Thread: long line trolling.

I longline off the front all the time. 4 rods off each side and then if someone is with me they can fish 5 total on rear. When I find fish I dont stop trolling just start running a figure 8 through them like running a kingfish spread.

Thanks for the information. Do you maintain lure separation by varying rod legnths, lure type/depth and dropback legnth
or both? Id also assume that conditions will dictate how many lines can be used?
My concern is time spent fishing as opposed to untangling lines. lol

Long Line trolling is what I do 95% of the time. I run 6-8 rods on the front with lengths varying from 18-8 ft long and 6 7-8 footers out the back. Usually I just fish with 6 poles out of the front, a 18, 14 and a 10 ft on each side. Like Huntinslabs said, I just make circles or run a figure 8 thru them and I never stop. If trolling is what you are gonna be doing, the only thing I see with your set up that you may want to consider is changing trolling motors. The Minn Kota Power Drive V2 (Or Terrova) with Auto Pilot or I-Pilot is the way to go. It allows you more time to concentrate on fishing (and hopefully catching) and not steering the boat. That's my most valuable piece of equipment next to my electronics. If I have to go to the back of my boat for anything, I know the trolling motor will keep me on course with trying to make any unwanted turns. Speed, weight of jigs and how far out the line is will dictate how deep you are fishing.....Good Luck!!

I can fully appreciate what your saying TNT and your not the first who has recommended I change trolling motors.
Up till now ive been slow trolling edges of weed beds, or pulling up to a specific spot and jigging with just one rod.
For that purpose the motor has worked fine. Trolling for me wether it be in salt water or fresh has always been a means
of locating fish rather than a means of catching them. But ive had friends who felt otherwise and trolled exclusively.
I'm sort of hoping to keep a couple jig rods ready and if fortunate enough to locate some fish stop the boat and try that method.
If it dosent produce then resume trolling. But what I'm hoping for and reality might be 2 different things. Which is why I appreciate
the advise from people more experienced. From my observation of your comments I assume you use jigs for trolling more than plugs
or other type lures?

I use jigs with either a plain head or Roadrunner head and various different curl tails and sliders. If you want to troll exclusively the electric steer motors are the way to go. But fishing flats, tree lines, docks and many other tasks are better suited to manual control in my opinion. Now throw in holding on an offshore reef, or other things and the anchor mode comes in useful as well. I would way all those out before dropping coins on a new trolling motor, especially if yours is working well. And if yours is tiller style steer its does not have the tendacy to spin off course as badly as a cable steer foot control, just put a lil more tension on the adjustment knob so it can not spin off unwanted.

This is my first ever electric trolling motor which ive had about 3 years. Since I still do a limited amount of salt water I bought the rip tide model.
A couple months back I hired a guy who agreed to go in my boat and help me along and also critique my boat setup.
He ran the boat and essentially liked everything about it except the trolling motor which he carped on all day.
Two days later I took my grandson to the same place and had a good day by doing what he had showed me.
I didn't seem to have the problems he was complaining about with the motor however. And the funny thing was about
a week later he called me about a guy who wanted to trade his foot control motor for mine. I'm well aware of the advantages
of having an auto pilot on offshore boats. Especially when chaos erupts in the cockpit and I'm assuming that's what TNT is referring to.
I should be so lucky to have it happen while I'm crappie trolling lol.

Since you mentioned your grandson and also yourself, please remember if considering remote control trolling motor, If you fall out with remote control the motor will not stop. It will run off and leave you. Purchase and wear a automatic personal flotation device. Especially if you are alone or with kids in the boat that don't know to do. It has happened before. Be safe.

Originally Posted by Yelim

Since you mentioned your grandson and also yourself, please remember if considering remote control trolling motor, If you fall out with remote control the motor will not stop. It will run off and leave you. Purchase and wear a automatic personal flotation device. Especially if you are alone or with kids in the boat that don't know to do. It has happened before. Be safe.

Well thanks for your concern, and rest assured it is a concern for me. I do wear a manualy operated floatation device when I'm on my boat. My grandson or anybody for that matter is rarly with me. I am also 81 years old and although in pretty decent condition, I'm well
aware of what and where I am. But I could also give up, stay home and choke to death while eating a sandwich.