How fast is too fast for trolling live baits?

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by SoCalEDC

Hey fellas,

I am curious to hear how fast you guys like to troll live baits and what the source for the speed report is. I.e. fish finder, fitness tracker, guessing, etc.

Thanks,
Anthony

That would depend on the type of bait, target fish etc. As a rule of thumb, no faster than the bait can swim sustained. As long as the bait is able to swim, ie not spinning, the speed is ok. So for the main bait that I use: Scad, aka Goggle Eyes(The Mexican Cavito is the WC Equiv.)usually between 1 and 3kts of speed through the water. I will measure the SOG and direction of the current, and then apply that to the SOG of my kayak, to estimate the speed that the bait is moving at. Most of the time I will reel in the bait for up current transits, and put out a lure or dead-skirted bait to avoid spinning.

For a bullet Bonito, up to 5mph is OK, and with these baits, the kayak has to keep moving or they will die. A smaller bait such as a pilchard or sardine would have to be trolled at a slower speed to prevent spinning. Spinning might work for Salmon, but not in SE Florida.