Fishing has, for a long time now, been one of the main activities in most of the water bodies around the world. It’s either done for commercial purposes whereby the fish is sold in the market or for recreational purposes as part of sports activities and a way of spending leisure time.
The ideal speed when trolling for fish depends upon the particular species, but a good rule of thumb is to troll while the vessel is moving at a rate between 1.5 and 2.5 miles per hour. Ideally, the trolling speed will be comparable to the normal swimming speed of fish that are eaten by predators.
There are various methods of fishing and trolling is one of them. Trolling involves the use of lures that are connected to fishing lines. The fishing lines are then drawn through water behind a moving boat. Alternatively, the line can slowly be winded when fishing from a static position. The fish attacks the lures thinking they are smaller prey species and get hooked.
Trolling can be practiced in both fresh water and saltwater. The trollers can be moved by any type of boat.
Best speed for trolling
Trolling speed is a critical parameter to consider for successful fishing. Fish change their behavior from time to time. Learning their mood and such behavior can help a lot with setting the right specs for the day’s speed. The speed, which is measured by a GPS, should be on an average of 1.5 to 2.5 mph.
Speed depends on various factors which include the species of fish, types of lures and/or baits used while trolling, climatic conditions, and others.
Different species of fish require different trolling speeds. Familiarizing with the trolling speeds of different fish helps with setting the pace for trolling. Predator fish, for example, chase their prey while the baitfish swim very fast to escape. Therefore, fishing for these two types of fish will definitely require that you use different speeds.
The first step should entail checking the ideal trolling speed for the target species so that you can try to maintain a constant speed. Then after lowering the lures check whether they are moving as expected for example whether the dodgers are dodging and the flashers are spinning.
After that, keep on changing and checking the action of the lures and stop where they provide the best presentation. After being certain that the presentation is good, try doing some turns to determine how to position the gear when slowing down and speeding up.
How fast to troll for lures
Trolling differs with the depth of the water and other conditions such as the weather conditions and time of the year. The speeds at which the lures are trolled will directly affect the success of fishing. In shallow waters where the boats move at a slower pace, lures replicate the real fish and go to the right depth to attract fish.
There are various types of lures that are used for trolling and they give different results. Lures can either be live bait or dead bait. Live bait is usually live fish that are hooked and work as the bait while dead baits are artificial baits designed to mimic the prey and attract the fish. The advantage of the dead baits is that they can be reused over and over again.
For the boat speed, too slow means that the lure will not be as attractive as much to the fish. The average speed should be between 7 to 10 knots depending on conditions.
The lures should run smoothly in the water. Lures that jump, turn quickly, or move sideways should not be used. In addition, the movement of the lures should be consistent so that it becomes easier to make the fish feel convinced.
When doing fine adjustments of the lure, parameters such as the degree of the angle and sea conditions should be considered. Sea conditions are likely to affect the movement of the boat which directly affects the movement of the lures. When there are difficulties keeping the lure running correctly in a parallel position lower the rope and flatten the angle of pull.
When it comes to trolling lines, monofilament works well when trolling at higher speeds and the stretch capacity gives it a superior shock absorption. The braided lines in turn are stronger and help to troll in a longer distance. In terms of buoyancy, the braided lines are less than that of the monofilament.
Accompany your lures with downriggers. The downriggers help spread out the lures. It also helps put the lure dipper in water.
How fast to troll for mackerel
Mackerel is a type of fish that lives along the coast with temperatures ranging between 21 to 27 degrees. They keep migrating depending on climate change.
High-speed trolling is important when trolling for mackerel because they love fast-moving bait. For this reason, the bait that you use should between five to fourteen knots. The key thing in trolling for mackerel is choosing lures that can handle faster speeds.
The speed of running lures varies from boat to boat, which mainly ranges from 40m to 100m. It is, therefore, key to choose the right kind of lure that is best for the speed.
Rigged baits such as bonito, gar, and tailor are popularly known for producing the ideal catch of mackerel.
When trolling with live baits, maintaining the proper speed is key. Trolling too fast may kill the bait while too slow means that the bait may escape from the bait or the correct depth might not be achieved.
Downriggers help so much when using live bait is really important since it helps keep the live bait live a bit longer. When the baits are trolled by the downriggers, they tend to move a bit quicker and help in stimulating the fish to bite.
The hooks on the baits should be close to the tail since most mackerel focuses their attack on the tail of the prey. The hook will then jam at the corner of the mackerel’s mouth resulting in a good catch.
The quality of water is not of major concern as long as the water is warm and has a bait in it. Mackerel can use dirty water as their hiding place and then attack the bait at the most unprecedented time.
How fast to troll for bass
Bass fish is the name given to types of fish caught for food or sport. Bass fish, therefore, refers to a wide range of fishes.
Surface trolling is one of the methods that are used to troll for bass. It involves dragging the lure in the water beneath the underwater structure. It is mainly effective when the temperatures are beginning to cool off since the bass come to the surface. Trolling should therefore be done by moving the lures in slow motion. The lures should be left several meters away from the boat.
Deepwater trolling is used for bass in the salty water and majorly for the striped bass. The distance between the lure and the boat is supposed to be long enough. Downriggers with rods are mainly preferred since they help with setting the depth.
Trolling planer strategy works by dipping two fish lines at different depths in the water. The mainline is usually run from the rod into the planner using a swivel and the second line runs from the planer a little bit deeper. This strategy comes in handy in deep-sea fishing.
The ideal time for a catch should be between 10 am and 5 pm. Bass is easier to find with an increase of water depth because there is more oxygen there. Their prey is also found in these deep waters. Another factor is water clarity, the clearer the water the more bass go deeper in water thus when the water is murky trolling should be nearer since the fish are close enough.
Crankbaits and swimbaits should be added in the middle of the day. The crankbaits come in different colors which mimics the colors of the surroundings thus enticing the bass more which will directly lead to a greater catch. In murky water, use crankbaits that are brighter. Swimbaits should be five inches in length and are supposed to mimic the color of the surrounding. Always keep in mind that water clarity is always a major consideration.
Spinner baits work best when fishing in denser cover. Their flash and vibration give the perfect presentation when moving through the waters.
Getting the right lure is a key factor when trolling and creating a good presentation for bass. The choice of lure also depends on the motion of the boat to bring about the best presentation. Speed should be a major factor for trolling. Trolling too fast will not work since bass will feel intimidated while too slowly makes them feel frightened and leave it.
Conclusion
Now you know just about everything that you ought to know when it comes to the different speeds that are required during trolling. As one of the major fishing methods, trolling is reliant on the use of the right tactics and bait. When done well, this type of fishing will lead to a great catch. Learning the art of trolling is therefore very important and crucial.
And since trolling can be used for both commercial and recreational fishing, you can always take advantage of the versatility. Besides, a lot of anglers swear by trolling and maintain that it is one of the best techniques.
