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+--- Thread: Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) (/showthread.php?tid=512182)
Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - Roghet - 06-25-2009
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 2]I'd like to learn more about effective trolling, and would luv, luv, luuuuv it if anyone would be willing to share their expertise on what works for them, please. [cool] The type of line and tackle, length to let the line out and keep track of it, how to keep multiple lines from getting tangled, etc., etc. What are the several factors involved to know how to get a particular result? It has been suggested that there is a "professional trolling guide book" that does a great job of simplifying things, and that someone might know the title and author so that I can track one down.
In deference to other threads on the topic, I'll post my report here for context to my question. If it helps narrow the advice, I expect that I won't be trolling with my small craft very far from Salt Lake proper.
I wasn't the only one that hoped that Wed might be a "stellar day" at Willard. To extend the astral metaphors, I'd hoped the planets would align such that my whole family could get up early and each of us be successful. It was a BEAUtiful day, not a cloud in the sky. We headed out from the South Marina, our direction was partly decided not with any more skilled fish sense other than a few recommendations, and how to best avoid the other boats and especially the water skiers that didn't seem to care how close they got to us. A morbid sense of curiosity got the best of me as I wondered what might happen if someone ran into a couple hundred feet of multiple fishing lines.[angelic][
]I thought it boded well that we got a few hits near the piggy farm, but that was it for quite a while. We made a few runs back and forth at Freeway Bay before we finally landed our solo wiper for the day. It hit hard, and I handed the pole to my son, but it hardly even kept the line tight in reeling it in. I wondered if it was just weeds until it got near the boat. We then went South toward the light pole, and then headed along the West bank when it was nearing mid day and we decided that it was time to just let the boys swim around. It was the warmest day in memory, and the water as smooth as could be. Those water skiers had the right idea... but I came to fish. Silly me...[
]I could tell by the other fishing boats moving around (and leaving), that perhaps we weren’t the only ones that weren’t doing a lot of catching. We had 3 lines out, and had them at different depths. My poor wife and youngest son... they go out fishing so rarely, and instead of having a "stellar day," a more fitting oxymoron might be that we were "lost in the stars." [laugh]
I ask myself “so what can I learn from this?” If anyone did well at Willard that morning, I'd love to learn what you did differently to help me become a better troller. I have some planer boards that I've ordered that I will use next time. And I learned that some of my lures don’t pull straight – I gotta figure how to fix that somehow. Boy, when lines tangle, they really tangle… Lost a lot of line this trip. [angelic][crazy]
Guess I’ll keep going out, takin’ lumps to gain experience – and then askin' more questions. No wonderful pictures this time to share, just seeking info please. I'll keep track of comments in the other threads - and thanks in advance! [
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Re: [Roghet] Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - fishinfool - 06-25-2009
Your lines tangled for a number of reason's.
If you turn to sharp you will tangle lines. Period.
If your lures are not running right,that will cause you grief also.
if you troll your lines out the back farther out than the ones out the side of you boat you will get tangled.
My advise run your lines out the side out farther than your one out the back.
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Re: [fishinfool] Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - Roghet - 06-25-2009
Sounds like I had a problem with only two of the 3! [laugh] At least my outside line was the farthest out.
I was warned to make wide turns, and I thought I did, but that's relative. I guess I need to go out again with someone to show me what "wide" means exactly. [
] I think it might be wise to just reel in my inside lines completely. [angelic]And no, I can't confirm if my lines were running right.
Unfortunately, I just don't have all the tackle I need and will just have to accumulate it over time and learn from mistakes. I did have one "level wind" reel, and that I set up just like Coot did. Not surprising that it did well, and caught my one fish. [cool]
But the inside lines... they were on spinning reels, and I suspect that the line I used was questionable - perhaps too light and stretchy - exacerbated by the fact that all my lures wouldn't track straight... I tried a tube jig for kicks, cuz we weren't catching - and that caused the first problem. However, I didn't really know there WAS a problem, until I reeled them in! [blush]
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Re: [Roghet] Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - FishNCoach - 06-25-2009
At the bottom of my Post HOT REPORT willard 06/24/09 is a hint section with some some trolling tips there, make sure your line is out over 200 feet and use ONLY med divers, keep off the bottom 2-3 feet.
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Re: [Roghet] Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - OCF - 06-25-2009
You may want to vary the speed of the boat. Some days the fish like it fast & other days they like it slower. Try trolling between 1.5 and 3 mph. Pay particular attention while making turns - if you outside lures are picking up fish, you might try increasing your speed. If the inside lures are picking up fish, you might try slowing down.
Some days it seems like you pickup more fish on the turns than trolling straight, if this is the case you might try trolling in a curvey line instead of straight.
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Re: [Roghet] Seeking trolling help (and "stellar Wed" at Willard) - mactuna - 06-26-2009
There is a good trolling book out, it covers most lures on the market.
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