Thread: Longlining Questions?

Thank you all for sharing this wealth of knowledge with beginners like myself - read all 39 pages with pleasure! I've just started longlining and pulling jigs right now (also plan to pull cranks eventually) from my pedal drive kayak. I can keep a 1 mph speed very easily while still keeping track of my gear and watching the graph.

Question that I've not seen addressed yet: If I'm targeting speed of 1.0 mph is that the speed on your GPS (speed across land) or does it need to be through the water? For instance if there's a tailwind or current pushing me at 1mph should I just drift with it or take that into account so my GPS speed would be 2 mph? Since I'm in a small boat current and wind affects me more than most guys. Thanks.

1 MPH is 1 MPH whether youre pedaling or the wind is blowing you. Not real sure what you mean about being on land or water though?!? If a tail wind pushes you at 1.0 mph then stop pedaling until youre going slower than 1.0 mph again.

Originally Posted by gabowman

1 MPH is 1 MPH whether youre pedaling or the wind is blowing you. Not real sure what you mean about being on land or water though?!? If a tail wind pushes you at 1.0 mph then stop pedaling until youre going slower than 1.0 mph again.

Got it. Most baits and spinners stop having action at 0.5 mph so that's about as slow one would ever go longlining, right?

Also, do you watch your graph when moving less than 1 mph? Seems that everything gets so stretched out that it doesn't provide any good information other than depth of water.

What speed is standard for running side scan when searching for crappie?

Do you watch the 2d sonar and downscan while sidescanning or just side scan?

I wont troll less than .7 mph. Like you said, the action on the hot grubs needs a certain speed to work. If I'm not mistaken you need to be running about 3-4 mph to get clear pictures using side scan. Some people use side scan to find the fish before they start fishing. I use 2-D sonar for that. And I constantly use my sonar when trolling. With maps on your sonar you can watch ahead for shallows coming up along with avoiding any premarked brush piles and with 2-D you will see "new" brush piles as you go over them. Then you need to speed WAY up so your jigs doesn't hang the brush. I hardly ever use down scan.

Thank you. Another question….when trolling a creek channel do you like to start from the back of the cove and move toward the mouth or vice-versa or does it make any difference? Do crappie like to orient/face into the current typically?

I dont put lines out until my graph tells me fish are there to catch. I may even have to leave one creek and check out another one. If I aint marking anything in the backs of the creek then I dont fish back there. Hope this helps.

Roger that. I’ll definitely spend time scanning first.

I picked up some Charlie Brewer sliders and excited to give them a shot. What kind of jig heads do you recommend? I have some roadrunners and finspins and looking for some unpainted pony heads that I can purchase more bulk. My lake’s clarity is not good so I figure that some flash is a good thing. Thoughts?

CB Sliders on Roadrunners have always worked well for me in both MN and FL. I have Fin Spins but haven’t given them much troll time yet as the Roadrunners always seem to get it done. The use of Slab Sauce or other scent also increases the bite frequency.


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