Speedtrolling Buzzbaits.....wow.

[SledNeck]

How many people speed troll buzzbaits for Pike? I find this to be the absolute best way to catch em. I tell people this and they look at me crazy..(alot dont even have any in their tackle box). I find it outfishes spinnerbaits anyday of the week (after the middle of june).The best part is that you can troll right through the weeds! These fish sometimes jump 4 feet out of the water doing flips in the air going after the buzzers. I just use my bass rod when trolling for them w/20 lb fireline, but maybe I shouldnt....Last week I was trolling a buzzbait really fast at about 8:30 PM and BAM! 20lb northern makes a huge splash as he hits my booyah buzzer. I felt him on for about 3 seconds then my line was sheared off. That is honestly the first time in my life Ive ever had a Pike swallow a large sized buzzbait whole. Just wanted to see if anyone else used them speedtrolling.

[Cooter]

Nope but sounds like I might have to try! You using bass sized buzzbaits? Also, how fast is 'speed trolling'? Good to hear you're having fun.

[SledNeck]

Yeah, some northland bass sized ones and some of the booyah brand, they seem to hit any size...remember the trailer hook.Troll fast enough to have the buzzer breaking water, to stay above the weeds. But the faster you troll the more you rip the S--- out of their faces when they hit. Last saturday I was trolling like this when I was fishing a small lake in the Crosslake/Emily area and had a bass that was about 6lbs jump out of the water broadsize right behind my buzzbait....all three of us saw it and just looked at each other and shook our heads. It looked just like flipper!

[RedDB76]

Are you pulling these with your electric motor or a gas motor?

This sounds like some fun!

[carlcmc]

how far out behind the boat and how fast you going?

[SledNeck]

Gas, going fast enough to make the buzzbait break the surface. It doesnt matter how far behind the boat in most lakes that i fish. Sometimes they hit 5 feet behind the boat, sometimes 40 feet. I usually keep it a casting length behind the boat.

[carlcmc]

do you find it best to do it over weedcover or ever try above the deep weedline?

[Muddog]

I'll have to give it a try. On Sunday morning.

Thanks.

[JohnMickish]

Remember whenever you speed troll for pike or muskies to loosen the drag, you'll get more hook ups and you can tighten for the fight after it's hooked.

[SledNeck]

speed trolled again tonite and It was unbeliveable, 10 mins past offical sunset for 30 minutes the bite on. Caught a 10 and as soon as i casted the buzzer back out a 15 plus took it into the reeds and I lost it. I tryed to horse him away but as soon as he hit it the went straight for em. ......To answer a previous question, I troll over the edge of the weedline about 30 feet away from the reed lines, on this particular lake.sometimes closer. Use your judgement....this is the most fun way IMO to catch pike.

[HoleHopper]

Sled neck I see you are in Gods Country up there. I know it has worked for me for years. It is fun to hook up the kidds and have em watch the snot rockets fly in the air when they hit.

It might just be me, but I seem to loose a lot of pike after the hookup useing fireline I dont know why??? I can feal everything with that stuff, but just cant keep em hooked like I can useing mono. I like useing 10 lb firline becouse of the depth I can reach with it. Any advise?

[SledNeck]

I use 20lb fireline for everything, walleyes (14 lb mono leader) , bass, pike, u name it...pretty much the standard line for me. The site of mono makes me sick. Must have saved thousands in lures since I switched from mono back in 97.

[HoleHopper]

Sarry that the sight of mono makes you sick! The sight or thought of any fishing gear makes me just a little happier Dont really matter what kind it is. Heck even snoopy poles put a grin on my face!

I am not trying to start a mono vs. firline debate! I agree about saveing lures. And I like useing firline for Pike But what do you do about keeping fish hooked? Do I need to loosen the drag more than I would if I were useing mono beouse of the no stretch factor or could it be that I might be doing something else wrong? Just looking for some firline asdvise!

[SledNeck]

you could also say fireline sets the hook deeper.

[DTro]

I would really think for this type of fishing you would want a little more stretch (mono).

[Muddog]

A light drag or a plainer board. I think will do nice. I know what you are saying about Fireline and Pike. especially when they do the death roll going away.

I gave it a try this morning. Nada. But nothing worked. I am not giving up though. I'll have to try closer to dawn or dusk. It was very windy today.

[Random guy]

Sledneck and Hole Hopper, What are you two doing up at 1am debating mono verses super braid...you guys are hard core.

I like to use a no strech super braid for this application of trolling. I think the super braids allow for a better hook set and if I am running the spinner or buzz bait slightly below the surface I can grab the line and feel what the lure is doing,"see if the thump is right" where mono asorbs that and I can't tell if the blade is spinning correct.

[HoleHopper]

That is another good reason why I like to use a no streatch line like fireline for pike and trolling cranks or anything for that matter. You can feel the lure do its thing. Great point Jon! Thanks.

I just seem to have a problem with keeping them hooked! I think Im goin to have to back down my drag for starters and see what happens from there.

[Random guy]

A softer or more limber rod tip may help with keeping fish hooked. When I switched to braids for ice fishing I had to soften up my rods to get more forginess back that the mono gave me.

[HoleHopper]

That makes sence Jon! By Jon, I think you have got it!

Any relation to Kelly?.....

[Random guy]

Yup, he goes by the name of Pops. The old bird has a thirty something son, do the math thats one old coot.

(He's gonna whoop my arse again for aging him )

[jiggin' fool]

HoleHopper,

Your losing more fish with the "super-lines" is due to their 'no-stretch' properties. Someone here suggested backing off on your drag, and that is solid advice. Back it off so that your reel is slowly pulling line off the spool of your reel, while trolling, then tighten just enough so that it stops pulling line. Also, you should tie on a barrel-swivel to your super-line, and add a mono leader, about 4-6 feet. This will allow for a little 'shock-absorbtion'. If you do both of these, you hooking/landing percentage will go back up close to what you had for mono.

The reason this happens, especially at faster trolling speeds, is due to the no-stretch properties of the super-lines. The hooks are literally ripping out of the fish. If the fish happens to get the hook in the corner, or outside edge of the mouth, and you have no stretch, or loose drag, the end result is like ripping the hooks right through the fish!!!!!!!!

I use mono on all my rods, EXCEPT my muskie gear, and all my trolling gear, for all species, including walleyes. I was loosing a bunch of big walleyes when I first started using Power-Pro on my walleye trolling set-ups, until I did the mono-leader. That helped some, but when I added the practice of backing off my drag, my hooking/landing percentage just soared back up to near mono equality!!!!!!!

Try it, you will soon see!!!!!!

[Muddog]

A softer or more limber rod tip will effect the way your lure will run. Think about it! If you want your lure to pound the water, a stiff rod and no stretch line is what you want. If you want it to slide thruogh the water, A softer or more limber rod tip and mono is what you want.

This time of year a stiff rod and no stretch line is what I want. Pound the water.

[SledNeck]

They were destroying the buzzbaits again last night. I think they like booyahs better cause they make that clicking noise. Lost a 15+ lber at the boat. My 7 year old couldnt get him in the net...hooked the lure and ripped it out of his mouth.....Caught everything that hit (didnt lose any that hit the lure) 2 rods using fireline and that spiderwire heavy line on my muskie rod.

[shortfatguy]

I have fished this way alot with not only buzzbaits but any type of top water bait. I dont "speed" troll I just move fast enough to get the bait to work properly across the top of the water. This technique is awesome on lakes that plug up in the summer making it impossible to fish and diving baits without getting in the weeds. even the little ones hit like a ton of bricks when you troll top waters!!