Trout Trolling Techniques

iggy · 05-11-2008, 08:22 AM

I bought a small boat last year, and, while I've spent more time messing with the motor than acutally fishing, I've been out to Hagg a few times and once to Lacamas Lake in Washington.

I've caught a few fish, but have yet to knock 'em dead. Frankly, I never feel like I know how deep I'm trolling or that I have a complete handle on my presentation. I've been running flashers with different spinners and a chunk of worm. I've tried using both a 1 oz dropper and no lead. Either way my luck has been limited.

I watch the other boats out there and see people doing a lot of different things: trolling kind of fast, letting out a lot of line with seemingling nothing but a hook and bait, using lead, not using lead, etc. A lot of them have stringers of fish, while I might have one.

So here's the question: What works for ifishers? What dumb mistakes can I and others like me avoid?

Any help will be appreciated.

scottishsetter · 05-11-2008, 08:50 AM

You might try long shank worm hook,bury the hook completely showing not even the eyelet in 1 1/2" worm tail. Let out 200'+; troll as slow as you can.
No flashers. Troll the shore outline ,50-100' out.Good Luck

SilverBullets · 05-11-2008, 09:25 AM

Invest in a quality fishfinder, and a downrigger. This will show you not only where the fish are, but how deep they are, and with a downrigger, a precise way to get down to them. You want to get your presentation a little above the fish, so keep in mind while trolling a dodger and lure 100' back from the boat, your set-up will drop around 5' by itself. so if you see fish at say 30', lower the downrigger ball down to about 20' to 25'. You will feel the fight of the trout a lot more with a dodger vs. a gang troll. Before letting your line out, look at the action of your lure along side the boat, and adjust your speed acordingly. Always make plenty of s-turns, and vary your speed to entice a strike. Hope this helped... Good luck!

Doc_Rhen · 05-12-2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Bullets

Invest in a quality fishfinder, and a downrigger. This will show you not only where the fish are, but how deep they are, and with a downrigger, a precise way to get down to them. You want to get your presentation a little above the fish, so keep in mind while trolling a dodger and lure 100' back from the boat, your set-up will drop around 5' by itself. so if you see fish at say 30', lower the downrigger ball down to about 20' to 25'. You will feel the fight of the trout a lot more with a dodger vs. a gang troll. Before letting your line out, look at the action of your lure along side the boat, and adjust your speed acordingly. Always make plenty of s-turns, and vary your speed to entice a strike. Hope this helped... Good luck!

I have caught most of my trout while trolling on a Thomas Spoon (fightin' fish or bouyant) in either gold or copper. when I am running them I have absolutely nothing else on my line but I do run it a long ways back (I am guessing 200') because you are only working 5-10' of water so the boat certainly has a potential to scare fish at that depth.

smalldog · 05-12-2008, 10:28 AM

OO mini jet planer and a #70 hot shot 5 feet back of it in Black and yellow.
Slam city.

Stowaway · 05-12-2008, 03:58 PM

Last weekend I trolled my lure straight to the mainline at Lacamas. I caught and released 16 trout by myself before 10am. I'm not trying to brag but just point out that you have to adapt to the fish. Oneday a dodger/flasher may work but not the next or fender may work at one lake but not another. Slow/Fast, deep/shallow, sunny/overcast, wind/calm.....all of these are factors imo.

One thing I do is remember the spot where I hooked up along with what lure, speed and depth. After trolling another 1/4 mile without a take I turn around and go through the same spot. If I get another fish I'll stop and cast to them until they won't hit anymore. Then start your troll over until you find another school. Sometimes the school will sit in one spot all day, sometimes a week and what can be the normal moving constantly.

If I can't get them trolling then I'll slow drift a night crawler to find them. Once found a kastmaster jigged vertically (yes jigged) or a crappie jig tipped with a small piece of worm can work if you want to do it with a lure.

These are just my opinions and I still think I have no clue what I'm doing

luckyr · 05-12-2008, 04:26 PM

Here is the keys to the palace. Doc Shelton with a 24" to 30" 3lb leader. I don't use the largest Shelton but the next size down. With a high quality bait hook #6 or smaller. Cover your hook completely and I mean completely with a small piece of worm.

Your speed will be so the rod tip is beating 3 beats per two seconds. You can adjust your depth by slowing the speed. This is good for depths from 15 to 25 feet. You may need to add some weight to get deeper.

It is really all about the speed. Give it a try I would almost guarantee it. OK here is your guarantee if you don't catch more fish like this Stowaway will give you his tuna stick. not

Good Luck

CWOregon · 05-13-2008, 06:30 PM

A real easy way to start and one that has been very productive for me is a wedding ring spinner with about half a worm threaded on the hook. I take them apart and re-tye them on 4 or 6 lb test with usually a size 4 hook. Try different amounts of weight and different speeds until you start getting bites but usually as slow as possible with minimal weight does the trick. I fished Cooper Creek Res. north of Roseburg with a buddy this morning and did pretty well with just that. I like the green with a bronze blade.

smalldog · 05-13-2008, 06:41 PM

The type of trout makes a diff too. Browns I like to drag the bottom. Rainbows on the top or middle.

Stowaway · 05-15-2008, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckyr

OK here is your guarantee if you don't catch more fish like this, Stowaway will give you his tuna stick.

Minus the reel

Luckyr has one for it though....said he'd toss in his trolling motor if you didn't like the reel. These are all good techniques!

Fisherdaddy · 05-15-2008, 08:42 AM

Keep it simple. Tie a small barrel awivel to your main line. Place a medium split shot above the swivel. Use 6 pound test or lighter leader line (about 2 feet). Tie a copper triple teaser to this leader. Put out 50 to100 feet of line. Troll at a medium speed. This is a deadly set up for planted rainbows that rarely fails me. Variations would be to tie a small baitholder hook to the leader and use a small piece of night crawler or 3 pautskie eggs, or try a dick nite spoon or a small roostertail, or a wooly bugger fly. Keep the bling away and you will be more effective and have more fun.Trust me with this!!!Good Luck!

trollin4trout · 05-15-2008, 10:41 AM

Ditto what he said!

Fisherfield · 05-19-2008, 10:59 PM

I always like to use the ford fender...sunny days I use the copper/chrome 1/2-1/2 hammered blades. On overcast days..I like the solid chrome...tie a wedding ring in either red or green..with a chunk of worm and troutalamabama. Green outfishes red 6 to 1 but most of the time the red one gets the bigger fish...so I will always run one of each. I take my girls trout fishin' so it's nice to have constant action...and green normally does it. I've done this for years and have rarely been disappointed.

If they aren't biting I will put a 1oz sinker on the rudder...and normally that finds the fish...as they like to run deep...normally later in the season after all the "biters" have been caught. I know guys who will troll powerbait too...that normally works right after the lake has been planted...but for me it's all about the bling!

The guy above me mentioned less bling...but I like the bling..and it works for me. I fish Battleground, Kidney, Timothy, Hagg...pretty much all these places will get limits with bling. They are a bit spendy if you lose them...so I run my salmon rods with heavy main line..so if I get snagged all I lose is the wedding ring...and they are cheap and easy to build on my own. I too switch out the hooks....long shaft hooks to keep the worm straight is how I fish em.

Also...I like to vary the speed..I don't have a motor for the smaller lakes...not even an electric as I use my driftboat..it's peaceful fishing...normally I will start out with one good double oar stroke..the rods are thumping...then as they slow...I'll give one short right...then when they slow again...I'll go one left stroke...repeat...normally I'll have a fish on by the time I start to repeat....then it's fun watching the girls reel in the fish...most of the time I'll keep rowing to keep the other rod going..and to keep tension on the line with a fish on..as my girls are still young and don't get the concept of keeping the line tight. Then...it's..2 fish on and I get the net........

GraphiteZen · 05-19-2008, 11:54 PM

What I have been doing lately is just trolling a Sandshrimp diver coated with shrimp Smelly Jelly on 30-65 feet of line. I bought one of those clip-on Rapala line counters to measure the distance.
Yesterday, I trolled with my Fishcat (no motor) and in 2 hours caught four and had five get off, some felt pretty thick. Hoping to keep them on the bait I bought a pack of oversized Owner trebles and replaced all the hooks.
Today I went out again caught my limit and had four more get off. Four of the landed fish were 12-14'', and two that got off felt pretty large.