# Learning Spring Trolling Techniques



## combatcatcher (Sep 17, 2003)

About 3 years ago I purchased a 21' Triumph CC to fish in the bay. For almost 20 years I was a surf or pier guy and to be honest Im still having trouble catching fbig rocks trolling. Im not sure if Im running my rigs wrong or running the boat to slow or fast. I mean its a hard conversation for anyone out there thinking about, its not just bait and wait. Could we use this thread to talk about techniques, not locations to target Trophy stripers in the spring. Id even be willing to pay a captin to come out and teach me how to best troll from my boat, does anyone know of a captin that does this?


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## jhmorgan (May 16, 2007)

Just do what 99% of the other boaters do in striper season = follow the charter boats and watch what they are doing


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## combatcatcher (Sep 17, 2003)

*Specifics*

Im looking to start a conversation about more specific information Jmorgan. Like terminal gear and line test, what size weights and how far back to you run your lines. Plenty of people follow the charter boats all day and still dont catch anything, believe me Ive tried! We typically run 5 lines back. 2 umbrellas, 2 tandems and one large bait or a large spoon. But i think were either not trolling deep enough or to shallow. How do you determine how deep to run your baits like does 100ft back with 6ozs equal what depth.


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

In the spring they will be in the top of the water column no matter how deep the water is as you probable know. Since they are on top, your engine can spook them so if you don't use side planers (I don't) you should use light lures WAAAY back. Stagger them: 300', 275', 250' and so on. I think you have a quite motor, the boat itself might spook them. Troll a lazy S pattern to get the lures out of your wake into virgin water. Since you have so much line out it is best to stay away from the crowds which is sound advice anyway when trolling.

I think umbrellas are over rated unless the water is really stained. Same with chartruese.

The last two years I've been using alot of tandems: 6 ounce on top and 2 ounce on bottom each with a rubber shad (6" on top and 9" on the heavier lure). 50-60# mono tied to snap swivel which attaches to a 3 way. The smaller lure is the one catching them.

The hottest rod we run is the way back one with a single 2 ounce bucktail with a six in sassy-white- 30 pound braid, 3-4' 50 pound mono leader. Like trolling for smaller rock really. The tackle box sells these bucktails from NJ...big hook for a 2 ounce and they are "swing hooks". 

That 99% doesn't realize that boat noise scatters the fish...they really shouldn't follow the masses. One deep lure is always easy to run and stays away from the other lines...sometimes we get lucky in spring and the deep rod goes off (rare) I think we just spooked that fish deep. But it's fishing and not an exact science. Trolling in the day during a full moon isn't ideal...they ate all night. Also, trolling west to east and back might be a good thing to do since the fish are generally running north south/ south north. I would head straight out of PAX, find the first signifcant drop off and do the lazy S out 200 yards and back to the drop off with an over all heading of south or north.

Speed should be relatively slow but not too slow to make the lures sink too deep. Depth is more important than speed IMO. There are charts with weight/amount of line out on tidalfsh but it is more of a feel thing fro me. Line counters or marking your line with tape takes the guessing out of setting your lines. Whatever you do, put one smaller one back 300'.


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## combatcatcher (Sep 17, 2003)

*Now were talking*

Thanks for the G2 Matt! Its been awhile, hope all is well. Im gathering from your post that Im probaly using way to much weight. Im running 6oz to 10oz inlines on everything Im dropping back. Weve caught more in the fall whicj is probaly when the rocks are deeper now that I think about it. Using a lazy "S" makes sense since we also seem to hook up more when were making a turn. I know you have a bigger beam then us but how many rods do you run, with out using planer boards. 

As for Rods we use 30-50lb 6footers and okuma cl-50 reels with 30lb Ande clear line. Thinking of switching to braid but wre kinda afraid of line tangle with braid, I dont want to spend all day trying to untanle that mess. Could someone talk about the advantages vs disadvantages of using braid when trolling ?


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

combatcatcher

first I would say build or buy boards 5 rods is OK but 10 is much better If I fish myself I go 4-6 but it limits what you do top of the water is good most of the time but not always expecialy if it was real cold the night before then I like them a little deeper in the am and bring them up when it warms up . we fish large umbrellas white ,chartrues .purple .double parachuets storms and buck tails. .

If you want to ride down here to chesapeake beach and I can show you what we will be running this spring and you will get a better idea first hand


9rock


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## clpoudnine23 (Dec 21, 2005)

*9 rock is right...*

You do not "need" planer boards but if you are ready to take the next step in trolling for rock fish in the Bay, they are great. They seem a little scary to use at first but you will get the hang of it in no time. The first time I used mine I had them out 150' each side with seven rods total in no time. You can get a set of boards for cheaper than one decent trolling rod and reel. One more thing, listen to your vhs as you are trolling around, you can hear some good info listening to others talk. Speed, colors, water depth, locations, rigs, finding schools of bait, ect.


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

Braid will allow you to run even less weight as it cuts the water better as you know...but again in the spring that advantage is mute compared to 50# mono. Braid is dynamite in the fall/winter to get your lures deep like wire line.

Braid won't tangle anymore than mono but will be much harder to untangle if you do cross em up. I troll half braid, half mono. Light lures get the braid, heavy lures get the mono in the Spring. Forget the big spoons for now...they have way too much play left and right in a busy spread for us amateurs (but if you insist on a big spoon- they are fantastic-it must be run much further back than the next lure). Bring on the smaller spoons and nothing but spoons in the summer for blues and macks...smaller spoons have much less play left and right. I troll 4-5 lines in the summer.

Umbrellas and planer boards definitely do work well but I think they really shine in the murky , crowded waters in the northern bay. So much traffic makes the fish very hesitant IMO. I'm fairly certain all the record fish trolled up have been on singles/tandems...and not on planers. I think they are an unnecessary hassle around PNP/PLO and south of there. Not nearly as many charters troll those things the closer you get to the ocean. Umbrellas take for ever to reel in w and w/out a fish on them (huge hassle when you need to clear some lines when a feisty fish is on another line). One trick I know to get them in quick is to leave the rod in the holder, palm the left side plate and wench em in to clear the line. They take some of the sport out of the game too IMO.

When planers became all the rage I felt inadequate and started trolling 11 lines- still no planers. It was ok but the catch rate wasn't much better considering the hassle (minor hassle I know but a hassle none the less as are umbrellas). Then I went to planers, I found no difference in the catch rate but had a bunch more gear to deal with. Now, I have 8 rods rigged and often get a strike before I get them all out...when you get bites, who needs more lines is my thinking. Last thing about planers, crabbers put their pots in up to 50' of water around PLO and they also line the channel drop offs...a disaster waiting to happen...not to mention all the illegal gill nets.

Two more things: 1 everyone hones their own skills and should repeat what works for them. 2. Yes listen to the reports and look for the crowd...but being 1/4 mile away from the mob is often the best place...they don't have lock jaw there. This past winter hoards of serious trollers launched out of PNP/PLO and headed due south. They all did well. We and a few others launched south east, stayed 5-10 miles away from the masses and crushed them-saved a bunch of gas too. Being broke has some advantages.

OK, one more thing to keep in mind, these fish are always starving and will hit anything they see in the spring and winter. When the water is clear, umbrellas are not worth it because the only advantage they give is that they are more visible but they see a single just as well...ditto on chartreuse (I've never seen a green fish in the Bay anyway but do run one or two). When they do get lock jaw in this situation, that basically means your engine/boat slap has spooked em. Planers do shine then but to each his own, lazy S is my plan to keep it simple. Birds are still the best fish finder. You might notice allot of the guys who are real serious about trolling have lost some enthusiasm for umbrellas and the color chartreuse over the past few years...I think planers will be next. 10 years ago, chumming was all the rage until most folks figured out jigging done properly was more effective and alot funner. This of course is all just a guess. Confidence is the key.


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

I do not see planers leaving the trolling seen any time soon unless by law, we fish as much as 22 rods and some of the charters even more than that .umbrellas are still very effective but yes not the only game in town .double rigs are quite effective also last year we hooked 2 over 35 on the same line that was fun .I think chumming has given way to live linning for the charter fleets jigging is more of a smaller boat deal personaly I would like to do more of that , we have caught so many 40+ fish the last few years its boaring me.
I just dont get much out of catching rockfish on tuna tackle I will spend much more time on my mako than on our baybuilt this year.


9rock


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

9rock, you gotta understand that our boats are half the size of a typical baybuilt. I really like the Makos of yesterday and today. Where do you fish out of?


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

Lipyourown said:


> 9rock, you gotta understand that our boats are half the size of a typical baybuilt. I really like the Makos of yesterday and today. Where do you fish out of?


chesapeake beach . is were I live and fish out of although my mako is at brezzy point now its cheaper

my mako is a 89 22' cuddy the bay built was a project three of us went in on
last year one of our friends has a 39'searay we fish out of solomans like I said I will do more small boat and tackle this year big boat is cool but at 9knots you can not go far . when I go by myself trolling no more than six no boards
but I am only looking for one fish. live lineing is my fave.
9


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## finfinder (Sep 17, 2004)

Maybe a book would help.

http://www.alltackle.com/catchin_chesapeake_rockfish.htm


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