One last Hoo-rah for the Trolling Equipment

The #ers are starting to come down as the season slows. Don't know if the near new moon or recent cold front had anything to do with it because the ones that bit, hammered the baits pretty good. Caught around 20, but that was 5 1/2 hrs of trolling. Was a crisp brisk start to the morning & surface water temps stayed at 69F all morning with slight breezes. Did manage (3) 14" fish, which kept my hopes high to stick out a few extra hrs, being such a beautiful day weather wise. Here's a couple Pics, sorry not the best quality.....

Great to hear you still got some.... Think I'm gonna hit the river one more time then I'm moving to the gills and crackers.... Might be a little early but then again they just might be there waiting on me....

Good fish in the pic Jeff, even if it does look like I took the pic. Ernie and i are going this morning to see if we can't find a few. Love it when they slam a bait. Glad it was a good day for ya.

Great pics and great fish. Glad ya had a good day out there.

Glad you got to enjoy one of the last few days of cool weather before the heat kicks in. Rivers still flowing south up here, we need some rain......bad

Glad to see still catching some, good deal.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

Good fish in the pic Jeff, even if it does look like I took the pic. Ernie and i are going this morning to see if we can't find a few. Love it when they slam a bait. Glad it was a good day for ya.

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Funny thing Skeet is that work phone "galaxy 7" taking pics is upward to $700...I'm sure there's some operator error there, but I guess the readers should have been put on to check:Rofl even the sunrise pics blacked out the scenery....hope you & Ernie fill the well today !

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Originally Posted by Speckanator

Great to hear you still got some.... Think I'm gonna hit the river one more time then I'm moving to the gills and crackers.... Might be a little early but then again they just might be there waiting on me....

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Hope Lemon Bluff has some water, bet it's a interesting launch....

Im always the last over here on Harris chain i believe to give up on the crappie. Made a little trip out last night to see if anybody was still home---YES! Just not biting afer this wind and cold front--so another day or so after it warms i shall look again!!

You guys keep throwing curve balls, which keeps me off balance, and I don't need curve balls to be off balance.
Me being a relative newcomer to Spec fishing, thought trolling was something you did when you couldn't find fish to catch by other methods. Admittedly, I felt that way when all my fishing was in salt water also, with the exception of a few species.
I fish several days a week, and I am very much aware that the very low water levels are affecting the locations we can normally fish, especially when they are in shallower water.
I have been considering starting to do some trolling myself, due to that situation.
But now here comes an experienced guy stating he's ready to hang it up?
Another question, related to trolling.
Ive heard and read and watched numerous videos pertaining to spider rigging.
Ive also seen the word (pushing) used, which I assumed was just a different term for spider rig fishing.
Ive been told the number of rods used is optional, and being alone I'm planning on just 4 rods.
I would also (probably) be using only 4 if I'm trolling out the back, especially when using plugs, or if windy and choppy.
I learned in salt water that less lines full time, is better than lots of lines some of the time, with the rest of the time being
devoted to untangling lines.
If I was alone, I would troll only 2 out there, and of coarse spider rigging was a foreign language till I arrived here.
Untill the temps get into the 90s every day, I plan on fishing as often as I can, so hearing about hanging it up for the year
has me wondering about that.
Opinions would be appreciated.

You certainly can troll all year. But in these lakes around here being shallow with very little cover in open water they tend to bury up in the deep thick vegetation around the lakes. Spiderrigging the edges of cover and structure on the river are productive. That said many things are more productive, single poling cover or pitching jigs at cover add other panfish in the mix. Also the brine gets heated up and calls many of us. But if I wanted to troll I would, but not expecting the banner days of pre and post spawn.

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

You certainly can troll all year. But in these lakes around here being shallow with very little cover in open water they tend to bury up in the deep thick vegetation around the lakes. Spiderrigging the edges of cover and structure on the river are productive. That said many things are more productive, single poling cover or pitching jigs at cover add other panfish in the mix. Also the brine gets heated up and calls many of us. But if I wanted to troll I would, but not expecting the banner days of pre and post spawn.

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Well thanks for that, last Sunday I brought 4 fish home and found 3 of them still had eggs. I was single poling with jigs along the edges, and released I think 4 also, and had a few that got off. So I actually hooked more than 10.
What surprised me was some of the fish were quite a ways from the weeds when they hit. Yesterday I went to the same place and caught only 3 specs, all released, and two of them were 10' or more from the weeds. Mainly accidental catches just because the jig was in the water. So next time I'm going to leave the jig rods home so they don't tempt me to jig fish.
I think I might try some casting near the weeds with my ultra lite with a jig hanging under a bobber, and also some trolling from the front of the boat using jigs or maybe a rode runner? I currently have 2 8', 2 10', and 2 12' Pro Angler trolling rods. They consider them all purpose rods, but I find them a bit heavy to hold while jigging. I didn't buy them all at the same time. Sorry now I didn't get all 12', but Ed over at Pro Angler said for now, try with the 2 10' pointing front, and the longer ones to the sides. Later, either get all 14s, or move the 12s to replace the 10s, and either add 14s or more 12s.
I might find I like pulling from the back better anyway using my 6 hp motor, in which case I wont be needing any more rods.
I have a pair of those out roders, which fit into the gunnel rod holder, and hold a rod pointing out to the side.
I'm planning on using the other 2 rod holders located in the corners, and which would hold the rod pretty much at a verticle, but then use light weight rubber bands around the line and to the reel handle to get the line low to the water.
I also have some DuBro line holders I have used for open bail live bait fishing I could try.
I have made up another setup which would allow for using even more rods horizontaly, but for starters, I'm thinking 4 is enough for one person who will also be controlling the boat and doing the gaffing. lol
Again, opinions on all this would be appreciated.

Your certainly not unbalanced Yobuck, the short is I purchased a flats boat a couple years ago for fishing God's creation on the other side = salt. Trolling has always been a "lake" thing for me due to current & wide open spacing. Throwing out 10 poles at various depth & different types of baits is the best way to cover water & get a idea of what's working or not. In Florida from October through April is the best time to find the specks bunched up & when they are the easiest to catch. Don't get me wrong, they eat all year & can be caught, but the heat changes the "daytime" bite. I'm sure they'll call me back a time or 2 this summer, but to drag out the equipment/trolling for 2 hrs of day light seems unproductive, especially not living on a lake. As far as spider-rig/pushing & long-lining/pulling do what makes you most comfortable, both have advantages & disadvantages. most of all have fun & that idea about pulling a jig under cork works very well in the right situation. Tight-lines....

another good day on water

Yobuck, I use rods 90* to the boat when I troll jigs and cranks. Cranks and I haven't gotten along down here yet but i haven't spent much time trying to figure out why yet. Size of crank probably. My rods are the same length as yours and run 6lb line. Also set up a couple of 6' to fill the holders. I use Hi-Tek rod holders and have no issues with them at all. Rods parallel to the water works best for me and keeps the line out of the wind better. Having the rods spread out from front to back would make me move a lot and that's getting tough on some days. Keep after it and you'll find the best way for the way you fish. 1/16 and 1/32 jigs work best to me. Super slow with floats works with that setup too.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

Yobuck, I use rods 90* to the boat when I troll jigs and cranks. Cranks and I haven't gotten along down here yet but i haven't spent much time trying to figure out why yet. Size of crank probably. My rods are the same length as yours and run 6lb line. Also set up a couple of 6' to fill the holders. I use Hi-Tek rod holders and have no issues with them at all. Rods parallel to the water works best for me and keeps the line out of the wind better. Having the rods spread out from front to back would make me move a lot and that's getting tough on some days. Keep after it and you'll find the best way for the way you fish. 1/16 and 1/32 jigs work best to me. Super slow with floats works with that setup too.

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Thanks for the information. I'm just assuming by your 90* comment that your pulling lures and not pushing them?
Also since you indicated, or at least I interpreted, your just using different rod legnths to keep the lures separated?
The shorter rods aren't an issue for me as I have lots of them, its only the long ones I'm just starting to accumulate.
I have a very low rail on both sides of my boat stopping short of the bow. I chose to get the low profile B Ready rod holders which I attached to that rail and leave there permanently, unless of coarse I choose to remove them.
Those pole holders wont permit any thing more than about a 45 deg angle either pushing or pulling.
But I could add a few different brand to the same mounting plate for 90 angle in future.
I'm thinking I probably will, so I can choose to push or pull or both, from the bow at the same time.
It might be easier for me to watch the rods, control the boat, and watch where I'm going at the same time also.

Come see us - we have a tournament going on Walk-n-Water the 22nd of April..
90% plus teams will be Spider Rigging vs Long Lining.

Most of group use 8 -10 poles various lengths from 18 - 12 ft long....

Most all use JIgs of some type whether is be mylar / plastic - Weights vary per jig from 1/8 to 1/48th

Spider weight also varies - usually 1/2 barrel wgt 18" above jig

Spec's eat year round - wew have 20 tournaments a year in Florida

They are just not a bunched up after Late March into April - YOUR skills come into use to find them...............
But i assure you they are there.

It is sometimes easier to show you than to tell you how to fish for them

Harold McGhee
vp/sec Florida Crappie Club
813 215-9759

I will be in the Lake Wales area all next week - leave me a phone number if you wish.

That is a super offer and would shorten the learning curve a lot. Harold can put some fish in the boat and the others over that way aren't slouches either. I'm sure it would be time well spent in good company.