TROLLING FOR EYES

[UNLUCKY]

I HAVE FISHED IN AREAS WHERE OTHERS ARE ALSO TROLLING AND WATCH THEM PULL FISH AFTER FISH IN,WHILE WE GET NOTHING.ANY TIPS ON HOW FAR BACK FROM BOARDS,BEST SPEEDS,HOT BAITS,ETC.

[THE BAIT SHOP GUY]

Do yourself a HUGE favor and get a copy of "Precision Trolling". For about the price of a planer board you can learn just about anything you ever wanted to know about trolling and then some. It has dive curves for the most common walleye lures, as well as snap wieghts and lead-core. Spending lots of time on the water and talking to other fishermen are, of course, the best way to learn. Every day and every body of water are different. There is no one answer to your question. Good luck.
CHRIS WAHL - LUDINGTON BAIT SHOP / BAY VIEW BAIT

[Riceburner]

The Bait Shop Guy is right on, and a lot of times the fish are very picky on where and which bait they will hit---keep changing, trying new things, and keep track of what works----too many of us think things will start to work with time and miles of trolling--more likely the guy who comes in with fish put in the effort to find a pattern. Have fun-get a picture and let those big Mommas swim again...

[Phil]

Unlucky where are you trolling at?

[Bob Z]

Unlucky, the most critical thing when trolling is depth - knowing how deep your lures are running. Most good trollers will agree depth is more important than color or make of lure. So concentrate on depth first.

If your on a lake like Erie the fish are not always on the bottom. And, suspended fish are generally the most agressive feeding fish. That is why you need the book previously recommended 'Precision Trolling'

Depth is a combination of lure type, line weight (diameter), length of line from the board and sometimes speed. The book will give you the information you need to put the lure at the right depth. Set you lures to run 2 - 4 feet above the depth where you are marking the most fish.

[ifish4eyes]

My suggestion is to keep changing things until you find something that works. Boat speed, lures, depths, live bait. Listen to the radio, talk to the guys at the dock, and your bait store. Then if your not tired of fishing when you come off the water, you didn't work hard enough. LP

[SK1]

I agree on the depth. Speed is fairly easy to monitor if you are trolling beside someone else and they are pulling fish. The Precision Trolling Guide and line counter reels are a must for the troller.
Here's a couple of rules we go by:
1. Vary depth on every line you put our until a pattern is established.
2. The "high" lines go to the outside boards....deeper lines inside.
3. Make sure your cranks are running true EVERY time you put them out.
4. Run something up high. I mean up HIGH. We have caught fish only 3'-5' below the surface even in 40' water. Nice ones too.
5. Stay outside the "pack" and when you find active fish stay on them. This can mean picking up and moving back frequently.
6. Troll with the wind. Easier boat control.
7. If you have a bow-mount with auto-pilot, troll with it and your kicker. It's like having a third person on board just to drive!

Hope these help.

Hal

[groovymoe]

Unlucky:

Try hooking up (no pun intended) with somebody who does alot of trolling. Offer to trade trips with experienced trollers, or see if you can take some trips with an experienced troller, and split the expenses. One other thing to remember that everybody does things a little different. My type of trolling works for me, but may not produce much for Joe Blow. You just have work, and find your own "thing", after you get a little know how. Good Luck.

groovymoe