Trolling Motors
Trolling for fish is one of the best ways to fish. You can enjoy the fishing more, catch more fish, and catch bigger fish. To troll well, you will need an appropriate trolling motor and perhaps some trolling accessories.
The Enjoyment of Trolling
It is nice and thrilling to sit in the side of a boat and cast out your line. Then, what do you do? You might slowly reel in the line, drink a Coke, or talk to your friends. This is the way a an awful lot of people fish. It is fun to do, but there is also something called trolling that is a little bit more fun.
With trolling, you don't need to hold onto your pole. Instead, you can simply put the poles into the rod holders. Then, you set the line depth with the downrigging equipment. You can actually get up and walk around, play your Nintendo DSI, or lounge in the boat cabin. In other words, you are fishing, but you have a lot more freedom to do other things.
Some of the trolling motors even have a GPS feature. The GPS feature allows the boat to remember a course to follow (up to two miles). You can chart a course that is oval or circle shaped and the boat will steer itself along the right path. A good way to chart the path is to use the fish finder to see where the fish are and at what depth. Then, you can chart a course that has the downrigging at the proper control depth and simply go where the fish are.
Some trolling reels are actually electronic. Once a fish hits the line, the reel will automatically send a remote signal to you. In addition, the reel knows how to react to the line tension appropriately. That way, you don't need to be there so quickly and be paranoid about strikes.
The other fun thing about trolling is that the line gets hit hard. The fish may be swimming by at fifty miles an hour and hit your line. That can incur a lot of force. Some of the larger fish feel as though you just hit a log or an anchor. However, once the larger fish realize they are caught, they will take off for miles at fast speeds. This allows the fisherman the fun of several hours of reeling the fish in.
Just make sure the line is set up properly. Those quick strikes have tendency to break the line off. You need a line that has some give to it.
Catching More Fish with Trolling
Of course you can catch more fish, with trolling. It is simple. You cover a lot more territory. You can swing by the fish several times, at the appropriate depth, and that allows you to catch more fish. Imagine sitting in a regular fishing boat that isn't trolling. You get to sit in one spot for a while and if there are no fish there, than you get nothing. With trolling, you get to fish many more spots in a much quicker time frame. The odds are in favor of trolling. The only way sitting in one spot really works is if you are lucky enough to have the perfect spot.
With trolling, you can also use more poles. Some trolling fisherman will fish with three or four fishing poles. With more poles, in the water, you are, again, increasing your chances. Some trolling enthusiasts put some poles out wide, from the boat, and some fisherman only fish out the back on the transom side.
Catching Bigger Fish With Trolling
Of course you can get bigger fish, with trolling. The larger fish are often near the bottom, for lake fishing. The best way to get these large fish is to fish at a controlled depth that is near the bottom and that goes past the larger fish. Sitting still, in a fishing boat, makes it hard to get big fish. You cast out and only for a brief area, near the bottom, is the bait available. Imagine using a bright shiny bait just above the large fish. And, imagine that bait moving. The fish are much more likely to see the trolling bait and go for it. In addition, the trolling fisherman will have much more success as the bait will pass by many more fish.
Some of the larger fishing vessels are actually professional trolling vessels that bring back many huge fish from the ocean. They may use hundreds of baited hooks on a single line. They might use this type of fishing to bring back tuna, mackerel, and other ocean fish. You could also try a net, but for sport angling, a net is illegal. It makes the fishing too easy and you don't get the fun of pulling them in.
Trolling Motors
Many people that go boating, do not realize that they need a trolling motor to go fishing. The reason is that a big boat motor is too powerful. It can't idle at low constant speed. In addition, the larger motors are way to loud and disruptive for fishing. Some larger boats will actually have two motors, one that is for speed and one that is for trolling. Occasionally, a boat motor will have a trolling motor setting and still be able to get pretty good speed. This type of trolling motor may only be for a small boat of something like that.
In recent years, electric trolling motors have become popular. The reason is that there it is nice that you don't need to use gasoline. There are a lot of boat owners that just have starting problems and maintenance problems with gas engines. The electric trolling motor engines require a lot less maintenance and are easier to start.
One thing about electric engines that you may have not thought of, is that they are quieter. There is nothing more irritating than being in beautiful areas and have to listen to the motor all the time. Some of the electric motors are almost whisper quiet and that is great for fishing. The electric trolling motors have backup battery power to keep them charged. These motors can typically last for a full day and the battery packs will need to be recharged before going out again.
Gas trolling motors have one advantage and that is that they are more powerful. You will get more power from gas and that is why many people still like the gas engines. In addition, a gas engine, horsepower for horsepower, will be cheaper than electric. Gas trolling motors were the standby for many years. It has only been recent years that the electric trolling motors have become so popular.
Final Tip About Trolling
Trolling on a lake or the ocean has a lot to do with the beauty of the water. When you get up early and watch the sun rise over the lake, it has a special effect on people. Then, it is a lot of fun to go out and explore the beauty of the surrounding area. With trolling, a fisherman can move around seeing everything that is beautiful and fish, at the same time. The main point is that fishing has a lot more to do with friends you are with and the surrounding beauty than it does with catching a fish. Trolling motors make the whole thing more pleasurable. A quiet electric trolling motor can take you around the lake and give you freedom to do more things with the people you are with. The ironic thing, is that, if you do it right, you will also catch more fish and it will take less effort.
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