Trolling: How Long Till You Make a Change?

[Shawn]

If you are using the right baits (cranks/spoons/etc.) at the right time of year in the right conditions, how long do you go before making a change?

Seems like the most important things to tinker with are depth, depth, depth, depth, and depth--then speed and color. If I'm running 6 lines in the water I like to make a change about every 10 minutes. Too soon? What are your insights?

[brushpile]

We troll with 4 rods a lot. One of them is always an experimental rod. Even when the bite is on. Always. And yes we give it about 10 minutes.

[Chad]

I always like to run two different kind of lures until one produces.

[Eyez]

I usually only troll 2 rods, fish alone alot, but I like to run one lure that I have absolute confidence in, and the other is an experimental rod. I change the experimental rod about every 15 minutes, and the confidence rod about once an hour, or whenever I lose confidence in it, due to a change in conditions or location.


Eyez

[SUPERTROLLER]

If you're running the right bait at the right time you should not have to change lures--EVER. lol. If the fish aren't biting or have quit hitting, then it's time to change. How long is your trolling run? If it takes 10 minutes to complete your run in one direction do you go back over it in the opposite direction? This presents the baits to the fish at different angles and speeds than the previous pass and may be what they want. I change after a couple passes and sometimes only change color and other times change lure type. All part of the process of elimination. Don't be afraid to go back to the same lures and colors you have already run if the wind picks up or clouds roll in or other variables change. There was a reason you liked that lure or color in the first place. Give it a good chance to produce.

[Shawn]

We fish up on Erie. We run an hour or 2 in one direction. Finding fish hasn't been a problem, but triggering the hit has been expecially this last fall with the screwy weather. Probably going to incorporate more S turns in my program this year. Thanks for the info...

>If you're running the right bait at the right time you
>should not have to change lures--EVER. lol. If the fish
>aren't biting or have quit hitting, then it's time to
>change. How long is your trolling run? If it takes 10
>minutes to complete your run in one direction do you go back
>over it in the opposite direction? This presents the baits
>to the fish at different angles and speeds than the previous
>pass and may be what they want. I change after a couple
>passes and sometimes only change color and other times
>change lure type. All part of the process of elimination.
>Don't be afraid to go back to the same lures and colors you
>have already run if the wind picks up or clouds roll in or
>other variables change. There was a reason you liked that
>lure or color in the first place. Give it a good chance to
>produce.

[Denied]

First make sure you are marking fish, then start trolling. We normally run eight lines at the same time. In early spring and late fall when crank baits work we will have 2 or 3 cranks on each side then a couple of dispy's with spoons and a couple of harnesses on bottom bouncers off the back. This give us a good look at what the fish want without having to change any lures. Now we play with the depth and trolling pattern shortings or lengthening lines to change the depth and manuvering the boat in S curves. Also sometimes when on good marks we will kick the boat out of gear for a minute or so letting the lures sink then start moving again. Time wise I like to go through some good marks before making a change. If we are on good marks than we will manuver through them a couple of times before making any changes. I will give a setup at least 30 minutes in good marks before giving up and changing something.