Tips for trolling artificials?

[Phishphood]

Not sure how it would work for big fish but I've stuck the but of the rod under my left leg with the tip off the right side of the yak.

[Dave Legacy]

Sounds like I have a couple things working against me, but I do believe I understand what I'm doing incorrectly. I'm probably paddling too quickly, orienting my rod tip too high for non-diving lipped hardbaits, and possibly not using enough weight. Thanks for the tips, y'all.

[h2ofishfo]

Not enough weight for sure u can use a Carolina style set up to get it deeper but u will lose the feel and not know when it's not swimming right . My advice to u is buy a umbrella rig works great bass bonies halibut if u fish it just off the bottom

[Hunters Pa]

Loop a rubber band from your reel handle around the outgoing line and back to the reel handle. This will take down the entry of the line to the water and help prevent surface skipping

[Shimano Penn]

Originally Posted by Hunters Pa

Loop a rubber band from your reel handle around the outgoing line and back to the reel handle. This will take down the entry of the line to the water and help prevent surface skipping

X2

And if you want to leave the reel in freespool (clicker on) tie a floss loop onto the line and clip IT with the rubber band. Especially useful when trolling a live bait.

Edit: Try to use the lightest rubber band you can get away with

[Mahigeer]

Hi Dave,

It is Fener from the other website.

You can double the weight of a crocodile by using a bigger split rings and a second crocodile lure.
The color of the second one does not matter, but it has to be the same exact size.
Spooning them together will double the weight as well as provide a rattle.

Other option is to put a torpedo sinker 3-4 feet above the lure and between the main line and the lure.
This way you can use braid or Mono and only short section of Fluorocarbon leader.
A sinker with rubber band insert will work too without adding two more knots to your rig.

Slowing your speed, having a rod in a Scotty holder which brings the rod tip close to water levell will help too.

If you hook a good size bonito or a yellowtail and if a sea lion picks it up, you could lose the rod which is held in between the legs!

[taggermike]

You can adjust the the depth that your lure runs by adjusting weight, amount of line out, and speed. If you're in deeper water there's no reason to not troll a swim bait on a 4 oz head and long line it. You should be able to paddle or peddle as fast as you can w/o the lure skipping. They drag more than spoons or plastics, but diving plugs are often designed to be trolled. And the faster you pull them the deeper they dive. Some thing I've done is run a plastic on one side and a plug on the other. As you speed up the plug dives and the plastic rises. Slow down and then plastic sinks and the plug floats. I think it covers the water column with both lures. Deffinatelty keeping the rod tip closer to the Water or running a flat line will let your lure run deeper. Mike

[Dave Legacy]

Originally Posted by Mahigeer

Hi Dave,

It is Fener from the other website.

Hey Hashem!