Filter
Top Products
22
www.cannondownriggers.com
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 wig-
gles 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 pro-
tecting 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. Some fish are attracted
to lures that change speeds. Also, zigzag patterns allow
for more water coverage, plus it keeps lures out of pro-
peller boil, an important consideration for browns and
other wary species.
5) Locate fish on a vertical plane. Place lures in ar-
eas where fish might be. Skilled fishermen call these
areas the “strike zones”. They include the edges of the
weed beds, structure along bottom, drop-offs, preferred
temperature of the target species, and the thermocline.
Remember that fish occupy certain areas for certain
reasons (sources of food, protective cover, preferred
temperatures, etc.).
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 an-
glers 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 fish-
erman tie tiny improved clinch 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 mono-
filament to the water ski hook or handle below the tran-
som of most boats. To the other end of the mono or ca-
ble, add a pinch-r-release. After letting out your lure to
the desire distance, put the rod in its holder, then bend
the tip and secure the fishing line in the release.
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. Down-
rigger cables are effective weed catchers when trolling
for pike, muskies, or bass in weed-infested lakes.
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 insur-
ance.
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.
Trolling Tips