Trolling set up for my boat.

[DennyDawg]

I've done more homework and have decided that a coupld inline planer boards off each side and perhaps a couple of downriggers off the back should do it. Will this setup work as well for Muskie as it should for Walleye or am I yet missing something???

Thanx

May have posted in the wrong area...figured I'd get more information here.

Hello all, was hoping to get some advice and information on setting my 16.5 foot Alumacraft for trolling. I'll be generally fishing for Walleye, Pike, and Muskie in inland lakes in Michigan, Wis, and Minn. The biggest body would be Lake St. Clair or the Saginaw bay. I've fished for a long time, but have never owned my own boat, and can't decide between downriggers, leadcore, and planer boards. Do I need a mast for Planer boards, how many lines should I run and so forth. The last information I got was pretty techincal on Planer Boards, which I know almost nothing about. If anyone could give me a hand, and explain some of this equipment to me I'd appreciate it.

165 Classic CS
50 HP Merc
55# Minnkota
Humminbird P170 Fish/depth

[teamlund]

I think "inline planer" boards should be your first purchase as they are VERY versitile.....Shallow water or deep. I have used them in 2 ft of water and over 70 fow.....I dont use down riggers.....

Inline boards are aesy to use and like i said before very veratile. Get to be a seasoned vet with the boards than maybe move into leadcore and riggers. I am not sure what type of water and depths you may be fishing so boards may not be the best options but I think its a great starting point

[usmcpaul]

I think your most versatile and usable set up would be in-line boards with snap weights. They are small, stealthy and widely used by many fisherman for all types of fish.

A long time ago I use to fish with a friend of mine that had a 25 foot boat and we used big boards on Erie for Walleye, with great success, but they will take up a lot of room and can be rather pricey to get started. You will need the tallest mast you can reasonably get in order to keep the attachment line out of the water, the boards, releases (or shower curtain rings with rubber bands), reels, and possibly snubbers.

Lead core will work great for fishing deeper and without the expense and room requirements of down-riggers. but will require large reels to accommodate the lead core line, and generally requires multiple set-ups to fish a wide variety of different depths.

Down-riggers would be my last choice, although they make it easy to put a lure in the prop wash for Muskies. I currently have down-riggers, but only because my boat came with them.

Lastly, the amount of lines will generally depend on how many people you can fit in the boat. Here in Michigan, we are allowed 3 per person legally, so if you regularly fish with a buddy, 6 would be the legal max, and you should have no problem doing this with any of the above setups.

I am sure each person has their favorite set-up and others will give you their opinion. Good Luck.

[1625rebel]

For walleye sized lures, I would suggest snap weights and the precision trolling book. I also own a mini downrigger for getting my lures down past 30', but I rarely use it.

With the precision trolling book, you can figure out exactly how much line to let out to achieve your targeted depth (10 lb fireline adds about 20%). A 1 oz snap weight 20 feet ahead of the lure will give you an extra 33%, pushing you past 20 feet and sometimes even 30 feet for certain lures. If you get "hooked" on trolling, then maybe consider mounting some downriggers? Kinda expensive and take up a lot of room to mount permanently IMO (I have a similar sized Lund Rebel XL).

EDIT - looks like Paul beat me to the snapweights!

[duckbutter]

I troll regularly with six lines out (2 or 3 people) and I have found using three boards on each side is way too much work. I have changed to running two boards out each side, and longlining a rod on each side. I have pro v, and initially had two rods in front of the windshield in rod holders, the outside boards, and two on each side in the back, one board and one longline. I moved two of my sport trac brackets to the back, and now run all six line out the back of the boat. When one of the boards gets hit, it's easy to take the longline rod on that side and move it to the other side so you don't have tangles. If the inside board goes off, it's easy to just pull that one in. If the outside board goes off, I will either have someone clear that board, or just release the drag and let it fall back if I am using a floating plug or spinner, and then reel in the outside board. I then make the board that I dropped back my new outside board and simply redeploy the board with the fish. Having three boards on each side ended up
being too much work resulting in too many tangles for me. Good luck and tight lines.

[DennyDawg]

Thanks for the input guys, I'm new to the site, but have been fishing for 30 years. Always used someone else’s boat but am very anxious to get my own. I'm currently in Afghanistan, so there isn’t a real "hurry" to get it yet, but it is starting to be that time of year.

One other question I have for you all is...if I did get say a 19' or 20' boat, will it be as easy to use in the smaller inland lakes? We always went to Canada, or when at home (Michigan) used friends/family’s boats...usually 14-16 foot Deep V's. Some of the lakes we fished were only 20' foot deep max.

I guess I don't know what the real question is...."will the 16' aluminum deep V make it in bigger water?" or "will the 20' glass boat be usable in the other lakes I usually fish?" I'm looking for something that can do both, comfortably, and safely.


Thanks again!!!

[teamlund]

up until 08 I fished from a 16 ft tiller on breen bay and winnebago...Big water... I now have a 18 ft pro v.... I fish the same waters now with a 18 ft boat I just get there faster and more comfortable. Plain and simple. Get what you can afford. Dotn put yourself ball deep in debt like some have done for a sport that is suppose to be enjoyable. It wont be fun when you cry everytime you have to fill up the tank. It wont also be fun when you dont have extra cash around to buy new lures, rods, reels, ect.......Fishing is NOT a cheap sport even without a big boat.....Think before you buy. There are a ton of great guys on here that can walk you through this whole process just keep us informed and updated

[eye-hunter]

I had a Fisherman 160 with 25hp that I just traded in for a Nav 175. It was too small for any bigger water. When the waves kicked up much, I got nervous. The biggest issue was the narrow beam (only 6' wide).

The beam of the Classic 165 is about 9" wider than my old boat. That boat will be more stable than my old one, but I don't now how much stability that adds. If you really are looking to go on bigger water, you may want to consider bumping up to the Navigator 165 instead. That's another 9" wider, and I would think a lot more stable in bigger waves. Unfortunately, that also adds to the price tag.

Also, on bigger water you make longer runs, and it took forever to get anywhere at only 23 mph wide open. With 50 hp you'll do around 30 mph. You may want to consider maxing out on hp, or at least bumping up higher if it's financially viable.

I think you'd be happy with either boat. I was happy with my 160, but found myself trading it in after only 2 years for exactly what you are saying you want to do — bigger water.

In the end you'll need to find the balance between what you want to spend and where you want to fish. Above all, I'd heed the advice of teamlund and only get what you feel you can afford.

[usmcpaul]

Originally Posted by DennyDawg

One other question I have for you all is...if I did get say a 19' or 20' boat, will it be as easy to use in the smaller inland lakes? We always went to Canada, or when at home (Michigan) used friends/family’s boats...usually 14-16 foot Deep V's. Some of the lakes we fished were only 20' foot deep max.

I guess I don't know what the real question is...."will the 16' aluminum deep V make it in bigger water?" or "will the 20' glass boat be usable in the other lakes I usually fish?" I'm looking for something that can do both, comfortably, and safely.


Thanks again!!!

I would go for the 20 foot glass boat, but that is just my opinion. It will work in the smaller lakes very well, and give you a better ride on the bigger ones, and the bigger boat makes for a more enjoyable all day excursion, for me anyway. Remember the hull design will make a huge difference in ride regardless of the hull material.

Don't equate "depth of lake to not having big waves". I say this because you mentioned Lake St. Clair, and I live only minutes from there, and that lake gets really ruff in a quick hurry, and has an average depth of only about 10-12 feet or less.

Don't forget to look at quality used older boats, there are some real nice boats out there that will not break the bank and leave plenty of cash left over for other stuff, like the others have mentioned above.
It also hurts less if you ram the dock or scrape the side.

[biotroller]

Dipsey divers & fireline can get your lures down deep as well, downriggers would be the last of the purchases listed that I would make.