I often hear people talking about trolling for trout. Anyone care to share some tips? Speed, lures, time of year, etc.
Keywest 239 w/250 Yamaha
honestly ive always thought fall was the time to troll for em, but why not in the spring? im sure someone else will chime in with more useful info lol 
“mr keys”
I don’t get on the water much these days, so my info is “old”. I used to do a lot of trolling years ago in the fall. Find a main river bank with a lot of white shells or a lot of small creek mouths. High Incoming tide is best, as the water is clearest then, and there is moving water, both of which are “trout ingredients”. Use simple “swimming baits” such as a 1/4 oz. jig and your favorite plastic trailer. Set your big motor in gear, throw out 4 jigs, etc., and ease up close to the grass edge until you see a jig bump bottom, then go out a little. Adjust your speed by trimming your motor up and down. Check your lures often for trash. Use polarized sunglasses and “read the rips” to see the bars in time to swing out. You will get hung up on shells and lose some jigs. Try with and against the current. Against is easier to miss the bars, with covers ground in a hurry.
Fall trolling yields mostly small trout. In the spring, trolling should work, but is probably best just to find productive areas. Then, stop and cast. Sometimes when I am casting to the grassline with no luck, I start casting a jig deep to the dropoff with a slow retrieve and find larger trout there. Trout are schooling fish. No action for a while, then it’s on!
For casting, target creekmouth grassy points, middle-marsh ends, and anywhere with white shell banks. Mark on your GPS “rips” where bars make you swing out and the water is disturbed as it crosses that bar. Come back and cast corks/shrimp in those rips. They are trout feeding stations. Clear water is a must. Don’t waste time in areas with dirty water. Trout are sight feeders.
My favorite time of year for big roe trout is mid-April to mid-June. We had a fairly mild winter, so the trout should be plentiful and big. This year everything is running early, so things should get good real soon. I gotta get my boat ready!
Good luck!
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
I’m with spec and concur with what he said. I haven’t trolled for them in years but used to a lot. We only did it in the winter months, never in spring or fall, just winter. The trick is to go REAL slow, bait has to be bumping bottom or you’re moving too fast. I always did best moving with the current, as that is the direction that bait naturally moves and the fish usually face into the current to feed.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Larry is right. Now that I think about it, most of my trout trolling was in December. He’s right about trolling with the current too. But, if you are going to troll with the current with that 250 Yammie, you’re gonna be flying. Also, trolling with the current works best on banks where you know where the bars are.
I think the reason trolling was a “jacket weather” thing, is the fishing is hot in the fall and spring, and trolling is for times when the fishing is slow. You are probably better off fishing creek mouth grassy points, rips, etc. this time of year.
quote:
But, if you are going to troll with the current with that 250 Yammie, you're gonna be flying.
Just let the current move the boat, that’s the right speed. Bump it in and out of gear just to steer as necessary. We always did best too on higher tides, with the water in the grass. Expect to lose a lot of jigs.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Thanks for the info.
Keywest 239 w/250 Yamaha
Like Larry said, high tide, next to grass drifting with the tide using the motor only to steer. When you catch a few, return to the same spot and re drift. Keep only what you can eat that day, they dont freeze well! Good luck!!!