Here's a random curiosity question....

 

Has anyone (besides me) ever tried to gently go trolling for bass?

You know... instead of sitting there in a cove, flipping a worm rig or spinnerbait over and over.

You decide to tie on a rattling crankbait and gently troll near a drop-off, where it goes 8', 15'.... 42' and bass are all over that rocky ledge!

 

I have had my greatest success dating back to the 70's by doing that.  Somehow, someway, it just seems to work.

 

You might end up with a Pike or something else, but at least you're catching something!  Agree? Disagree?

 

 

 

I don't care to troll in general.  I find it to be kind of boring.

 

I'd rather cast at targets.

 

Not to say that trolling isn't effective though.  It certainly can be.  I used to do a lot of it when targeting walleyes.  We'd troll with spinners, crankbaits, and lead core.

I do it occasionally. Itworks. I get hung up a lot then usually give up.

8 minutes ago, gim said:

I don't care to troll in general.  I find it to be kind of boring.

 

I'd rather cast at targets.

 

Not to say that trolling isn't effective though.  It certainly can be.  I used to do a lot of it when targeting walleyes.  We'd troll with spinners, crankbaits, and lead core.

I too find trolling boring because that’s all I did as a kid walleye fishing. The only time it was fun was when I was driving the boat and there was a chop. Ten years old 3mph and 1’ waves… I thought I was king of the water! 😁

1 minute ago, 12poundbass said:

I too find trolling boring because that’s all I did as a kid walleye fishing

 

Works a lot better out of a tiller style boat than a bass boat too.  Way more effective.

Trolling , can be as boring or as exciting and challenging as you want to make it.  It is a highly effective technique for all species, and can require as much knowledge, skill and attention to detail, as any other method of fishing.  It can also be nothing more than dragging a lure behind your boat hoping for luck.  I only troll for bass when moving from one spot to the next with my kayak, and I have landed some big bass in places I never expected.

1 hour ago, gim said:

I don't care to troll in general.  I find it to be kind of boring.

 

I'd rather cast at targets.

 

Not to say that trolling isn't effective though.  It certainly can be.  I used to do a lot of it when targeting walleyes.  We'd troll with spinners, crankbaits, and lead core.

I’m the same way.

 

Went walleye fishing in Lake Sakaakawea and all we did was troll cranks and bottom bouncers with spinners.

 

The most exciting part of the trip was when we located a big rock pile sticking up and I FINALLY got to cast and caught a big smallmouth.

 

Fun trip but I’d rather be casting.

I troll for bass all the time, got a 19” SMB dragging a shad rap on Independence Day 

Great way to learn a lake and to target larger fish on deep open water structure. When you're trolling it's not just about the fish you catch it's also the ones you see on sonar. 

Yes, I troll, but cast more.  I think trolling produces those bass that the scopers have discovered.

I do it while pedaling across ponds to my starting point.  It works well.

Yes, we do from time to time. It can be very effective for all kinds of fish. I knew an old timer who only fished at night, trolling a jitterbug a few feet from shore. You'd be surprised how many he caught.

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

I do it while pedaling across ponds to my starting point.  It works well.

 

Me too. However, there are times when I eschew casting to troll simply because I caught more trolling to a casting spot than I did casting once I arrived. I love to paddle, so trolling for me is fishing, which is fun, while paddling, which is also fun. It's two, two mints in one!

 

I used to do the same as @Swamp Girl kayaking in Florida on the saltwater canals and passes. When launching always trolled out to my spots. But it was really just to see if I could get something on the way out. I didn’t care for it. But it was a line in the water while I was paddling. Which I don’t like lol. 

11 hours ago, gim said:

I don't care to troll in general.  I find it to be kind of boring.

 

I'd rather cast at targets.

 

Not to say that trolling isn't effective though.  It certainly can be.  I used to do a lot of it when targeting walleyes.  We'd troll with spinners, crankbaits, and lead core.

 

To me trolling is kind of counter effective. I'm blowing past a lot of bass I could be targeting if I were not trolling and casting to them. Point is I believe I can catch more bass with less energy expended- and fuel.

 

I read this forum and read what other bass fishermen get to do in their areas and for me in Florida I simply cannot get away with at least half of it.

 

Like trolling for example, in Florida lakes, most are so filled with vegetation and floating debris that your treble hooks will be fouled in seconds. Troll. Clean hooks. Troll. Clean hooks. Troll. Clean hooks. Over and over. Its hard to find water clean enough where I can troll for bass.

 

I read threads about guys using deep diving crank baits and fishing for bass on a 40 foot ledge.

 

Yeah can't really do that one either. I never get to use deep diving crank baits. Most of the waters I fish are less than 8 feet deep, often less than 6. And the bottom of lakes I fish have a ton of vegetation growing down there. Crank goes right straight into it and makes using them virtually impossible.

 

Texas rigging is another. If I used heavy weights and let my lures sink to bottom quite often they would be buried in a foot or two of vegetation and I'll never get a bite. And have to keep cleaning vegetation off the lure before casting again.

 

Florida presents challenges to bass fishing that makes adapting a must.

 

Most of the time I have to use some form of weedless. Keep the weight down, often no weights at all. Concentrate on fishing above the vegetation on bottom, and stay up higher in the water column. Top water fishing to just above the vegetation or through the tops of it like in the eel grass.

 

I have to limit my fishing choices drastically because of the environment.

 

Bottom line for me is that trolling simply is not all that productive. And I wind up fighting the clogged up lures more than it is worth.

 

But trolling does work. It catches bass. But is it really worth it is what I have to ask myself. And when I answer myself no. That's where it stays.

 

About the only time I consider trolling is when I am moving between spots. Then I might give it a go. Otherwise not a go to technique. I'm with gim on this one.

After messing with mono for a while now. I think I may go back to 30 pound braid for general bait casting line may try Berkeley’s 5 strand braid. It was on sale at a store near me 

25 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

in Florida lakes, most are so filled with vegetation and floating debris that your treble hooks will be fouled in seconds.

 

25 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Most of the waters I fish are less than 8 feet deep, often less than 6.

 

Same and same in Maine. Shallow, weedy lakes here too.

 

26 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Crank goes right straight into it

 

^This^ is your problem. I troll with a 5/0 VMC heavy duty underspin. I use a Crush City Mayor, Zako, or Keitech, all in the four-inch range. I rig the hook point tight to the soft plastic. I can feel the thump-thump-thump as it plows through weeds and sometimes it hooks a weed, but I hook more bass than weeds in those weeds.

 

 

I caught more bass trolling for stripers and white bass than I ever did intentionally trolling for bass from a boat. But they were usually good bass out there suspended over/near structure. I really just enjoy the chunking and winding style of bass fishing. That's why I love the Plopper so much. 

 

I don't have a boat anymore. I've tried to toss out a worm and paddle my kayak to the next spot and have yet to catch a thing. It works for crappie, but I need to do it vertically (1/2 oz. C-rig to a jig) because if I catch one, I have to stop paddling to reel it up. It's pretty fun.

Once, long ago, went on a fishing trip to South Dakota targeting Walleye on Lake Oahe. Found it monotonous (trolling) but did enjoy the trip.

As always, To Each His Own ...

Agree. But there are different variations like drifting with the wind as well. Just ask @A-Jay 

2 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Agree. But there are different variations like drifting with the wind as well. Just ask @A-Jay 

You wrote the book and are in a class by yourself on that deal.

Bassheads wouldn't believe it unless they had a chance to see it first hand.

Crazy Effective. 

Can't do it on my rig and you know I've tried. 

A-Jay

I personally hate trolling while trying to paddle the kayak.  The drag of the line/lure in the water makes paddling in a straight line a total pita.

Spent many, many a night trolling spinnerblades for smallies, quite successfully.

Don’t go out at night by my self anymore but still troll some blades moving from area to area in my canoe.

Trolling is a lost art in bass fishing probably because tournament anglers are not allowed to troll.

Moving a bass boat using the “trolling” motor is called strolling and popular with some bass anglers as it is legal in some tournaments. A controlled drift using the TM to stay with a certain depth range, is another form of strolling.

Best method to learn how a crank bait works and what depth it can actually runs is troll it.
I see lots of tournament anglers troll big swim baits!

Tom 

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

You wrote the book and are in a class by yourself on that deal.

Bassheads wouldn't believe it unless they had a chance to see it first hand.

Crazy Effective. 

Can't do it on my rig and you know I've tried. 

A-Jay

But based on your regular yearly results you have mastered an alternate plan that puts trophy smallmouth in your boat.