open water trolling

[no_bod]

I'm new to open water trolling and I'm looking for some techniques. Do you prefer a certain depth for trolling cranks or are you just looking for the baitfish? Any particular lure? I've did this in the past, but don't have much experience. It was earlier in the season as well. Can this presentation pay off throughout the year? Please let me know what has worked for you guys if you will. Best of luck to all of you!

[HuntBigFish]

We've done most of our open water trolling in fall with limited success. We have caught a few fish on Believers and Jakes about 12-15 feet down. We havn't put anything in the boat this year, but we're still tryin.

[markkstanley]

Summer try trolling big spinnerbaits - Rad Dogs, CJ Spins etc. 2oz size Colorado blade is my preference. I troll them from 2 to 4mph inside edge, outside edge and over the top. I'll switch to cranks in the fall.

[RK]

Hiya -

Especially early in the season, I think it's easy to troll under fish over open water. I bet 80% of the fish I catch open water trolling in June and July are on lures running less than 10 feet deep. Lots of them are on baits running 2-3 feet down. With fish and baitfish high in the water column it can be kind of hard to spot them on electronics though. Sometimes all you see is little diagonal streaks on your graph as you pass over them. So I just look for areas that I know have historically held baitfish, or on new water, for areas of what Doug Stange calls 'confined open water' near major structure - off big points, between a point and a reef, inside a big bay, narrows or neck-down areas, or the open water areas of distinct basins on a multi-basin lake. Doesn't always need to be super-deep water either. Sometimes the basin is only 25 feet deep.

I often use boards this time of year because the fish are up so high. Or, use a very long line (100ft or so). For baits, I like Bomber Long-As, Ernies (run on a short line behind a board), Sledges, Big Daddy jerkbaits, Stalkers and Super Stalkers - stuff like that. If I have enough people in the boat that I can run four lines, I will run one bait deep just to keep 'em honest, but if it's me and one other person, everything's up high until it becomes obvious that it ain't workin.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[ole matty]

Was wonderin wld it be successful trollin like few yards from weed lines as well? Or trollin over sandgrasses that hold baitfish? I wld like to troll more this year. Think I ll start with spinners then change. to cranks if nothin work as well..

[Quackaddict9]

Quote:

Was wonderin wld it be successful trollin like few yards from weed lines

Successful, just have to catch a fish to be but Yeah I would do that, from my experience only one 42 put in the boat trolling a rap on the weed line-drop off break, so its one of the areas that you can hit it off with. Have a great time with your dad when hes in MN!

[ole matty]

Thanks. Mayb we can hook up on cass or leech.

[Griggs]

RK, what type of baits are you using that you can keep it 2-3 ft down?

[MuskyBug85]

6" JAKES, BOMER SUPER LONG A'S, WINDELLS MUSKY SNACKS (SHALLOW VERSION), JOINTED SUPER STALKERS DON'T RUN MUCH DEEPER, ALMOST ALL BUCKTAILS (I BELIEVE THAT THE ORGINAL DOUBLE COW GIRLS WERE MADE FOR TROLLING), THE OLD SMALL LIPPED 6" CISCO KIDS, A LAUNDRY LIST OF JERK BAITS, BULLDAWS ON BOARDS, SPINNERBAITS WITH BIG BLADES, SPOONS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. HOPE THIS LIST HELPS, JONAH

[cjac]

I picked up a few of the Storm Giant Thundersticks, should be a good shallow bait option. The walleyes sized baits produce accidental 'skis for the Fall walleye guys and should be a good shallow trolling bait. Relatively inexpensive too....

Spinnerbaits are a good shallow trolling bait too as mentioned.