Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

[buckeye_sean]

Just got my first boat last year (17' Basstracker) and while I enjoy casting and jigging, I've had a lot more luck locating and catching fish while trolling. I mounted 2 rod holders on both sides of my basstracker late last fall and can fish 2 poles (Ohio law) per person. However, if I have someone else on board it seems only logical to use 4 rods to increase my odds, right?<br /><br />I don't have a huge amount of experience trolling. What is the best/easiest way to accomplish this? I don't have room for downriggers and such. Should I be using a pair of planer boards? If so, what kind of accessories do I need to use them. What about dipsy divers and such? How do I stagger all 4 lines without ending up with a huge tangled mess? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am in the process of getting setup for Spring!<br /><br />BTW - the waters I fish is usually small lakes and reservoirs no more than 40 ft. deep and I troll for Walleye/Sauger, big crappies and white bass mostly. I use mostly cranks, although some worm harnesses and blade baits mixed in.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

We can only have one pole in the water per fisherman here in Oregon, but I would put one on each side, and two out the back, (Logical). Also you might think about how far the lines are out, and the depth of each. You dont want them all the same distance out or at the same depth. However you could have them the same aproximate depth if you say have one out farther with a shallow crankbait, and one that is next to it not so far out with a deeper diving crank that would put them aproximatly at the same depth. In a word, "Experiment".

 

[pickupmn2005]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

Hey Buckeye here in Okla we (family and I) troll for white bass all the time usually use white rooster tails seem to be the best..We have rod holders on the sides too. Just have a long pole in those though aimed straight out at 90 degrees. In the front of the boat of course.Then middle ways back a shorter pole at about 25 to 30 degrees and then rod holders out the back, just spaced apart but straight out the back. Works good, just remember to turn WIDE when you turn or the next hour will be spent untangling lines..Pickupmn

 

[jtexas]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

When the white bass won't bite anything else, we turn to the hell-pet, which is a hellbender with hooks removed, a 3/4 oz. bell sinker on the front hook hangar and a 4-foot leader with a #12 pet spoon tied to the rear swivel.<br /><br />Let out about eighty feet of line and troll at 2 or 3 mph. Dives to about 17 or 18 feet (with 20 lb powerpro braid, maybe less with larger diameter line).<br /><br />Some people use a Norman DD-22 in front, others report success using a variety of spoons, but the pet spoon always seems to produce.<br /><br />We never use this rig to locate fish - only to catch fish we've marked on the graph but couldn't catch with jigging spoons or slabs.<br /><br />how-to with pictures

 

[buckeye_sean]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

All good suggestions here. Any benefit to using planer boards to get the baits farther out? Of course, if it requires a bunch of hassle or extra gear to use them I'd rather pass. I think using a pair of 6'6" poles for the sides and maybe a few 5'6' poles set at an angle sounds pretty good right now.<br /><br />What about dipsy divers? I know I've seen them used on a few steelhead charters up on Lake Ontario. Although, I've only seen them used in tandem with a downrigger.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

I fish for the the Gator at Alum Creek BB..I use two on the side and put a rod holder on each side of the motor..I normally run my lines pretty far on the side depending on depth..<br /><br />I don't put a lot of line out the back. One line I try and keep the lure in the prop wash and one a little farther back. Letting to much out will result in line confusion if you don't make a wide turn..<br /><br />Sometimes I will add another two on planer boards on the side if conditons are right like three folks..<br /><br />BrianFd plays alot at Buckeye but doesn't fish..I hear there are some nice saugers and white Bass where you throw your line..

 

[buckeye_sean]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

Hi gonfshn, I plan on being at Alum early this spring and will then switch to Hoover Reservoir this summer. (It takes a brave soul to put up with those guys out there with their BB Baja's and jet skis during the summer months.) My 9.9 Nissan and low in the water basstracker just can't deal with that. BTW - There does seem to be way more Musky on Alum than I ever remember. My buddy caught a 27"-er while trolling for walleye with me last fall near the Rt. 37 bridge. Gave him quite a fight!<br /><br />Yup, there are a lot of decent saugers at Hoover and when the white bass are running you can catch some bigger ones if you get your line down deep. I've caught a few WB in the 13"-15" range with a 1 oz. white/chartreuse cicada blade bait. Biggest sauger was 17" - but all were very tasty!<br /><br />Maybe we'll run into each other somewhere this year.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

well BB, If you really want to learn (and do it well) find a guy in your area that does it often and ask to go out with him. Hands on experience is the best teacher and when you do this its not only going to give you insight of the technique(s) used its going to give you practical set-ups for the water systems you fish too.<br /><br />setting up for trolling gets easier and easier the more you do it.. in theory anyways

 

[bbalcer]

Re: Best/easiest way to troll w/4 rods on small boat?

GF, have you tried Cave Run in the spring? If so, how is it?