04-29-2009, 10:58 PM
[#008000]You got some really good info from H_P. Especially his last sentence - Let the (specific) lure tell you the speed.
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[#008000]Here's my general rules of thumb:[/#008000]
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[#008000]1. Place the lure you are going to use out by the side of the boat and look at it's action. Is it working as you think it should at the speed you are going ? Is it tracking straight ? [/#008000]
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[#008000]2. Typically lures are designed to have the best action at a speed of 1/2 mph per inch of lure - example: a 2 inch spoon or plug will mimic a bait fish swimming at 1 mph. This is relative to the depth of the water, the wind (and direction) and the species of fish you are after. Of course, there will be differences between the types and manufactures of each kind of lure you use and these things need to be taken into consideration.[/#008000]
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[#008000]3. Change your speed and direction - Do "S" turns all the time. Often the strikes happen when the lure changes it's action, depth, speed or direction. [/#008000]
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[#008000]4. If you are trolling 2 lures (one on each side of the boat) at 2 mph and doing "S" turns, the lure on the inside of the turn is going substantially slower than 2 mph and the lure on the out side of the turn is going faster than 2 mph.[/#008000]
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[#008000]5. The further behind the lure is, the less it will be affected by your "S" turns. Thus, you will need to exaggerate and prolong the turns to acheive the desired effect.[/#008000]
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[#008000]6. Use a reel with a Line counter ![/#008000]
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[#008000]7. Thinner line makes the lure swim deeper and thicker line makes it swim shallower. Generally, I use 10 pound line.[/#008000]
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[#008000]8. Troll your lure far enough back so that the fish are not spooked by your boat. But, if the lure is too far back, the fish might get off before you get it in - example: I usually fish my lure from 100 to 200 feet back; Beyond 200 feet, the fish might get enough leverage or line slack/stretch to unbutton itself. [/#008000]
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[#008000]9. Be mindfull of the wind. Use it to your advantage. You can shut down the motor and drift troll. You can drag a carolina rigged flatfish or a bottom bouncer at very slow speeds in a light breeze. Or, if the wind is too strong to get steerage into it, turn around and maybe it is strong enough to push you at an acceptable speed to troll a different lure with the wind.[/#008000]
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[#008000]10. If I haven't had any strikes in about 10 minutes, I change something - speed, direction, LURES, location, etc. If trolling is not working, I try something else for a while.[/#008000]
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[#008000][/#008000]
[signature]
[/#008000]
[#008000]Here's my general rules of thumb:[/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]1. Place the lure you are going to use out by the side of the boat and look at it's action. Is it working as you think it should at the speed you are going ? Is it tracking straight ? [/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]2. Typically lures are designed to have the best action at a speed of 1/2 mph per inch of lure - example: a 2 inch spoon or plug will mimic a bait fish swimming at 1 mph. This is relative to the depth of the water, the wind (and direction) and the species of fish you are after. Of course, there will be differences between the types and manufactures of each kind of lure you use and these things need to be taken into consideration.[/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]3. Change your speed and direction - Do "S" turns all the time. Often the strikes happen when the lure changes it's action, depth, speed or direction. [/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]4. If you are trolling 2 lures (one on each side of the boat) at 2 mph and doing "S" turns, the lure on the inside of the turn is going substantially slower than 2 mph and the lure on the out side of the turn is going faster than 2 mph.[/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]5. The further behind the lure is, the less it will be affected by your "S" turns. Thus, you will need to exaggerate and prolong the turns to acheive the desired effect.[/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]6. Use a reel with a Line counter ![/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]7. Thinner line makes the lure swim deeper and thicker line makes it swim shallower. Generally, I use 10 pound line.[/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]8. Troll your lure far enough back so that the fish are not spooked by your boat. But, if the lure is too far back, the fish might get off before you get it in - example: I usually fish my lure from 100 to 200 feet back; Beyond 200 feet, the fish might get enough leverage or line slack/stretch to unbutton itself. [/#008000]
[#008000] [/#008000]
[#008000]9. Be mindfull of the wind. Use it to your advantage. You can shut down the motor and drift troll. You can drag a carolina rigged flatfish or a bottom bouncer at very slow speeds in a light breeze. Or, if the wind is too strong to get steerage into it, turn around and maybe it is strong enough to push you at an acceptable speed to troll a different lure with the wind.[/#008000]
[#008000][/#008000]
[#008000]10. If I haven't had any strikes in about 10 minutes, I change something - speed, direction, LURES, location, etc. If trolling is not working, I try something else for a while.[/#008000]
[#008000][/#008000]
[#008000][/#008000]
[signature]