One of the most popular techniques for catching offshore fish is to troll with lures or bait. There are many methods you need to learn to maximize your trolling time.
Distance Behind The Boat And Bait Position
If you add small lures or skirts in front of the ballyhoo will allow you to pull them more quickly and will reduce the rate that they wash out.
All boats are different so you need to study your boat. For most boats, the right distance will range from 20 feet up to 150 feet in the back of the boat.
Whether you have an outboard gas or inboard diesel engine, the power will determine the distance you need to troll your lures and baits.
Start by positioning your Fathom fishing lures or baits closer to the transom and then after observing what they look like, move them back. It is essential to log the results you obtain with baits at various distances and then make any necessary adjustments based on what kind of wake is produces by your boat, the types of baits or lures you are using, and what the sea conditions are.
It is also important that you use a staggered pattern when setting your spread up. That means you are attempting to produce a school of bait fish in the wake. So you want to cover as much of the area in the back of the boat as you can. When you stagger the baits it can make your spread appear larger and you will discover that different lure positions and bait tend to get more action than others do.
The waves that are produced by your wake can be used as a guide when choosing the right lure/bait position. Try positioning lures or baits in “clean” areas. Those are areas in the wake where air bubbles do not disturb the water. That will provide game fish with a clear look of your spread. When trolling, the biggest fish attractor is your boat, so try keeping your baits close so they relate to the wake of the boat.
Trolling Speeds
It is easy to handle two rods that are pinned to the outrigger, especially when it comes to sports fish.
Speed, like with distance, will vary from one boat to the next. The main idea here is to have all of your lures and baits work together as one unit. The lures need to be trolled at a fast enough ae so that air pockets are created in front of them and also have a popping or bubbling look. It is commonly referred to as a smoke trail.
The weight, shape, size, and type of our lures also determine how slow or fast you can troll. Some lures are designed for rough conditions while others are for calm water. Choose lures the match your tackle size since that also affects how well your lures will work.
It is essential to have lures that are similar and work well together. Some of the most common lure trolling speeds vary from six up to 12 knots. To get things right every time you troll log the positions, types of lures, conditions, speed, and RPM.
Baits are often trolled at a slower speed. For surface or skipping baits, they should break the surface and splash without a lot of time being spent in the air. The baits are being pulled too quickly if they are tumbling. Adding small lures or skirts in front of your bait will allow you to pull them more quickly and will reduce the rate that they wash out.
Make adjustments to your outrigger pins position, lower or higher, will help your baits perform their best at well. Whenever you are pulling swimming baits, be sure they are properly weighted for the speed that you are trolling at.
A good tip for outboard owners is to troll on just one engine. If you are on two engines, you need to go at the same speed. However, you might discover that fish are more attracted to the spread due to the noise and vibrations produced by the outboards.
Don’t forget to switch engines so uneven engine hours do not build up and create additional stress on one of the engines. It is also a lot easier logging RPM than speed and like with lures everything related to speed should be logged. For baits, common speeds range from three to seven knots.
Finally, it is essential to know which species that you are fishing for. Some fish respond better to slower presentations while others prefer faster presentations. If you understand and know the feeding habits and basic biology of the fish that you are stalking, you will be able to create speeds, spreads, and patterns that will give you a much better chance to catch more fish while trolling.