Trolling

[HugoBox]

I have plenty of experience with walleye trolling but want to try more of it for muskies. Specifically, I've read about prop wash trolling and think it could be fun. I'm wondering for those of you who troll - Do you put the rods in holders? If so I'm guessing you use fiberglass rods. What line do you use? I'm guessing having some stretch would be helpful. What rods do you like? I'm guessing a longish rod with a forgiving tip would be good, but like I said muskie trolling is a new one for me. Any other tips would be appreciated.

[cjac]

I did troll more this year than in the past. Sometimes a bit boring, but it can produce.

Equip: I have a couple set-ups, relatively inexpensive ones.

I have a Shimano 8'6" MH TDX rod, $30 at Thorne. I have a smaller Okuma line counter reel on that. 2nd is actually a 8' glass catfish rod with an Abu reel. These rods offer some give..... I use 80 braided line, but keep the drag set really light, just enough not to slip when I hit the throttle a bit. Longer flouro leaders, as I am not in rocks, then you'd want wire. I even go to heavier bass/flippin' set ups at times, depending on what I'm going after and what size bait in pulling.

I do put the rods in the holders, just makes it easier.

My thoughts, limited as they are, others will have more I'm sure.

Chris

Honestly can't say I've tried the prop wash technique yet.

[HugoBox]

Chris -

Thanks for the info - I was thinking of going the catfish route - I don't really want to sink a bunch of $$ into it right off the bat. I tried the prop-wash trolling a bit last year but have a long long ways to go to get competant at it.

thanks again - erik

[polarsusd81]

I got my first ski doing just that. My first time fishing them I was throwing a double cowgirl for about 3 hours and was plum wore out, I told my buddy we should troll a bit to get some energy back. Trolling the cowgirl about 15 feet behind the boat, I had a monster come up and missed that one and about 20 minutes later I had a 42 come up and inhale that cowgirl. I was holding the rod as I didn't have a rod holder in my boat yet, and I was constantly pumping the rod to really give the bait a different action than just straight trolling. Pretty cool though. Like Chirs said, keep the drag pretty light, so you don't have a broken rod or line. You can always stop the line with your thumb to drive the hooks home if you need to. Fun stuff though.

[Cody Lubeley]

whenever i troll i have jsut casted back and hoped it was the right distance, when you troll close to the boat does it scare teh fish away at all you said you were trolling only 15 feet behind your boat

[polarsusd81]

I tried it on Mille Lacs a couple days after I got my first ski this summer, and had a couple giants rise up out there as well, one hit and missed, the other just followed a bit. Had I been a bit more in tune, I would have stopped the boat, started casting, and running the figure 8s, but it was one of those days I was off my game. For some reason, it doesn't seem to bother them with what I have seen. Kinda crazy to see a monster fish come up in your propwash. I was running about 3 mph and the baits were running just under the surface.

[Cody Lubeley]

what depths do you usually troll in when short lining like that?

[Grant Pearson]

It's a real popular thing on Lake St. clair to have a lure right in the prop wash as you're trolling. They've caught some decent muskies doing that. Something about any baitfish being eratically thrown around and the added erratic action of the lure that entices them to strike.

[RK]

Hiya -

I do quite a bit of trolling at certain times of year, generally early and late in the season. In the spring, it's a lot of open water trolling, and running short lines is definitely part of the picture. Same for fall open water trolling.

Personally, I prefer to run lines next to or just under the prop wash rather than right in it. That means running a diving bait right behind the boat, or a shallower running bait right off the corner of the transom. I use a fairly moderate action rod that's usually 7 to 8 feet long. Definitely rod holders... Have your drag very loose - it should slip when you hit the throttle hard. If it's too tight, fish jump immediately and you usually lose them.

The amount of line back can really vary from day to day, so you sort of have to experiment. A lot of the time I'll start with 25 to 30 feet our, and go in from there. There have been days when fish came on rods off the corners with a 4 foot leader and less than a foot of line out. How close to the boat can be really weather dependent sometimes. When you pull boards and run short lines, it seems like on bright days fish come on the boards, and on overcast days fish will crash the transom.

As far as lures go, anything that will run decent will work. Ernies, Depth Raiders, Wiley's cranks, Sledges (which I really like) or spinnerbaits and bucktails all work.

It's worth messing with - can really be effective at times.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[HugoBox]

Thanks Rob -

I know that different conditions call for variations in the presentation and plenty of experimenting is required. That said, is there a min or max speed that you use. At closed throttle our 150 will slow down to about 3.5 MPH (GPS speed) is that going to be too slow in all situations or would you start there and work your way up?

[RK]

Hiya -

My speed ranges from @ 3 mph to maybe 5 I suppose. I bet most of the time I'm between 3.5 and 4.5. Only time I slow down much below 3 is in very late fall... So you should be right in there speed-wise.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[cupper]

I caught my first muskie trolling. 42" on Minnetonka. It was a bluebird day after a two day weather system in October. My buddy and I had tried everything in the bad weather with no luck... we went out on this day throwing for an hour and decided to troll. I was using a Lillytail and had it about 20 feet behind the boat... I pumped it every minute or so. I pumped it one last time, and WHAM! Quite a feeling. I did not use rod holders and did have my drag a little looser than normal.

I would definately give this a try. Some posatives are that you can cover alot of water (Most guys I talk to troll from 3-5 mph), you can give yourself a brake from casting, and you can experiment with different lures.

[HugoBox]

Thanks to all. Last night my wife let me know that she will not let me rest until she gets her first 40 incher. She followed that by saying that casting the big stuff is too much work -- this may be a way to get it done.

take care - erik

[rebel16.5]

you all commented on day time fishing what speeds do all of use at nite and how much line do you all have out.

[rebel16.5]

you all commented on day time fishing what speeds do all of use at nite and how much line do you all have out.

[muskiedreams]

at night time we go slower that speed is slowerslowerslower and as far as baits and letting line out that all depends on what you are fishing weeds,rock,sand,baitfish, there is a book out by dr esox that covers trolling baits what depth they run at what speeds how much line you got out. Buy slow just enough 2 get your bait doing what it should do and that is it big blades just enough 2 get them spinning cranks just enough 2 get them wobbling so on slow slow slow usually around 2.5 otherwise if trolling over weeds just start out at 100 ft and move in our out tell you make contact with the weeds hope this helps