Thread: Beginner trolling questions

When I got started I bought 4- okuma 20 line counters. They were 35 each then for my short rod I bought 2 okuma combo with a 20 line counter on it with a 7ft shimano rod for 40 bucks. They are a little too big but work. I think I bought my stuff from Frank's great outdoors web site. The cranks are what costs you.

Bandit 300's while expensive have alway seemed to out fish the arkies. They tend to run more true the faster you pull them. And as far as colors go, the number one color is, and its the hardest color to come by in the bandit 300 series, is the awesome pink.I wish I could find and afford a dozen!! Unfortunately most are over 6 bucks now as the Bandit company was bought out and the new owners are out to make buck. Solids seem to out perform the shad colors if you cant find the awesome pink color, with solid white and solid black working and finally the crawdad patterns with the orange and brown ones doing best. We use our long lining spinning reels but change the 6lb mono spools off for 10 lb diameter braid spools or 10lb mr hi vis crappie , we use the shorter long lining rods as well as some bait caster rods . We usually start once the water temp hits 80 and above.

I troll South Sauty creek channel on the river side of the
causeway using a Hobie pedal kayak. Two 6' Ugly Sticks in
cheap plastic rod holders, cheap Okuma counter reels,
60 lb braided line, Bandit 300s, a Coke, a Baby Ruth, and a
few Padron 3000 maduro cigars: a nice way to spend a late
Spring morning.

In 20 to 25 ft of water, running depth is around mid-way
depending on the clouds and time of day. Deeper if sunny,
shallow if dark. Speed is around 2 mph plus or minus 0.5
depending on wind and waves. Slower if windy, faster if calm.
I'll usually run one deep and another shallow when I start
guessing. More often than not, the deeper bait catches fish
and I switch them both deep. I tend to underestimate how
deep they usually run in the SS area. But it's better to be
too shallow than too deep.

However, color seems irrelevant and I can't find a pattern. I've
caught crappie in the SS area using black, hot pink, firetiger,
crawfish, chrome, chartreuse, etc. It seems fast moving, noisy
crankbaits invoke an aggressive reflex strike unlike the subtle
enticement of a jig or minnow. They just don't have time to
sense the bait and decide. I think they sense it and strike
blindly. I have no other explanation for why I can't establish a
color pattern, or why 4" crappies try to cram a Bandit 300
down their gullet. They're less than an inch bigger than the
dang crankbait itself. It's just bizarre.

So I just worry about finding the schools and getting the speed
and depth right.

Grind the barbs off all your treble hooks. Keep a tight line and
you won't lose fish, but you'll thank me after your first double.
Try unhooking a thrashing 3 lb striper while watching the other
rod bend double, just when you need to steer away from other
boats.

My most useful tool is a GPS map on a fishfinder. Makes it real
easy to follow the creek channels, roads, and find underwater
islands near deeper water. You can also save waypoints where
you catch fish. But fancy electronics are not required. Use a
folding map to locate deeper water, then look for water birds
diving for shad. The birds can see the bait fish from the air.
Predator fish are below the bait fish looking up. Troll through
those areas and you should find out what type of predator fish
are there.

You'll catch big cats and stripers too. Even a few green carp.
Hate those things. When you catch a few 1 or 2 lb stripers,
move to another location. Once stupid stripers move in, they're
all you catch.

I don't catch large numbers trolling. I think my record is 5 or 6
in a day. But I catch more big fish than any other method I've
tried.