Want to try Trolling

General Fishing Discussion
1

I was wanting to try my luck with trolling for Flounder, Reds, ect… I figured it would be a good technique for finding fish since I do not get to go a lot & spend the time to find good spots that produce. I do it some with cats in lakes & once I get a hit I will stop & fish the spot for a while & if no more luck then move on. Was hoping it works good too in the salt. Since I have never done it for salt water species or in current, I wanted some help please…

  1. Carolina rig sound okay?
  2. short or long leader?
  3. I assume more weight will be needed to keep it down & dragging the bottom but how much?
  4. Should I troll with or against the current or does it really matter?
  5. What about speed, back home the slower you can get the better?
  6. What about bait, would mud minnows & cut bait be okay?
    Any help will be appreciated.
2

I’ve never had much luck with flounder or reds trolling, but have caught many trout.

  1. No

  2. I usually use 12-20 pound mono line, no leader, line attached to jig head.

  3. 1/4 or 3/8 jig head is plenty of weight.

  4. With the current. Bait usually moves with the current and gamefish face into it to feed.

  5. Slow enough that you can feel it bumping bottom.

  6. Artificials, plastic screwtails, have not tried live bait. Mud minnows might work.

  7. Trolling is generally better in the colder months when there is not so much bait in the creeks.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper

3

Well I’ve done it with some success in a canoe. What I did was noticed the speed at which the mullet where swimming in the creek and matched it. I free lined live mullets with circle hooks and caught trout and flounder. But this technique is more of a modified drift than trolling and I was in the back of James island creek/Elis creek. Small water and lots of fish I only trolled so I could explore the creek and fish. Try trolling over/around a creek mouth hump on the outgoing

4
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larry

I’ve never had much luck with flounder or reds trolling, but have caught many trout.

  1. No
  2. I usually use 12-20 pound mono line, no leader, line attached to jig head.
  3. 1/4 or 3/8 jig head is plenty of weight.
  4. With the current. Bait usually moves with the current and gamefish face into it to feed.
  5. Slow enough that you can feel it bumping bottom.
  6. Artificials, plastic screwtails, have not tried live bait. Mud minnows might work.

7. Trolling is generally better in the colder months when there is not so much bait in the creeks.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper

^^^THIS^^^

CL, as usual, completely nailed it. Especially, number 7.

The only thing I would add is, try NOT trolling.

By that, I mean try just drifting with the current, using your trolling motor to keep position, and cast toward the bank using a slow retrieve, like fishing for bream or bass.

Vary your technique and see what works. Sometimes, faster works. Other times, a slow bumping-the-bottom retrieve will be more productive. Texas-rigged, Carolina-rigged, top-water, etc. They will ALL produce at one time or another.

Normally, and not to insult your intelligence, but, the colder the water, the slower the retrieve.

Good luck and remember, pictures and a full report are mandatory. Along with dates, times, tides, exact location, lure used, type of boat and rods, reels, pics of wife/girlfriend, brand of beer, etc, etc.

Oh, I’m not making this up. It’s in the forum bylaws. See for yourself.

2006 17’ Sea Hunt Triton w/ 90 Yamaha, formerly a 1991 15’ Key West Explorer w/ 60 Johnson.

5

^^^ best post of the year award :smiley::smiley:

6

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Next time I get to come down (hopefully soon) I will put it to use. Looks like I am going to have to upgrade my fresh water trolling motor to a salt water one.

7

you really don’t ‘have’ to upgrade. get boeshield spray or crc anti corrosion from the hardware store, spray troll motor well, let dry. after salt use, rinse, and reapply spray anti corr. it’ll last years in moderate use, say 1x/week

“I am not involved in this thread, only helping Fred understand who he is dealing with.”

8

I will give it a try. I have a smaller 12v trolling motor but if just drifting and using it to keep me on course it should still be big enough.

9

I looked up those sprays & it says for the marine version of them you can also spry the electronics on your outboards with it, have any of you tried it?

On another note… A while back I looked up some DIY waterproofing for my patio furniture. You can mix 1/2 tube 100% clear silicone with 32oz mineral spirits & mix until they blend together then put in a spay bottle. I have never tried it but wonder how it would hold up to the salt (would not feel comfortable using on my outboard but other stuff may be okay for). Has anyone ever tried this mixture?

10
quote:
Originally posted by sniper7

^^^ best post of the year award :smiley::smiley:

:sunglasses:Me or CL?:smiley:

2006 17’ Sea Hunt Triton w/ 90 Yamaha, formerly a 1991 15’ Key West Explorer w/ 60 Johnson.

11

Larry is definitely the MVP of the site while penny is injured

“I am not involved in this thread, only helping Fred understand who he is dealing with.”

12
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larry

I’ve never had much luck with flounder or reds trolling, but have caught many trout. </font id=“red”>

  1. No

  2. I usually use 12-20 pound mono line, no leader, line attached to jig head.

  3. 1/4 or 3/8 jig head is plenty of weight.

  4. With the current.</font id=“red”> Bait usually moves with the current and gamefish face into it to feed.

  5. Slow enough that you can feel it bumping bottom.

  6. Artificials, plastic screwtails, have not tried live bait. Mud minnows might work.</font id=“red”>

  7. Trolling is generally better in the colder months when there is not so much bait in the creeks.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper

In October and early November, trolling is the exact technique we use to catch flounder. Lots of flounder. We pull mud minnows on homemade rigs that are basically the main line tied to a pencil style weight, then a 3’ leader with a sliding float secured with a toothpick, and topped off with a mud minnow. Our technique is to go AGAINST the current dragging the weights through the oyster beds just about as slow as you can go and still make forward progress. Vary speed until you find the sweet spot. You WILL lose some rigs and you WILL catch plenty of oysters and barnacles, too, but that’s part of this style of fishing. It can be very productive. Sometimes we find a crab, bass, trout, or red in the process, but mostly Mr. Flat Double-Eye. Good Luck!

*We fish out of welded aluminum jon boats with 15hp Evinrudes, use Gamakatsu hooks, local mud minnows, and drink Budweiser products. Sorry no pics of fish, wife, or girlfriend to protect the innocent (and guilty).
Also, I’m sworn to secrecy on where we fish, but I think this should work on most creeks with oyster beds. :wink:

13
quote:
In October and early November, trolling is the exact technique we use to catch flounder. Lots of flounder. We pull mud minnows on homemade rigs that are basically the main line tied to a pencil style weight, then a 3' leader with a sliding float secured with a toothpick, and topped off with a mud minnow. Our technique is to go AGAINST the current dragging the weights through the oyster beds just about as slow as you can go and still make forward progress. Vary speed until you find the sweet spot. You WILL lose some rigs and you WILL catch plenty of oysters and barnacles, too, but that's part of this style of fishing. It can be very productive. Sometimes we find a crab, bass, trout, or red in the process, but mostly Mr. Flat Double-Eye. Good Luck!

Interesting. I’ve never tried it like that. Maybe that’s why I seldom catch flounder trolling. Do you use a jig head with the minnows or just a bare hook?

Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper

14

We just use a bare hook, Larry.
The float has the minnow above the bottom which I know kind of goes against conventional flounder fishing wisdom, but it works and it keeps the hook-induced snags to a minimum. The weight catches a bunch of garbage though.

15

I use to troll almost exclusively with my 15 Scout. Best luck at dead low, would go against current dragging jig head with electric chicken. The key was slow as possible while still moving and dragging the ground. Caught many of 30" plus reds this way and many trout. Biggest red was a 39" along the bank right past the last dock at Headquarters Island. It was always exciting on the big red because you didn’t know if you were getting caught on the ground or a big red.

Really haven’t trolled since I sold that Scout

16

Thanks for all the great advice guys, hope to put it to use soon.

17

We use to troll MI and Pawleys years ago in a jon boat. Better at both sides of low tide. We went up stream an dropped lines - drifted back down the creek. You crank up if you got to the other end and we go back up and start over. Vary how far you are out on each drift. Best line was just past oysters or something mid-creek to catch the deep cuts. You may have to crank if you got snagged too. Used same torpedo looking lead with a swivel, leader with kayle hook past a cork. SeaStriker and others sell these same pre-made flounder rigs. Some have spinners and skirts. Some one hook and some two. We always used mud minnows or fresh finger mullet. I liked the ones with the spinners by the hooks. I always thought that flash got more bites.I have run out of minnows and used plastics - SeaShad etc… A strip of fish belly will work too.
You just hold the rod or have it in a holder. If it went way down you either had a fish or a snag. Don’t jerk rod as soon as it dips or you pull bait out of their mouth. Rod jumps the whole time anyway - waiting for a pull down worked best. Kind of like fishing with circle hooks.

J Ford

18
quote:
Originally posted by scgmc

We just use a bare hook, Larry.
The float has the minnow above the bottom which I know kind of goes against conventional flounder fishing wisdom, but it works and it keeps the hook-induced snags to a minimum. The weight catches a bunch of garbage though.

Basically a catfish rig?? We use about 15 or 16 Buck shot pellets, either put them in a shoe string or heat shrink wrap with a swivel. Doesn’t snag or get hung on bottom debris that much.

Carolina Skiff 218 DLV
140 Suzuki