I have tried trolling and I really don't like it. Here's why.
1. I seem to catch more fish and less crappie. Small bass, barfish and white bass just love trolled jigs.
2. Crappie hold close to cover and there is nothing quite like trolling into some cover and having 4 to 6 jigs hung up at once. You get 2 out, break 4 off and spend the next 30 min. reriging instead of fishing. This is even more fun on a windy day.
3. You never get to feel the "bump". Because the rod holder get's all that pleasure. This is the big one for me. I like feeling the strike. Don't you?
4. You also do'nt get to fight the fish. Because as Capps and Coleman say, trolling is a way of harvesting fish. If you want to play a fish, use an ultra light.
5. All you do is babysit 8 rods. You watch them like a hawk. And the one you look away from is the one that gets the hit. This is very frusterating and you never have that problem when you are holding the rod you are fishing.
6. One good bass and all your lines are tangled. Kinda like #2 but not quite as bad.

I thought that trolling would be a way to have fun with more people in the boat, but it is not. People who don't fish regularly will not like it at all. They bore easily. They need all those bream taps to keep them interested.

Trolling is a way that pros catch lots of crappie to cull a winning stringer. It is too much like work for me. I will leave it to the pros. I just wish I had not invested the money into the necessary gear.

This is my opinion, yours may vary.
I am not attacking the trolling method.
Please don't send the trolling nazis to beat down my door and kill my family.

I agree. I live for the thumps

I don't troll around brush type structure. I troll around grass beds where it's pretty clear except for the grass. I go back and forth over and over the same path. I just use one rod with one jig for each person in the boat.

I don't get hung up hardly at all and catch lots of fish, crappie. From time to time I may catch a bass or catfish, but 98% of what I catch is crappie and I catch more and bigger crappie than people using minnows at the same time.

It the most relaxing fishing I have ever done short of fishing tied up on a pontoon boat. However if you don't like it then you don't like it, but maybe you should try my way first? Keep away from the brush piles and look for the right depth water around grass. There will still be trouble with too many people in the boat though.

I laugh because I felt the same way at first. After I got the technique down I felt more relaxed. When I troll with customers I set them up with 2 rods each. I put a half onze sinker on the bottom of the main line about 18 inches below the hook. This way they dont get hung as often.

I agree with not feeling the thump. I like that better too. However there is a time for trolling and a time to not troll. If I can boat fish without trolling you can bet I wont be trolling. However I think it can be one of the most productive ways of letting my customers catch fish.

Got any good stuff to sell?

Na...I think I'll keep um. Just in case. I do have to admidt that the largest crappie I have ever caught (2lb.7oz) was caught trolling.

SandSpike,
Thanks for the "CONS" of trolling. I've learned many "PROS" as well from others.

Here is my take. One of the most difficult thing for most of us are to find the brush pile. So if I am trolling and happen to run into a brush pile...well, that's another coordinate I've gained in exchanged for a dozen of loss jigs (anytime, assuming the brush pile holds lots of goodies). I would then stop and fish the brush pile thoroughly. And if you knew there is a brush pile in the area, then fish it before trolling. When troll, troll around it.

Then again, the ultimate reason why I am a crappie addict is because of the THUMPS!!!! So no matter how great trolling may be, holding the rod to feel the thump is still the greatest feeling anytime!!!

PS:....anyone care to sell your coordinates in CC lake for a dozen of SLABmeSILLY JIGS per 1 producing brush pile? (producing = plus/minus 1 dozen of keepers on average )

I would rather spend time on the brush piles that I have spent thousands of dollars on. They always produce.

I agree on the Bass and Sandies are the worst! I wish they'd all die and I'd never have 8 rods wound up around another one. Trolling in wind/brush will try your nerves. Paul and I trolled a stump field one day in Oklahoma while the wind was blowing 30-40mph. We lost 50 trolling rigs and ended up with me running the t/m and him fishing because I couldn't do both. We were tired and mad at the end of the day but we did cash a nice check
Trolling may not be as fun as catching fish on jigs but in the winter you will go hungry trying to catch suspended Crappie on jigs. Some people may not like it and I can understand why but if you like to catch fish, you'll like trolling if it is done proper. You must be sharp and trolling isn't for the 'bird watchers'. You must pay close attention for sure.
You'll learn more about your electronics and how to control your boat while trolling than any other type of Crappie fishing. Boat control is the most important thing while trolling and is that is what most anglers can't do
I have lots of customers that love to go trolling. They get to sit in a chair and catch alot of fish quick. When you are catch big Crappie in 20-30' of water on a 10' jig pole, you get a good fight.
Trolling is down the list of favorite ways to fish, but it is the most productive lots of the time.

For me, I hate bridge fishing All I ever catch is small fish and the wind is always howling under the bridge I'm trying to fish

Im not to great the method yet, but I've been trying it out the past few winters and had some success, mostly at Fork in the deep winter months. I did try to play with it on Saturday along the rocks at the dam on Ray Hubbard and felt better with a light wind. Didn't catch any crappie but did land 4 hybrids 18-19in and a few big sandies and it was fun on my 9ft'ers(proangler rods) No tangles surprisingly

I was running 4 rods bymyself and was comfy with a slow bite. This big boat needs more trolling motor power though, if very much wind. But like Jerry said boat control is the biggest obstacle to accomplish, and Im still looking forward to my next outing

This is my next technique to screw up....I mean learn.
Any volunteer teachers?...Have boat will hook'em.
I love the thump, the lift, the moving mystery line and when the jig gets intercepted on the way down. Most of all I love the sizzle!!

I wish I knew more 'bout trolling since I sure had the direction changing wind today at RC.
Tried 4 of my usually productive brush piles and the Bream didn't even nip at the minnows nor at the jig. So, watched the sonar at slow speed on the way back to the launch ramp at Oak Cove.

Up until 2 years ago the only Crappie fishing I ever did was sitting on the bank in Spring time hoping that a crappie would take my minnow. I finally was able to purchase my first boat. I may get to go fishing once or twice per month if I am lucky. I was driving about 1 hour each way to and from the lake only to go back home empty handed each time. The first 2 videos I invested in were Jerry & Paul Trolling video and Ernest Paty Crappie fishing 101. I totally agree with Jerry about electonics, I am learning more and more how to properly adjust and read my electronics and how to control my boat while trolling. As Ernest has said in his video what you actually see on your electronics looks nothing like the pretty pictures you see in the simulated mode with the perfect arches. A good example is this past saturday the area I have had success in I was only able to get 1 crappie to bite. So I began to drive across to look in different areas. I didn't see any brush piles but I was able to see the crappie suspended in open water at 15 feet I threw out a couple of marker buoys and trolled through the area and within 30 minutes I caught 14 Crappie so the 4 hours I was able to spend on the lake was rewarding to me. BTW, I am hoping to be able to perfect other methods of catching crappie but for now trolling has been very rewarding to me.

I've tried trolling in the past with limited success. I used only four rods. One jig per rod. Man, it was like watching paint dry. However, I did learn about my electronics and got confortable with boat control (I trolled into the wind). Every hit I got I previously saw a ball of bait fish or right after I caught the fish I saw a ball of bait fish. Oh yeah, I only saw little dots (no fish arches) on the graph before or after the bait fish. Since the action was so slow and I was beginning to feel more comfortable with brush pile fishing, I abandoned the trolling and went to brush pile (verticle)fishing. When Thanksgiving gets here, I will only be trolling until sometime in March or April. One last thing, I tried trolling over a brush pile. It took me about 20-30 minutes to get going again.