Ok folks, here is the deal. I'm going up with the girlfriends parents to Strawberry this weekend. We will be slow trolling with lead core line and mono. I will be fishing with a loomis rod and mono and they will have lead core on baitcasting rods. Her mother is saying just how bad she is going to kick my butt at fishing and I normally don't fish from a boat so I'm kinda new at this. They will be trolling flies.,..... I was thinking some Rapalas or Yo Zuri lures on my mono with some split shot to get the bait down. Any suggestions would be appreciated to keep me from being embarrassed by her folks and getting skunked or even being outfished. My ace in the hole is this website so let me know some trolling secrets folks so my fishing rep with teh parents doesn't get tarnished..... [
] They already know I'm an accomplished river man but they think that they have the drop on me when it comes to lakes and I want to prove them wrong. Thanks in advance for the help. Oh, and I don't have time or money to go get pop gear or anything like that.... I may be able to pick up a lure or two but I've got Powerbait, a few raps and zuri lures, spinners and my faithful bag of plastics. Has anyone ever trolled with soft plastics?
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I go up to Strawberry with my inlaws quite a bit and we troll in their boat. We usually troll rapalas, flatfish, or inline spinners such as rooster tails. The rapalas seem to do the best. We don't have lead core trolling line or poles, just spinning gear. Use a silver or a gold countdown rapala and you should do great. No extra weight is even needed. Troll in about 30 ft. of water for lots of good cutts.
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[cool]If you're going trolling, I'd recomend a rapala "tail dancer" I think it's called, in the chub or rainbow trout pattern. Those work pretty well up there I've been told. I've had success up there with a gold with red dot Jake's spin-a-lure's. Also a rainbow trout colored daredevil spoon, or a frog pattern one, or frog colored super duper's. Hope that helps. I'd also ask Kentofnsl. Send him a pm if he doesn't see this post. He's got a ton of experience up there at strawberry trolling.
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HEY RIVER, RAPALAS CD#5 BLACK OVER GOLD ORANGE OVER GOLD AND PERCH WILL ALL DO WELL. BUT IF THEY TROLL SUPER SLOW YOU WILL NOT GET THE RIGHT ACTION ON RAPS. PLASTICS WILL PRODUCE BUT I DONT TROLL THEM AS WE TROLL BANKLINES I PITCH IN FRONT OF BOAT TO THE SHORE AND LET SINK AFTER IT HITS BOTTOM I LIFT ROD THEN REAL DOWN AS I DROP ROD . THIS WILL GET SOME HITS ALSO TRY TROLLING LARGE GREEN LEACH PATTERNS WITH A COUPLE SLIT SHOTS ABOUT THREE FEET IN FRONT OF FLY.
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flatfish are great for slow trolling at the berry. Also tail dancer rapalas have a lot of action at pretty slow speeds.
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The weather is going to be real nasty this weekend. You may not win the fishing contest, but you can be extra prepared for the weather. Bring some hand and foot warmers for the mother inlaw, extra thermos of coffee and/or soup for all and wear your gortex. The fishing will be what it is for the day, but you helping to make a cold weather day more enjoyable will be remembered far longer than a 17" cutt.
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Hey when i had a boat this is what put fish for me in the boat when nothing was biting. I would troll popgear and a crankbait with silver sides,black top,with a small lip.That would at least get me a 21inch cutt or bigger.It was a rapala .Hope this helps you out!Also when i would troll a darkgreen or orange spinner blade with a worm .Dude hope this helps you out if you try this.
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Thanks to all of you that have given me advice. I will try some of the Rapala suggestions and let you all know how I do. I also appreciate the warming soup and handwarmer suggestions....Good thinking. She may just not give me such a hard time if I"m keeping them all warm.... [cool] Thanks folks, you have all proved what a benefit this board is for all of us. For the folks that have PMed me....thank you for your input also, it has helped me feel a little more prepared and not so vulnerable in this situation. If I can get pics I will..... in between warming ourselves up.....
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I mostly troll a perch needle fish. The one I am using now is all scared up with teeth marks. Leaded line then 15 feet leader, and then a rubber snubber, 3 feet more leader, and then the needle fish[
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Definitely trolling all the stuff mentioned above will produce, but by getting a dipsy diver will also get you a little deeper if that is what you are trying to accomplish!!!
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My "go to" lure, when they aren't interested in anything else is a whole nightcrawler. Ideally you want to use about a size 2 or size 4 "rebarb hook" (they sell them at Sportsman's. Use a worm threader and run the threader the full length of the crawler. It doesn't matter which end goes on first (that only matters with marshmallows -- LOL), and thread that crawler so that the entire crawler is on the hook and up your line in a straight line. This will result in a bare curved portion of your hook just below the end of the crawler. Sometimes, I will use a small dodger as an attractant; however most of the time I don't use anything as an attractant. Long-line that, perhaps with a little weight to get it down as needed. With this set-up I will hook over 95% of my bites, and at least 95% of the fish will be hooked in the corner of their mouth. Before trying the above, if you have them, I would try Jake's Spin a Lures, white, yellow, black, or green with red dots. A rainbow Rapala often works really well. In-line spinners in the same colors as noted above are definitely worth a try. And, if you know where to find them, Carter spoons are an excellent choice. I can't explain why, but I have had the least success with chub-colored Rapalas. I have often caught fish with Rapalas that have a little, or sometimes even a lot of color -- like clown for example, will often catch fish.
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Hey Kent, I also have had good success at Strawberry with some funky colored rapalas, such as the clown color and the silver with bright blue back, and gold with bright orange back. But, I still seem to have the most success with the generic silver/black and gold/black chub or shiner looking rapalas. I guess often what works best is what you use most often. I started out using those and they almost always produce well for me, so they became my go-to lure. Hence, they are used more often and catch more fish. ? lol who knows.
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My "never fail" lure at the berry is a medium to medium large Frog flatfish. Two hooks, one up front and one in back trolled fairly slow. Gets them every time. Mr. J.
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I like to use shad raps... the colors that work at willard work well for me at the berry. the shad, color is the best. also larger rapalas work well. but my favorite lure to use is a Rebel Naturalizer, it loks like a micro rapala, about 1inch long. i cannot keep the cuts off of it. i cannot find it anymore.
good luck
JOe
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Heres the problem I see. Trolling is not always "trolling".
They are going to troll flies? Thats going to require such a slow troll, almost a drift speed. If you try trolling a rapala at that speed, it wont give you any action. it will probably just float on the top. If you troll a spoon, or flat fish, you will just drag bottom since they will sink without enough water resistence.
If they do troll fast, I assume you will beat the tar out of them if they troll flies simply beacuse your lure will have action, flash, and enhanced visibility. But I am betting they will go so slow to keep their flies visible, and in the strike zone that your method wont get the results you are looking for.
I cant say for sure, you are going to have to eva;uate the situation when you see it.
But if they are trolling deathly slow, get up on the front of the boat and cast off the sides and out front. Work your lures back to the boat. Just cast all day. Use spoons, rapalas, spinners, anything that works.
But the things you need to worry about arent "secret lures" if you want to out fish them, you will need to look at the speed of thier troll, and select a lure that will work with that, look at the depth and the depth the fish are holding at, and pick color patterns that fit the food or will entice a reaction strike. And dont limit yourself to fishing with thier method. Like I say, just because they are trolling, doesnt mean you have to. Outsmart the fish, not your inlaws.
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[font "Arial Black"][red][size 2] I have to agree with Predator, You must make adjustments. Select the right lure for the speed they are using.[/size][/red][/font]
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