Trolling - Bream

Perhaps this has been brought up before and, if so, my apologies but I was curious if any of you frequently troll for bream. This site talks a lot about trolling for crappie but I've never seen much about bream. As a youth in the 60's and 70's I saw people doing it regularly.

If any of you do could you share a bit about rigging or any other useful info?

Gracias!

My method, although simple would have to be tweeked a bit where you are at. My trolling has always been from a float tube. You could do the same from a boat in Florida.
I used a 1/80 oz. Grizzly Jig (Bill's Water Flea) tipped w/ wax worm. I put a shot up 10" from the jig, drop it to the bottom, pick it up a bit and move off slowly.
This method sure worked well a couple years ago in the 18' deep strip mines. I fish mostly shallow water now due to fuel prices ,but a slow retrieve is getting me the same effect. Mike

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Originally Posted by Illinoisgiller

My method, although simple would have to be tweeked a bit where you are at. My trolling has always been from a float tube. You could do the same from a boat in Florida.
I used a 1/80 oz. Grizzly Jig (Bill's Water Flea) tipped w/ wax worm. I put a shot up 10" from the jig, drop it to the bottom, pick it up a bit and move off slowly.
This method sure worked well a couple years ago in the 18' deep strip mines. I fish mostly shallow water now due to fuel prices ,but a slow retrieve is getting me the same effect. Mike

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Thanks Mike. I guess your method with the jig head and split shot is to keep the bait as near the bottom as possible while trolling.

I used to troll for walleye that were stocked in a local reservoir using a "bottom bouncer" and a leader with a nightcrawler harness. There wasn't much of a walleye population, but we did catch nice bluegill and shellcrackers. Yellow and white perch too. Decent summertime method to locate fish when they're deeper. 10-20' in this case.

In the pits I was fishing my point was to stay near the bottom. I have since switched to 1/80 oz.calf tail on a #8 jig hook, but still work the bottom a lot in the summer mid day.
I wouldn't have a clue where to start on your Florida waters, but just drool all over myself at the thought of fishing such a great fishery.
I would bring long rods, short rods. and a zillion types of jigs. Would be sure to loose weight---no time to eat. lol lol Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Illinoisgiller

My method, although simple would have to be tweeked a bit where you are at. My trolling has always been from a float tube. You could do the same from a boat in Florida.
I used a 1/80 oz. Grizzly Jig (Bill's Water Flea) tipped w/ wax worm. I put a shot up 10" from the jig, drop it to the bottom, pick it up a bit and move off slowly.
This method sure worked well a couple years ago in the 18' deep strip mines. I fish mostly shallow water now due to fuel prices ,but a slow retrieve is getting me the same effect. Mike

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Since I've started tubing again, I've been thinking of trying something like this myself. Good to know you've had success at it.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Since I've started tubing again, I've been thinking of trying something like this myself. Good to know you've had success at it.

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I thought this thread was about trolling.:confused:
My mistake.

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Originally Posted by ShellQuacker

I thought this thread was about trolling.:confused:
My mistake.

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You can troll from anything. ;)

Me and my buddies used to do a whole lot of trolling when I lived down in Virginia with 1/32 and 1/16 oz jigs, single and tandem rigged, and with small crankbaits and used to tear'em up!!! :)

I have caught bream while trolling for crappie, so maybe I was trolling for bream. We caught them on the same jigs we were fishing for crappie with. It seem like that the bream was closer to the bottom most of the time.

I often pick them up while trolling for crappie using small crank baits.

Bream will hit just about anything from my experience.

Oscar

Trolling for bream is popular on Lake Lochloosa here in Florida. Most any of these shallow, bowl shaped lakes should produce the same way.

In 4 to 5 feet of water (sometimes 150 yards or more off the "bank" where you see most bream fishermen) troll very slowly (.5 mph or so) using crickets or grass shrimp. Grass shrimp usually work best.

Troll 3 to 4 feet under a cork rig with a simple hook with a splitshot about 10 or 12 inches above the hook.

Works a treat.

Tom

I think the best way to catch bluegills by trolling is with a spinner rig. They work pretty good and I have caught some nice fish doing it.

I troll percy preist for gills all the time. Use crickets about 10ft out with 0ne split shot about 12'' above hook. Troll along the backs of boats in marine slips, shady side best on sunny days.