Trolling 101; Putting it all together.

[JohnMickish]

We've talked about rods, reels and line but that won't do you any good until you put it in the water and start trolling. How do you know which method to start off with? Leadcore or snap weights, planer boards or long rods, fireline or mono and the list goes on.

Boy, I wish it was as simple as "you always use "X" when doing "Y". It's not as there are many factors that come into play.

Planer boards, this one is pretty simple. If you need to spread out your lines because of multiple lines or ultra clear water use boards. They are simple to use and can be fitted with a tattle tale flag that will indicate either a fish or weed. There are a few options out there and they all work great. I personally use the Off Shore boards, modified with a Church board front clip and an aftermarket tattle flag spring kit.

Trolling weights (also known as inline weights), these are usually used when trolling crawler harnesses but can also be used to get your crankbaits deeper. Trolling weights are easier to use as they are usually just placed in front of your leader and you do not have to remove them to land the fish. It is my opinion that when pulling crawler harnesses you will catch more fish with trolling weights that a bottom bouncer because the BB is on big ugly mass coming thru the water making noise, potentially scaring fish. However, if your fishing in a heavy concentration of rocks where the bottom raises and falls abruptly, a bottom bouncer will probably be easier to use, resulting in more fish so nothing is going to be a 100% all the time technique. Do an online search for trolling weight charts. There are many out there and they will make your life easier.

Snap weights are just that, weights with a clothespin type attachment that you snap onto the line anywhere from just in front of the leader to up to 50' in front of the leader. When trolling with fireline you may need to loop the line around the snap to keep it from sliding. When reeling in a fish with either boards and/or snap weights, I have found it best to have the person reeling in the fish stand in the center of the boat up towards the front and the netter in one corner of the boat. Have the netter take off the board/snap weight then grab the net.

Tip #1, when trolling with planer boards and/or long rods in the waves, every time your board goes up and down over a wave or the boats rocks your lure is doing the same motion. Some days the fish like this and sometimes they don't. If your confidant your going over fish but aren't getting bit like you think you should, change from a trolling weight to a snap weight placed 50' in front of the lure. Now the up and down motion is going to the weight and your lure is now running at a much more level, less jerky motion.

Tip #2, when trolling in water that has floating weeds or grass, or has the invasive Spiny Water Flees put a bead or two in front of the swivel. This will catch the junk in the water and still allow the swivel to do its job.

Leadcore, this is probably the easiest method to get your baits deeper than they were intended to go. Want to get a 6F Salmo Hornet (hint, hint) to run 22' over the mud on Mille Lacs? Use leadcore, set it to the depth you want and drive around the mud. Leadcore is usually just used for crankbaits but there has been some experimentation lately with using it to get odd stuff down deep. One nice thing about lead is that it will try to follow the track the boat is on where other weights will cut the corner when making turns. Leadcore will still sink on the inside line but not as bad as traditional weights. With leadcore you will want to run a leader. On dirty water I run a simple 10' length of 10 lb fireline. On clear lakes you may want to run up to 50' of mono for a leader. Leadcore does not stretch, so keep that in mind when choosing your rod action. Most people do not use a swivel snap to attach the crankbait, they simply use a small crosslock snap. The idea is to keep the weight off the nose of the lure, letting it run the way the factory designed it to. I tie on a small swivel between my leader and leadcore. That still gives me the swivel I need and an audible indicator of how much line is left.

When running 50' leaders, keep in mind that you will need to add the lure depth for 50' into the leadcore depth. Leadcore runs about 5' down for every color (30 feet) out at 2MPH. So in theory, using the same Salmo 6F hornet as mentioned above, to run at 22' deep you use the cross reference in the trollers bible, lets say that it's 5' deep at 50' back. Subtract that 5' from 22', now you only need to get the lure down an additional 17'. Leadcore sinks at 5' for every 30' back, so 90' should get you 15' down. Another 10 feet of line should get you the last two feet. Double check your math, the lure runs 5' on it's own, add another 17' for leadcore and you are at 22' deep. See, simple as mud. It's actually not that hard, it just seems like alot of steps when you write it down. When running short leaders you do not have to worry about the dive curve so much since most lures don't really have a depth at 10'.

The reason you have to add or not add the depth is because leadcore is going to run at X depth with or without a lure attached, and the lure is not going to make the leadcore run any more or less shallow, so you only have to consider the leader length.

So there you go. Without a ton of money invested you can get a good start on trolling. One leadcore and one mono setup should get a guy headed in the right direction. Some trolling and snap weights, plus the lures that are already in your box and you will be a pro in no time, it just takes some experimenting and time on the water.

Now that you are on your way to trolling, please remember to catch all the fish you want but limit your take and not take your limit.

[Gary_l]

For those not famialiar with lead core the color changes every 10 yards (thus why John mentioned 30 feet), so you don't neccessarily need a line counter while trolling lead core just count color changes. Also when dealing with lead (be it snap/inline or lead core) it is speed dependent/sensitive meaning the faster you go the shallower it runs/ the slower you go the deeper it runs (don't be afraid to change your speeds). With that said when trolling lead keep in mind did you catch it on the inside/outside of a turn (should that be when you got bit) it will give you a hint as to deepth and speed. The same can also be said on trolling cranks w/ regards to speed on inside/outside of turns (inside slower, outside faster).

Also when trolling cranks before trolling,check to make sure the crank is running true by letting some line out next to the boat and watching the crank (ie straight not left or right), tuning is easy but make small adjustments with a needle nose pliers, if memory serves me right (I always do this on the water and make my ajustments), if the lure runs to the right you make a slight adjustment (of where you attach the line to the crank) to the right (vice-a-versa for the left) and check the lure again.

[Gary_l]

Another tip.....for those like me whom may have a hard time reaching slower trolling speeds when idling, most of us have a drift sock, well if I want a slower speed I'll tie my dirft sock line to the most forward cleat (preferably on the nose of the bow if avaiable) w/ about 5' of free line to the drift sock and let the drift sock out, this will run under the boat and the short line is obviously so it can't get to the transom (ie motor). This cuts my trolling speed for me in about 1/2 of my idle speed and gives me a larger range of slower speeds to play with.

[JohnMickish]

Gary, after you spend a week on Erie and Green Bay, you will know more about trolling multiple rods than you thought was possible. 3 rods each on Green Bay and doing fire drills every half hour is a blast!

You will also see how important having the right tools to do the job is.

[Stick in Mud]

Thanks for the installment....I can't wait to get out there.

Just out of curiosity: How early in the year do you start pulling leadcore for fish? I know trolling stickbaits and shad raps shallow is a go-to presentation for walleye right on opening night, but when do you start pulling out the leadcore for the deep water bite?

[JohnMickish]

Last year on pool 4 guys where running leadcore in April. If I remeber right the water temps where in the low 50s.

Again, I don't think it's as easy as "leadcore at X temp". I don't care how many books a guy reads or who wrote them, walleyes can't read so they don't know what they are supposed to be doing! On lake Erie, they make the switch from cranks to spinner harnesses at 50 degrees, so if you think about that, you can do cranks anytime.

I would go with if you are marking fish deep, fish for them deep. They may wan't cranks on lead today and minnows on jigs tomorrow. I personally will start trolling as soon as the shallow jig bite starts to die off. It may be cranks on lead or it may be crawler harnesses, but one thing is for sure, if I'm not jigging I will be trolling. It's not that I don't like to lindy rig, in fact I love the feel of it, it's just that it is a slow way to fish.

[Fish Head]

John,

I have to say... that was a great series on trolling info! I think we all appreciated it and enjoyed the read.

[JohnMickish]

Thanks. I know I didn't put alot of stuff in there, but it will get someone started down the right path.

[pikerliker]

I think you anwered a question for me. I was planning on getting a couple rods set up for lead core trolling for this coming year and I read a couple colums that advised using line counter reels. This really didn't make sense to me because if your using a line counter reel why would you need lead core, and vice versa if I'm using lead core line isn't that the whole point so that I don't need a line counter? I would think that as long as i pay attention to how many colors I put out I would know where to set it without the counter.

[JohnMickish]

In theory, without a LC real you are just guessing. Can you count out 108'? It's easy to count out 30,60,90,120' etc, but the middle stuff can be hard to get exact, and sometimes the fish want it exact.

One more place the LC reels shine is when you have to cut the leadcore (and you will), do you want to have to cut it up at the next color change or just cut enough off to make the repair? With 30' per color you may end up throwing away quite a bit of line.

Say if you cut 12 feet off to make the repair, and chose not to go to the next color change now you are really guessing to how much line you have out, and that will probably lead to problems resulting in more cut line.

Do you NEED to have a LC reel? No Is it going to make life easier? Heck yes.

[delmuts]

Most guys go to the lead core to get lures deeper, not just the color coding.

[Northlander]

As usual great info John. When you going to get up my way and troll Lake Superior for some eyes, trout and salmon?

[JohnMickish]

Steve I would glady trade a Mille Lacs eye trip for a salmon trip. I would go up there on my own but silver fish scare me!

[TMF89]

So how many rods/reels would you guys say is necessary to cover your bases, while still allowing for as much multi-duty action as posible? I finally got some RAM 2000s and plan on installing them and starting to troll heavily this year. I'd like to be good on cranks and leadcore for sure, and planer boards would be nice but they're third on the ranking list.

I'm thinking two rods for crankbaiting/long-lining, and two for leadcore/possibly planer boarding? A short medium and a longer heavier action of each? I'll probably get two of each individual rod for my fishing partners, but would I be able to cover the bases with four rods? And what about reels? Could I just get four, two regular and two leadcore, and swap the rods as needed?

I'd also like to get into some action on Superior for salmon/trout this summer, so if you guys happen to have experience with them as well, and could point me towards any rods/reels that could take care of eyes as well as the oily fish, I'd appreciate it!

[JohnMickish]

Assuming you are going to stay fishing in MN inland waters, I would think you could get away with these rods for trolling.

7-8.5' trolling rod. Two reels, one for lead, one for mono. You could also use your bottom bouncer rod as the long line mono rod by changing reels. If you want to pull boards, use the leadcore rod.

That should cover you for one rod Minnesota. Of course, a 12' rod would be a nice addition but for starters you can save the money.

Now if your going to fish the river or other states where you can use multiple rods, then think more like this.

For boards, it's nice to use the same rods in all positions, but not a deal breaker. You can use a long (10'+) and a short (leadcore rod mentioned above) and be productive. You just have to do a little more wor to keep the long rod up front.

You can get by using the same long/short rod for lead, but if it's in the budget a shorty rod combined with the long rod works best. You can get by with the 7-8' rod by running it strait back but you basically take the action out of the rod since you are not putting pressure on it at a 90 degree angle.

Your plan will give you a great starting point, it won't be ideal but it will give you a place to learn, and that's half the fun anyways.

These rods would be a pretty good place to start and not break the bank. The new Jason Mitchell trolling rods will have a price of $60 for all but the 10'6" model, which will be $69.99, with a lifetime warranty. Believe it or not, I just read that in one of the ice fishing forums! Those crazy ice guys.

Anyways, I've got the JM 5' shorties and love them.

Keep thinking trolling, this ice will be gone soon enough!

[TMF89]

What size reels would you recommend for leadcore? I'm probably going to go with Acudepths, and I'm assuming either a 27 or a 47, but the latter seems pretty large to me, so I'm wondering if I can get away with a 27 for lead. And the reel size would also impact me ideal rod choices.

And you would really recommend a long/short combo? If I'm running three/four rods(otherwise the point's moot) would a long/short combo be better in pretty much every fishing situation/technique? What would be the minimum length difference between the rods that you would be comfortable with? As far as fishing without too much hassle. Thanks for your advice!

[JohnMickish]

I use 47s for lead and 27s for mono. You can use the smaller reels for lead but you can't get much on there. I think you can get something like 4 colors on the smaller reels, which is very usable until you have a mess.

Speaking of messes, you WILL get into one running multiple leadcore rods. The long/short combo will help to put as much separation between the lines as possible. You don't NEED to run the long/short deal, and running the same length rods will work just fine, it's just that the chances of getting tangled up are higher. How much higher I don't know. That depends greatly on the water you are fishing. On the river with lots of junk in the water the odds are high, I'd say that on the mud of Mille Lacs, I'd say the odds are much lower.

What happens is one or both of the rigs will hit the bottom and kick up and catch the other line or get fouled with something and start to spin, catching the other line. When this happens it will twist both lines together and many times you end up having to cut one line to get them free. This is also where the larger reels come into play. If you have to cut the line, it is nice to know that the reel will still have enough leadcore to finish the day. I have had to cut more than one color off at times.

You can always put a planer board on the outside rod to get your separation if you want to keep the rods the same length, but if you don't already have the boards, you can get another rod for the same price as a tricked out board.

If you are starting out, don't cheap out on the reels. Buy good reels and same some money on the rods.

[TruthWalleyes]

When running 4 to 6 rods a combination of leadcore, planer boards, snap weights, 3 way cranks, and downrigers can make life easier. It's not too often i have that many people in the boat, but it is nice to have that kind of flexibility when on the water.

[TMF89]

Well after checking out the new Sealines i think I'll be going with them, seemed to handle nicer than the Acudepths, and I like the SL 47 better than the AD one for some reason, so I think I'll be fine using it.

One thing I would like to mention is I plan on doing some fishing on Superior this summer, will I be able to find rods/line that can multitask? I'm not worried about the reels as much as re-lining them every time I want to fish Superior. Now I know there's plenty of difference between a 5lb eye and a 20lb laker, but I have no experience fishing for either in a situation like this, and I don't know how well the rods/reels would transition.

One other question, how much does leadcore "weigh"? I mean, I've checked out the packages of line, and that seems like a lot of weight to put on a medium power moderate action rod? Or am I just not giving the rods enough credit? Thanks again for all the help guys!

[JohnMickish]

You ask a good question about the "weight" of the leadcore line. I personally wouldn't put it on my 7' MM bottom bouncer rods because I feel it would overpower the rod, but putting it on a 7' MM trolling rod is no problem.

The trolling rods are built heavier than hand held rods but for whatever reason they use the same power/action ratings. Don't try to compare the two because it's kind of like an apples to dogs comparison when you are looking at leadcore.

[TMF89]

Alright, so any "trolling rod" with at least a medium action should be fine? I'm not trying to get a guarantee from you or anything, but I've checked bout Gander Mountain and Cabelas, and besides Cabela's private label, a couple Shimanos, and the St. Croix Eyecons, I haven't had much luck finding a good selection of trolling rods to check out, so I'll probably be ordering online. That's why I want to get my choices ironed out as much as possible. I'll wait till after the Northwest show though, maybe somebody'll have a rack or two of Okumas or Daiwas that aren't Wilderness rods. Speaking of, do you have any experience with the Okuma Dead Eye rods? That's their walleye lineup.

[JohnMickish]

It is really tough to find a good selection of trolling rods around here, that is for sure.

I am happy with the Okuma gear that I own and have used, butI have not had a chance to use the Deadeye stuff yet. I know that they will be at the sports show. I hope that there is a selection of trolling gear at the show. Marine General may be a great place to look.

Have fun shopping!

[JohnMickish]

Make sure you guys check out this weeks episode of "The Next Bite". They are doing lead core trolling with cranks and pretty much sum up what we have been talking about.

[starcraft]

when is that show on and what channel

[JohnMickish]

It will be on tomorrow on Vs around noon or so. Maybe online at the next bite.