Pushing

I like pushing jigs and minners in the colder months when the fished are schooled up and a little slow. You can keep the bait in front of their face where its just an easy meal for them. The rig I use is a 3/4 bell sinker, the swivel, then you leader line with a minner or jig. You can also add a bait above your swivel. Once the days get longer and the water warms up I will start long line tolling when the fish will chase the bait or move to attack a little more. Pushing also works great when fishing structure, my favorite!!:D

I was thinking about "Pushing" yesterday while we were trolling. I updated my 798 with the Down Imaging. Yesterday was the first time I have got to use it and I really like it. I had the screen split to show Down Imaging on 1 side and the 2D sonar on the other side of the screen. I was amazed and how much more I can see now and it would show things from time to time that the 2D would not. This would be a great tool for pushing or tightlining.

My boat wasnt a good candidate for long lining as I didnt have a troller that would work for it so I decided to push. I either fish with hooks or/and jigs (usually tipped with minnows). Advantages I see are you can ease around in timber with some downlines and fish 'em without too many hangups. Also brushpiles dont cause too many breakoffs either as you arent going so fast and usually have time to lift and drop until the weights come loose from the brush. You can bottom bounce with a weight on the end of your lines with your hooks tied above the weights. Speed....anywhere from (guessing) .3 to nothing. Alot of folks call it slow trolling whihc is exactly what it is. I dont cover near as much water fishing this style....slow is the key. When spider rigging you can hang the baits right in their faces which can trigger strikes from less agressive fish. Lastly, you can get your hooks/jigs much deeper than longlining as in the summer months the fish are usually deep...but can still be caught.;)

:DOk. So PUSHING is like fishing down wind of an object unancored, trolling motor on, or very slowly troling around that object specificaly targeting that object.
LONG LINNING dragging jigs behind the boat at diffrent depths with your fingers crossed.

I'm with Rawhide, that sounds like alot of work. Beer, chips and roast beef sandwiches or catching fish....... Hummmm:D:D:D

I normally Spider-Rig when I fish alone. When my Son has a day off He as well as others that fish with me will long-line out the back. They manage to catch about as many as I do. I can spot fish and structure with my D-finder up front and tell them to get ready and watch rear depth-finder for fish. I think sometimes I just get them excited when I pass over them and They grab their bait when it comes by. This happens often as I usually trolling over structure and area that Im familar with. Structure-Depth changes are the triggers to the fish. There is a lot of dead water that I just speed up trolling motor until I find more desirable water. Both methods will produce fish at same time. If area you have just went over is holding a lot of fish I inform him Im going to make a wide sweep and come back though same area and pick up more. I usually have a pattern set in my mind before I put in water. It is a must to explain to your partner where and how we will fish an area and tell him of turning ahead so he can adjust his line lenghts to keep from tangling. Just my thoughts on the subject. Good Fishing All. Bottombumper

How about rod lenghts, most of the boats I saw pushing sat. all had 8 rods with each being 10 or 12 ft. I've got a mixture of lenghts from 7 to 12 ft. Can anyone tell me how to fish with varied lenght rods. I don't want to go out and buy 6 more 12 footers to go along with the 2 I have...

Lot of people fish the same size rods, say 12'. I have 4 16' rods in the front center and on each side are 14', 12', 10 for a total of 10 rods. The longer rods in the center are there so my bait isn't close to my trolling motor.
Y'all was talking about rods out the back while spider rigging, try putting out a couple rods with a float and your bait 2' to 3' deep and only let them out about 10'. They will catch a lot of fish for you!

Alright Tim were going to have to try this pushing thing. I don't know if I can sit next to you that long especially if your going to talk astro physics all day.

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Originally Posted by RAWHIDE

Alright Tim were going to have to try this pushing thing. I don't know if I can sit next to you that long especially if your going to talk astro physics all day.

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I'll go try it with you Rawhide....But I'll be just fine sitting in the back of the boat:p

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Originally Posted by TnT

I'll go try it with you Rawhide....But I'll be just fine sitting in the back of the boat:p

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Where did you get the money for a new down imaging sonar, you holding out on me. you know you still owe me for all the lessons..