What do you guys think about these techniques??? Seems these days that the biggest majority of folks on Amistad are dragging big plastics and big spinners around most of the day and not doing any casting or working the baits...Gets really boring for me. Some are fishing 2 or 3 rods each.

I am not sure if folks cant pinpoint fish locations to fish or if it is easier to drag and feel bites or what. I have seen some guys this year that have never done well in tourneys drag their way into some checks...

Any thoughts????????

It's definitely legal, as long as your using one rod. If they were using more than one rod, I would've reported it right away. A lot of guys at the Elite tourney at Erie drifted...

On big bodies of water with huge flats, it's a great way to locate fish.

i'm not to sure that strolling is legal in tournies. pretty sure it's not

Some of these bass clubs allow two rods at one time...most of the bigger tourneys only allow one rod...

What exactly is strolling? I meant drifting and just dragging your bait is legal. I'm pretty sure as long as the big motor isn't on, it's probably okay. I don't see why drifting and dragging your bait along would be illegal...

Lining up on a deep pond dam and dragging a carolina rig parallel back and forth down each side would be dragging. You're using the trolling motor to move the bait. I was introduced to it years ago on Squaw Creek by an old fishing buddy. It bored me to tears.

Strolling as I understand it is making a cast with a crankbait then using the trolling motor to move the boat further away from the cast. Your reel is in freespool until you stop the boat then you crank the bait. You can triple or even further increase the distance of your retrieve this way.

strolling is moving your bait with a motor, not with the turn of the reel handle.

I guess we understand the terms differently. To me that's dragging. I know of guys strolling crankbaits on Fork and they've done the technique as I described.

im speaking in tourney rules

Whatever the name, I agree that using the trolling motor to impart action on a lure should be against the rules. Call it what you will.

Trolling motor or big motor? I don't see why dragging a bait with the trolling motor would be illegal? Usually the rules say you can't troll with the outboard motor, but nothing about the trolling motor...

that's what its always been called. sorry your new to the term.

Here are the rules from Media and Champs:

Media:
8. All fishing must be done with artificial lures only. Pork is permitted. Only one rod and reel may be used at a time by contestants. No trolling with the combustion engine is allowed. All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner during tournament hours from tournament waters. Contestants may not use any communication or video device for the sole purpose of locating or catching bass during tournament hours. Tracking devices inserted in bass may not be used by any contestant during or before the tournament. Hole-Sitting by or for entrants is not allowed.

Champs:
6. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers and Berkley Gulp products. Only one fishing rod per angler may be used at any one time. Additional rods may be in the boat and ready for use; however, each cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is attempted or rod is used. Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited. Switching or sharing fish with other teams or individuals is a violation of these rules and will result in immediate disqualification. All bass must be caught alive, in a conventional, sporting manner. When sight fishing for bedding bass, all fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish, or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.

kevin, its always been a old school secret to locate schools of bass but has never been legal to impart an action of a bait with any kind of motor. must be done by the angler and his or hers hand held equipment.

^^

^

I'll ask to be sure (even though I don't "stroll"), but it does say COMBUSTION engine..not electric motor. It looks pretty clear to me what they mean.

No, not always.

http://www.timtuckeroutdoors.com/Session.php

And I don't get the attitude, but whatever. I'll skip your stuff in the future if you have issues with my trying to have a conversation.

David, I wasn't worried about it because I don't stroll or troll or whatever the heck its called lol. But thanks for the concern on my rule knowing

Drifting a C-rig put the biggest Bass ever caught from my boat.. a 12.90# Toad. We had made about 1000 casts that day and needed a rest so we cast out a C-rig to drift a hump .. made a sandwich and never got to finish them.

The main reason Strolling or Dragging will most likely never be against the rules is... If they made pulling a bait with the T/M illegal you'd pretty much have to tie up to fish.

If you are Runnin and Gunnin Traps, Spinner baits or Cranks with the T/M on high... there is no way you don't end up dragging the bait at the end of a cast.

Bazz

Great point Bazz.

not sure what you mean by attitude. guess thats why i skipped a year off of the TFF. now that ive come back i feel like i need to give it up for good. you might wanna look at yourself cause i'm only here for no more drama like ive seen you have always been involved in. have fun with your internet and pond hoppers.

Yeah Bazz does have a great point, but Tommy on the WTTT did make a strolling rule this year in reguard to crankbaits. I cant remember how it reads and really dont care to look since its not a technique i care to use anyway. www.westtexasteamtrail.com if anyone wants to read it.

See, there ya go...taking more shots. You're the one contradicting yourself in the same post.

Your first post said

and then you finish up with...

You ain't sure if it's legit or legal, yet it's never been legal. And I'm just having fun, so lighten up Francis.

The last time Ole' Skeeter strolled a C-rig when I was movong from a hump to a dock a Big Hybrid jumped on his Chart LFT Ring fry!

Kelly you and Dave quit all this Pizz'n and Moan'N ..OK?

Thanks for the edit Bazz, but at least I saw enough to know where I stand.

sorry Charlie... aint that the ole sayin? sucks this site has a leach or 2... TFF's almost been bled dry...

holdin hands is good in a pond hopper i guess... what the heck sides are you ytring to take? don't you you know youre calling friends out on the spot??? it explains internet sense.... btw, hows your tube holdin up?

I aint taken any sides here because I'd share a boat with both of you any time.. Yall just need to Kiss and Make up!

I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now!


And it wass my understanding that moving a bait with the electric motor was legal on the upper level pro circuits.



For the record (whatever that is)I use the technique frequently but look for the right wind more than using the trolling mtr.. But I ain't at the same skill level as y'all. It is an excellent strategy for younger kids too, which I have. The technique is tailor made for some of the big flats/long points on Rayburn. Thanks for the article Bazz!

We use the strolling, dragging technique quite a lot actually.
If I'm going with a lite wind I prefer to call it a DRIFT..
I will set up drifts over ledges, humps or points to quickly search out the hot spots..
Now if I'm going into the wind that would be classified as strolling or dragging... David, it is very legal and a good way to cover ground effectively, I always keep several buoy's handy to pitch out when a strike is detected or a fish is boated.. You can blame RMAX for teaching me that, he's real good at it.. That's how he won the McDonald's two years ago...
By the way Senko's it's real nice to see your back on line brother... Kay and I need a trip to Falcon if your up to it?

Billy

You're right KD, this is strolling. Jay Yelas introduced me to this technique. He has caught some big ones doing this. You can also greatly increase the depth of your deep diving crankbait by increasing the distance of your retrieve....

No, K.D. is correct. Strolling is casting something like a DD22 alond a ledge or some similar structure, and then using your trolling motor to move out further with your reel in freespool. I saw the pros using this techique on fork during the PAA tournament and some times they would have a bass on 100 or more yards out. It just gives you the opportunity to make longer retrieves and keep your bait in the strike zone three or four times longer. Perfectly legal technique

I have read in several places that strolling is simply using a trolling motor (not combustion motor)to drag ANY lure. I have seen a rule against it in the Wednesday night tourneys at Joe Pool, but nowhere else. Not that I fish tourneys like some of yall tourney fishermen.

Strolling is using the trolling motor to drag or move ANY bait with the trolling motor. FLW has made it a point in all their tournaments to state this is a NO NO and you will be DQ'd for doing it.

I made a rule in the WTTT trail that you can not "Stroll" hard baits such as crankbaits or spinnerbaits. But, you can stroll a plastic worm. With the power these trolling motors have now, you can actually go the same speed as the big motor in idle speed. So, this would account to trolling. Trolling motors used for strolling are kept at a low speed and are basicly used to keep the boat pointed in the right direction when drifting with the wind. This is a big "grey" area, as you could say anyone was strolling when they use the trolling motor to turn the boat while drifting a plastic bait in the wind. So, to keep from everyone filing a protest on what they considered to be a questionable use of the trolling motor, I allow strolling of plastics.

This is a great way to catch fish in deeper water on O.H. Ivie and Amistad. I was shown this technique a long time ago by a friend. When things get slow and you want to move out deep and locate some fish, this is a proven technique. It really does work great on Amistad grass.

My apologies to everyone having to read this little tiff. I should have never bitten when the bait was tossed out. The comment about "sorry you're new to the term" was the right bait at the right time.

sorry for the mess I left.

Strolling is casting your bait out and using the trolling motor to let out as much line as you can and then reeling your bait in.

Trolling is using the big motor to actually move your bait (just like the walleye fishermen do up north). Now days, you could actually use your trolling motor instead to move the bait fast enough.

Both of them are done quite a bit on Lake Fork by some of the guides although they don't talk about it on their reports for some reason. Personally, I don't care for either, but I especially dislike trolling because you're not actually having to work the bait or set the hook yourself. All you have to do is reel a fish in, and that's not really the point of fishing for me. I understand why some do it, and it's a technique that definitely catches some giant fish, but it's not for me. To each his own I guess.

I like to frolic on the points and humps.

I know rules are rules and all that, but in general, as long as you are catching fish with an artificial lure, I don't see why it matters if you are using your arm, the wind or a trolling motor. Seems silly to be so technical, the rule should be, catch fish with an artificial lure and that's that. It makes no sense that you can go 5 mph across the lake with the wind pushing you and dragging your lure, but you can't go 5 mph across the lake with a trolling motor pushing you and dragging your lure. It's silly to me.

Someone must have been beaten by someone who was doing it and griped to a someone who led the trail that was the losers best friend that had it happen to his brother one day on a different tournament when he was beaten by a guy who was in the lead by an astronamical spread because his trolling motor was a 456# 72 volt that would run 25 mph.

That's the way it always works. It's fine until someone gets there panties in a bunch.

I can see having a rule against using the combustion motor, but I don't see why any trail would make it illegal to use your trolling motor to advance a bait. I don't if that's all a guy does, if that's how he fishes, who care?

Hey, me too

I agree with the goat farmer. What's the BIG DEAL? If I fish an FLW tournament (and I won't anymore, since it's too expensive and I don't have a new Ranger) I won't stroll with the TM.

If in doubt, consult with the TD prior to the tournament and get his opinion, since he will be the one to determine whether you have a legal or illegal sack of fish. different tournaments , different rules.

I don't fish T's but this sounds pretty logical ... this deduction is from 52 years of studying human nature!

I drag cuz I'm basically lazy

"strolling strolling srtolling, keep them artificial baits strolling...." or something like that.

My main reason for draggin, is because i dont like to fight the wind when i fish the main lake especially when its windy.

James

Think about the man or woman who is handy capped and has to use the trolling motor to move the bait. Don't they have a right to fish the same tournament as anyone else????

Strolling is not moving the bait!! that is what is commonly known as trolling. Strolling is perfectly legal and any trail that makes it illegal does not know what it is!!