View Full Version : Trolling Advice
tmoney
02-07-2004, 02:37 PM
I just bought a Starcraft 196 fishmaster and it has a Mercury 115Hp 4 stroke on it. I want to know if I am going to be able to troll down slow enough to pull In-line boards on Lake Erie(Western Basin)
You should be fine for warm water summer time fishing, but you may want a pair of trolling bags (24"ers would be fine) to slow you down for water temps under 50 degrees.
How do you troll with the bags and not get them hooked up when you catch a fish. I am from Sask Canada and fish Nipawin (Tobin) dam and the Codette river very often. Have often said I should try them especially at Codette as the current is quick...but was wondering how they do not get caught up in your fish lines. Thanks!
Boatnut
02-07-2004, 09:43 PM
typically you tie a length of rope to the front straps of the bag and attach this to a middle cleat on your boat. another length of rope is attached to the rear of the bag and cleated to the stern cleat. one bag on each side. Fish are netted over the stern or rear quarter. bags rarely interfere with netting process...at least with me. It's late..hope this makes sense!
Gilligan
02-07-2004, 10:28 PM
Alot will be determined on how you are propped. I have 115 merc 4 stroke on a 19 Starcraft Starfire and I added a kicker. Minimum speed with 15" prop was just under 2.5. I used to troll with my main motor on my old rig (used both bags and a trolling plate) but buying the kicker to go with this rig was one of the best investments I've ever made. I not only get all the ranges of speed I need but get better fuel economy as well as much less wear and tear on the big motor.
The bags are tied at the side of the boat with the rear of the bag being at the transom (rear of the boat), and they are tied short enough that they CAN NOT get under the boat and into the prop.
The lines go over the top of the bags and we net our fish behind the boat.