Patti:
You had asked about trolling but got very little useful info. I am going to try to help you out. The below thread will help out a lot. A hell/pet combo works well. Most crank baits/ rattle traps and other diving lures will work as well. The type of rod does not matter as much. Heavier duty rods and bait cast reels work but are not required. The lighter your line the deeper your lure will dive. Fish the depth changes on wind blown points. Humps also work well. When you find a school, quit trolling and try to cast in to them with a slab, spoon, humdinger, etc. You can get better numbers that way. Stay clear from anchored boats. There are plenty of fish to be caught elsewhere. Fish will gather at certain depths. If you start catching them in 15 feet of water, just follow the contour if they are scatterd.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...Pet#Post2770307

If ya need pet spoons I might have a few on sale??? Always glad to help trollers,slab dudes,sassy shad guys,top water anglers,live shad & minnow killers, all people who fish.

Don't see a lot of bash'n going on, just help. I do not troll, but it is a good way to catch fish. Good luck

i find that if i don't at least put a good swivel on my line before my lure, my line gets all twisted up when im trolling and winding. maybe someone can recommend a better solution than just a good swivel?

Trolling SUUUCKS What are you thinking?

Really that is cool - I�ve had bunches of friends and even my Dad that would do it - It�s good to just sit back and with a girl friend and shoot the breeze and drink a beer (or your beverage of choice).

It can be great (and very productive) � but is no way to catch fish � but on lazy day � with your girl friend � it can be great.

I would just as soon catch them on jug lines.

I'm sorry - I forgot your question - hell pets etc.. etc.. etc;- drag a bait over any under water humps - points or humps and you might get lucky;

I love trolling

I gots no problem with trolling as a means of catching fish. In the heat of Summer, sometimes I will do it in the middle of the day over deep water and catch some big hybrid.

A hellbender with a pet spoon about 30" behind it works great. To save a little dough, I like to buy the deep crankbaits at Academy that are $3 and put the pet spoon behind them. Sometimes they work even better than the hellbender.

Now on the other hand, if you are the idjit that drives across the lake and then drops out the trolling rods and starts circling a boat with a marker out and are SITTING STILL CATCHING ONE AFTER ANOTHER - then yeah, look out - 2oz slab coming your way

Please keep this one nice guys. If you have nothing nice to say about trolling then dont say it The guy wants info on trolling so let it be info on trolling

WOW! What a can of worms I opened up! The only offense I took was the sexist "panties in a wad" comment. I thought the rest of you (in this post and the now locked post) were very helpful. I guess this is an ongoing problem with trollers vs others. I understand that people get in each other's ways. It is all about perspectives.

OK for whoever posted the Spiderman fishing pole picture....I think I will try a My Little Pony fishing pole, maybe? LOL

Thanks for all the great info. I hesitated joining since I don't know much about fishing. I'm just a middle aged city lady trying to learn new things. I do love a good fish fry!
Patti

Dont worry Patti, if you would like any more info call me directly, I was taught by Billy Seaman and he good at that.... Here is the set up you need....



This is kinda the way to use it....



Patti, most of us fisherman have had to many run ins with people trolling when fish are schooling it happens all the time and it makes then frutrated

With all the "distractions" I totally forgot what I had originally posted....My attention span is short these days.

I have a Pro Qualifier baitcaster with dual brakes and a 6.4:1 ratio and 6'6" rod. I did fairly well today learning how to cast it. I even aimed at and hit the dog today with it! (with the practice plug, I mean.) Only 1 giant tangle.

Since my brother doesn't stop the boat, I just have to reel the fish in. Will the 6.4:1 ratio be good or bad? I don't want to be a human winch and be tired before lunchtime. If someone already answered that question, I must have missed it. Thanks,
Patti

Gear Ratios:

The lower the ratio, the more power your reel has.
The higher the ratio, the faster the retrieve.


Lower ratios are good for 'horseing' fish in.

I don't know which I would prefer when trolling - I never troll. I could see where each would be beneficial. I know that doesn't really answer your question but maybe the information on what the gear ratios are generally used for will help you make a more informed decision.

Personally, I think you'll be okay with your 6.4:1 as long as the gears can handle the power too.

Good luck.

Jeff, The ratio info does help. I will probably have to "horse" it in, but at least it will be quick!

John, I just saw those pictures in another post so I asked a question there too. Usually we fish for crappie, but when desperate we troll. Last summer I went trolling during a bass tournament. Didn't know there was a tournament. We had the same problems with the bass boats. Race to a spot, fish for a few minutes, race to a spot, etc. We couldn't troll because of all that running around. I just looked at it like....they are in a competition....so let them do what they need to do. We can all share the lake and help each other out by remembering the perspectives of others. Thanks for the info on Hell-Pets. I have learned so much this week reading all the posts.

Patti (by the way have you seen the bass boat crash on You Tube this month?)

Trolling is sometimes the only way to produce fish on certain days. Look for dropoffs & underwater points - the same kind of structure you would look for when fishing normally - and work your lines across the depth changes.

Most days though, you can do well without trolling.

As far as tackle, you might want a lower gear ratio if you're gonna reel the fish in while the boat is still rolling. It'll be easier on your wrist. Also get a rod that's fairly limber, as you don't want to tear the hook out of the fish's mouth right away.

Here's something I do not quite understand --- when there are no birds working, no fish showing on the surface, no large clouds of baitfish or schooling fish "stacked up" showing on the finder, what is wrong with trolling past someone within 50 feet? It's not as if you will cause the fish to "sound" -- they are already on the bottom (or close) -- or break up a school which does not seem to have any cohesion.

When there's a "boat show" folks are often within 20 feet of each other, and as long as no one starts the "big motor" -- or only starts it to get away from others -- there seems to be very little trouble.

Trolling up to an area, then shutting off the motor, doesn't seem to be very rude, as long as you shut off far enough away from others.

In any case, of late, I've tried to find fish away from others. That just makes life simpler.

In addition, my new super-duper, totally waterproof, extra-special-expensive battery charger has gone on the fritz. It no longer charges. As a result, my trolling moter has become a useless fixture on the bow of my boat. Yes it's under warranty, yes I will drag the boat out of the water and bring it in -- but I just want to get in a day or two more of fishing before losing it until it's fixed. So, when I drift too close to anyone, I've got to start up the big motor to get away. For some strange reason, I often have a strike immediately on starting up -- has anyone else noticed that?

Eleanor, if you're trolling with an electric motor, then 50 ft really isn't a big deal ... but running the big motor on a day like you describe can be enough to run the fish off sometimes. Boat shows almost always involve guys fishing straight down or making short casts from their boat ... very little chance of crossing lines there. Trolling introduces a fairly long bit of fishing line crossing horizontally through the vertical lines ... results can sometimes be ugly.

On the other hand, I've had loads of drift fishing boat shows where you'd crank up your motor at the end of the drift & do a slow idle upwind without affecting the fishing. This is after drifting about ten feet apart 'Slow idle' is the key point. Just try to be as courteous as possible under the current conditions you're in.

Oh, I've gotten to prefer DD-22's for trolling rather than hellbenders. Dunno what to call it ... a DD-pet?