Trolling w/o a kicker question

[Rick-Wy.]

Given no kicker and excluding the use of the big motor, can one troll effectively using three way rigs and a electric trolling motor?

Know that I would ONLY use the electric to go the same speed the I would use for a worm harness.

Another option would be drifting, but for the most part that would be controlled with drift socks; probably netting about the same speed I described above as that is what I try to maintain with the sock.

The three way would get to the bottom but I would think the speed would be slow enough that certain baits would be better than others to acheive the best "wobble" for the bait.

Typical trolling baits would be shad raps, reef runners, rogues. etc. ( I have all of those, but in the past limited myself to casting.)

What baits would be suited to the slower speed? Or all they all good with this slower speed and just of matter of what they want that day?



Rick

[REW]

Rick,
If you have a reasonably sized bow mount - there is no reason that you can't troll at the same speed as you would with a kicker.
If you want to troll faster - then use your big motor. If you are tolling too fast with your big motor - put out a drift sock to slow you down. Tie the drift sock of of the bow eye, with a short rope so that you dont't foul your prop.

If you find that you slow too much with the drift sock - then get a much smaller trolling sock - a bag with a bit of a hole in the end - so slow you - without stopping you so much.

Between the two, and the trolling sock, you can cover all of your bases without a kicker motor. It takes a bit more gas, but if you don't do it every day - it will be just fine.

Take care
REW

[Rick-Wy.]

REW:

19.5 ft. fiberglass with 150 hp. Trolling motor is a Motorguide Lazer 54 lb. Yes, I have one of those! But as you have said in the past, not all are bad. No real problems with mine. Now that I said that, I suppose it will be toast when I pull it out this year!

I really cannot move fast enough with the electric for anything other than bouncers with harness. I suppose I could go full power, but 100% of the time would use all my batteries for other fishing.

The 150 hp is just too noisy for me, plus the other issues to slow down, plus this is NOT my perferred method of fishing. But one I would like to do at times.

So, what baits work at worm harness speed with the 3-way??

I've been toying with getting a new tricked out rig (not sure why - my boat is great and my friends think I'm crazy) in the class of the 1950 Pro V, Tyee, or Ranger 620. Been following the discussion here on the tin/fiberglass story for some time. Really never did make up my mind as the demise of the stock market tagged me good! New boat plans are definetly on the back burner now.

On a closing note. Did you see my email about rod building?

Rick