Sweetwater Trolling

Troll the open water and hook more bass, walleye and muskies.

As my plug cleared the shallow flat and careened off the drop-off, it met with a sudden, abrupt stop that telegraphed through the rod I had been holding. Immediately feeling weight and sweeping head shakes, I knew I was into a good fish. Nearing the boat, the fish made a powerful dive and effortlessly peeled line off the reel. My net man readied himself on the starboard side of the boat when, in an instant, this fish walked me around the trolling motor to the port side where it was finally netted. I feasted my eyes on 43 inches and 20-plus pounds of magnificent tiger muskellunge—the most stunning hybrid fish that swims. My trolling approach to this piece of lake structure had been dead on.

I had always perceived trolling as a boring, “do nothing” delivery system where you threw a plug out the back of the boat and took a ride. Being a guide, however, I came to realize that if the casting bite was off, I really needed to provide my clients with an effective alternative that could save the day. For one thing, trolling covers a lot of water and almost any depth. A caster would find it utterly impossible to cover the same amount of water.

Probably the most important skill of a successful troller is interpreting a lake map. Being able to look at a lake map and mark off potential fish-holding areas is the key to trolling success. An understanding of how fish use structure, the various changes in the bottom of a lake, and being at the spot when the fish are on the structure will lead to a successful trolling experience. Many fishermen confuse the concepts of structure and cover. Structure relates more to features of the bottom such as drop-offs, underwater islands or humps, fingers, flats, etc., whereas cover relates to fish-holding habitat such as weed beds, trees, rocks and docks.

The best fishing spots are those where fish will have immediate access to deep water. They will move into shallower areas from the steepest drops in the lake, and the depth contour lines on lake maps fwill reveal these areas to the angler. Lines that are very close to one another indicate a steep drop in depth whereas those spaced farther apart reveal a more gradual taper into the depths. A little planning, doing your homework, and marking up some maps before you even reach the water will go a long way.

The next step requires letting the right amount of line out to get a chosen lure to run at a given depth. Precision Trolling Data offers an app for smartphones that details the dive curve graphs for most popular trolling lures. These indicate how deep a lure will dive relative to how much line is out. Therefore, it is crucial that anglers use line-counter reels to ensure accurate line lengths out behind the boat. Just be certain to allow for the length of the rod (i.e. if using an 8-foot trolling stick and the desired length is 100 feet out, let out 108 feet of line).

Trolling speed is another critical factor that will determine how much a lure will dig. The temperature of the water will dictate how fast trolling runs should be. During the early spring and again in fall, fish are lethargic in the lower water temperatures, calling for a slower speed (1.0 to 2.5 miles per hour), while warmer water temps call for high-speed trolling (3 to 5 miles per hour, sometimes up to 7 miles per hour). This is best achieved with a tiller “kicker” motor of low horsepower. Fish can be caught with much larger steering- or throttle-controlled outboards, but maintaining a precise speed and accurate maneuvering capabilities are lost because of sensitive throttle adjustments.

If fish are not cooperating, either adjust the speed or depth. Experimentation and a little note-keeping will remind the angler which speed/depth combination caught fish, so the same presentation can be reproduced. Let the fish tell you what they want and quickly capitalize by copying all parameters—lure, lure color, line out and speed. Be sure to mark a waypoint on your electronics once a strike occurs so that the boat’s plot trail can be retraced. Today’s electronics with GPS capabilities and mapping chips allow the user to analyze map data directly on the fishfinder itself.

A vital thing to remember is that most of the time, most fish inhabit deeper water. Time of year, season, and weather patterns will dictate how fish behave and how they will use various parts of the water column. So many anglers are accustomed to “pounding the shoreline” because spots look “fishy”, especially during the spring or during the spawn. The key is to adopt that same mentality, except with emphasis on the open water areas of the lake from the food shelves at the break lines right down into the lake’s main basin. Often trophy-sized fish of all species are found in open waters, where they shadow schools of baitfish such as herring. Locating bait balls on electronics and focusing trolling passes in and around them can pay off handsomely since larger predators are usually not far behind. Just because you don’t actually see large fish marks on a fishfinder does not mean that they are not there. They could either be hidden in the dense bait school (which often masks their appearance) or positioned just outside of the sonar cone.

Trolling speed represents one of the most important variables in this lure delivery system. Along with line diameter and composition, it will dictate how deep a diving lure will run. During lake stratification, which occurs in the warmer months, many gamefish species will suspend no lower than the thermocline, below which the temperature drops rapidly. In high-nutrient lakes this limits fish to the upper 15 to 20 feet since the lower layers become anoxic. So, err on the side of trolling “high” in the water column. Many anglers make the mistake of trolling too deep, and position their lures below the fish instead at their level or just above them. If deepness beyond the maximum running depth of the lure is needed, clip on weight kits, keel weights, and inline chain sinkers to reach the desired depth.

On a trolling run, an angler should incorporate changes of speed into his repertoire rather than maintaining a steady, constant speed. Often, fish will follow trolled lures for long distances, but can be coaxed into striking with a speed change. A short but quick increase in acceleration will cause a lure to pull away from a follower, thus triggering its instincts to either pounce on the prey or abort the mission. In addition, “snake trolling,” or trolling in a sinuous pattern, is preferred over straight-line trolling. Start off this trolling pattern over deep water while watching your electronics. Continue the trolling run up and over the breakline, the area where shallow areas break quickly into deep areas. As soon as the lure begins to tick or hit bottom, turn the tiller in the opposite direction and swing out again over the deep water. Often, this is all a big predator stationed at the drop-off can handle as the plug erratically bounces off the shallow flat and then runs free into the deep. Keep in mind, however, that the path of the lure does not necessarily follow the path of the boat. You may have to run in a straighter line over deep water until the lure clears the targeted structure before making the turn. By holding the rod and keeping it low to the water, an angler can be ready for the jolting strike that may come as the turn is made. The process of turning does two things—it speeds up the lure being trolled on the outside line while it slows down a lure on the inside line. Snake trolling can impart the needed speed and directional change to trigger following fish into biting.

Another very effective technique when it comes to trolling, especially for muskies, is putting a lure in the prop-wash. In this style of trolling, a large, jointed or straight gaudy-colored lure, is placed 6 to 12 feet behind the boat directly in the roil of the motor’s prop-wash. The lure is so close to the boat that the angler can often see it swimming quite erratically in the turmoil of current caused by the motor. In fact, successful prop-wash trollers often tilt their motors up to an even greater angle to create an exaggerated current to swim their plugs in. One thing is certain – muskies, as well as many other species of fish, are not fearful of boat motors, especially on heavily trafficked waters where boat disturbance and increased wave actions are common. Short, stout rods that can take a lot of vibration are placed in rod holders positioned in line with prop-wash-generated current. I have also modified my setup by adding an 8-inch rod extension pole and a clip-on cable attached to a carabineer to prevent my equipment from being dragged into the drink. With the rod raised a bit off the boat’s surface, it can be angled in such a way that it is submerged in the prop-wash and will not pick up loose or chopped-up weeds in the process.

Be sure to periodically make contact with the bottom structure even at the risk of snagging up a lure. Many varieties of “plug knockers” may be purchased in order to free a lure from snags. Lures coming into contact with cover are the ones that will trigger strikes from hungry lunkers. Try to get lures just ticking the tops of structural elements rather than plowing right into the bottom. Lures working their way along soft bottoms will send up a smoke trail of debris that fish will follow until they can’t take it anymore and have no choice but to strike at it.

There is definitely more to trolling than just taking a ride. When I get into the boat now, I am just as excited as when embarking on a trip dedicated purely to casting. When that first fish comes, it leaves the angler wanting more. There is a whole world of opportunity awaiting anglers out in no man’s land—the open water where there is nothing “fishy” to look at. With proper preparation, lure choice, and speed, an entirely new realm of fishing awaits. Regardless of size, there is absolutely no lake that should intimidate an angler, as long as its structure has been studied thoroughly. Having that kind of knowledge becomes a priceless part of the trolling puzzle. Be sure to experiment and apply the fundamentals of this extremely effective lure-delivery system. Then, upon arriving at the lake, an angler can glance out and see what is unseen in the void of the open water areas. Give trolling a real try and you will never look at the surface of a lake the same way again. As the “Daddy of Structure Fishing,” E.L. “Buck” Perry stated, “Luck has nothing to do with it. Knowledge is the key to fishing success” and trolling is just another option in your toolbox.