Question about backtrolling??

[MIke2]

My question is this. Why do people from Minnesota like to troll backward and people from Wisconsin troll foreward (sounds like a Packers-Vikings thing)? I troll all over Wisconsin and Michigan and I never see anyone trolling in reverse. Is it because Wisconsin can fish 3 lines and Minnesota can only fish 1? I see very few tiller boats around here.

Mike2

[Gary B]

Not sure, but I believe that Wisconsin regs do not allow backtrolling. With a tiller, backtrolling can be a very precise method of boat positioning, especially hovering against current.

[hawgeye]

Well, this here is from a tiller guy who is presently running a console. When I used a tiller, it was a 60 hp which allowed for me to backtroll very slowly. When I would go forward, it was too fast for the presentation. It was nice to use the big motor for fast response if needed. Also, as a tiller guy, everything is right in the back of the boat and when backtrolling, your presentation is farther away from the noisy motor.

Now that I own a console, I am going with a bow mount. If I have to get out of my seat anyway, I would much rather fish from the bow. I have discovered that I can control my boat almost (not quite) as well in most conditions. The place that I feel I am hurting is when I am in a river and the wind is blowing up current. It seems I cannot get the bow mount to keep me where I need to. Other than that, I have learned to live with my console. If I really had my way, I would only fish out of a tiller but since I have a family, the console is the most practical.

[Skillz]

It might be because our quarterback in MN is too heavy to fish on the bow of the boat, whereas WI's quarterback (how do you say his name again?) doesn't have the accuracy to control the boat from the front... he he he

I agree with the fellow before me. I own a tiller motor and have found that I can control my boat much easier than my father who owns a console. He, however, has a rear-mounted trolling motor for the very purpose of back trolling. To tell you the truth, I have no idea as to why people like to backtroll other than boat control. I am interested to see others' responses..


skz

[Reels]

I dont think any trolling is legal in WI except for a few lakes.

I honestly didnt know what backtrolling was until I starting fishing in MN. I think it is to present a slower presentation than forward, or it could be the quarterback thing... It would explain alot about the way we troll in IL.


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[woodsdweller]

One more reason for backtrolling is that when longlining with multiple lines they are much easier to keep out of the prop. I backtrolled Leech in MN for an entire week with my brother-in-law and our two 11 yr.olds and never caught the prop once. We hardly even had any tangles with four lines in the water. That alone is a good reason to backtroll in my book.

[Floater]

It is definately about control of the boat. It is so much easier to keep your boat at the depth you want and the speed you want. When it is rough, I backtroll against the waves,then have to go back and come back through the fish on a backtroll. When it is not too rough, I backtroll, then drift back through the fish using forward and reverse to keep the depth I want. On lakes here in norhtern MN it is all about breaklines and weedlines. It is not like dragging cranks through deep water. Trolling Floaters and live bait rigs is much more of a finese thing. Basically, that is the reason you see more people in Minnesota backtrolling than anywhere else. The Wobbler Floater gives the best hooking percentage in these situations.

Matt Phelps
Remember, It Helps to Use Phelps!

[Mike]

The only lakes that I know of in Wisconsin that do not allow trolling are Class A Musky lakes.

Has anyone ever tried backtrolling with boards?

[Mike2]

I don't think I would trade the "inaccurate" QB from Wisconsin for the "heavier" QB from Minnesota. Can you imagine Farve throwing to Moss and Carter. Scary.

[T-Mac]

Back trolling is a boat control and it inables precise location control. Generally speaking, trolling boards is a whole different strategy.
In Trolling boards you are spreading your baits out, enabling yourself to run many lines and covering as much water per pass as you can.

[Unky Mer]

To me the difference is nothing more than the regulations of the state. If I'm allowed one line, like Minnesota I want to be right on top of high percentage structure and work it thoroughly. If I'm in Wisconsin, where I'm allowed three lines per person, like Lake Winnebago where fish roam and don't always relate closely to structure, I want to move forward and let the boards fall back behind, especially with spreads of six. To me that's the biggest difference. The boat is an extension of technique.

[gilman]

I haven't backtrolled with boards but I have seen a couple people do it on the Winnebago system. Once on Butte des Morts and another time time on Poygan. In both cases it was a pleasure craft rather than a fishing rig. I assume they did it to minimize their speed. Looked like it worked for them. It did cause me to take drastic evasive maneuvering to avoid tangling boards with the guy on Poygan. I thought I was coming up behind him when in fact he was coming toward me, stern first, and looking only the other way. I was able to turn sharp and reel in my outside board far enough to avoid contact. They trolled for several hours in very crowded conditions and I did see them swing a net a couple times.

[Chad]

Back Trolling really is not trolling. It is used in order to stay on top of a structure when rigging,jigging or bouncing. It is slowly fading away with the introduction of high powered bow mounts. Before the 101 lb bow mounts were around it was tough to hold on a piece of structure in rough water so folks backed into the waves.

Few people troll or pull cranks while back trolling.

[CrazyEyes]

It sure would be tough to complete any passes when all he does is throw interceptions...................

[Mike]

Lately I have seen many people that are badmouthing Farve after the bad game he had against the Rams. It is interesting than none of these seem to be Packer fans. The bashers are just people who's teams Farve has destroyed in the past and now see a chance to kick him when he is down. Just remember what he said in the press conference after the last game. "I'll be back."
Get you licks in now because you won't get the chance next year.

[BD]

Better check your regulations. A lot of Wiscowsin waters are NO troll.

[FROGMAN]

Backtrolling may not always be slow enough. I have even drifted with Off Shore boards when I was slow rolling spinners on Saginaw Bay. It does'nt take much water pressure to make these in-line boards pull away from the boat!

Good Luck

Keith Segar
NPAA #260