Help me understand trolling

I am someone who does not enjoy trolling and really don’t get it. I’m not posing this question to start a fight but to hopefully glean some appreciation from those that love trolling. I do my best to coexist while on the water and that will not change.

As an example, the fishing the last few days for whites has been outstanding on CCL and very enjoyable. I would find em, set the spot lock and catch fish after fish. At the same time, I was outnumbered by people trolling 3 or 4 to 1. We were both catching fish but I was certainly catching them at a faster rate. I felt I was more engaged in “fishing” and don’t really get why anyone would troll in such favorable conditions.

I do get that in the heat of the Summer, when the bite is tough, trolling can make sense to put fish in the boat. I admittedly do that on occasion in the afternoon heat.

Anyway, I would love to hear the rationale for trolling when the fishing is good to better appreciate that tactic.

Thanks to all who share your thoughts.

Sometimes having a nice day on the water is more important than how many fish are caught.

There's a couple reasons people troll. The first is that not everyone has a spot lock trolling motor or even a half decent fish finder. People can use navionics to get them near drop offs or flats, but can't pin point the fish. It's also a great way to get inexperienced anglers on some fish. The third reason (which is why I will sometimes do it), is to scan an area while fishing. You can go over places that are normally productive, mark a school of fish, and if they are active you will get bit trolling. Then you can stop and vertically fish over an active school.

Couldn't put it any better myself. Especially with respect to having inexperienced fishermen onboard. It took me six months to teach my foster son how to feel the bite on a jig.

Ok here it is
Boring
Waste of gas
Uneducated fishermen
A way the screw up other people’s fishing
The best way to piss people off
Just have the courtesy to stay away from anchored boats and sit back and watch them catch fish

I get about 9mpg's trolling and only 4mpgs running on plane. Just saying.

When I fish for whites this time of year, I have a pretty good idea of where I want to fish.
But there are fish between where I put in and where I know the Whites will be. I’ll troll to and from there. If it hit them heavy in a spot, I’ll stop and fish there awhile. But I don’t troll up and down the river all day, but I do not have a problem for anybody that does.

To each their own, some trollers may not like the jigging or live bait fishing, and trolling can be very productive. Myself, I am not a troller, I love chunk and wind fishing, jig fishing, and when that gets tough I use live bait. If live bait wont produce, the Stripers get a break and the Crappie get harassed. I try to keep that to a minimum, I like a fish that will peel drag and give a fight. I have tried the trolling gig, I even bought a pair of downriggers. I tried it, and I guess old habits die hard, I just couldn't get into it.

I will say this about spot lock and the newest fish finders. I didn't have any of that back in the early 80's when I was allowed to start taking the boat out on my own and fish. I had a paper map of the lake and an anchor with a rope. Between the two, I successfully caught my share of fish using the same techniques and some of the same type lures I still use today. The fish still haven't wised up to the Pencil Popper or Cordell Slab. Now days, I have the spot lock and good electronics, and still catch the same amount of fish. It certainly does add more time with hooks in the water, and lessens the strain on your back.

I say fish how you like, and if it bothers anyone pizz on them. I do wish some of the guys/gals that troll would stay a decent distance from a boat on anchor when doing so. Coming by close enough to read the tramp stamp on some chics back is too close. I do know a couple of guides that troll all the time, and they are very conscious about their lane and being respectful to others, and their customers seem to be having good time.

Yeah, I troll with my TROLLING motor. 2 to 3 mph. No fuel consumption.
It’s never boring when your catching fish
I never trolled over any ones fishing spot. Most I know do not.
Teaching kids and grandkids trolling helps. Not as boring for them then sitting in one spot.

Good discussion. I appreciate hearing the thoughts. Tight lines.

I took a friend fishing once to show him how to locate sandies, anchor and drop slabs on them and relax and catch lots of fish. We did. Stopped around 75 that day. Went in for lunch. I was thinking we did good.
Later I find out that when he was young, his grandpa took him fishing and trolled for fish. That is what he remembered and that is what he liked.
He didn't like jig-n for sandies. He thought it was boring, just sitting there.

I should have known better. He wanted to troll and relive those days as a kid. So not everyone wants to be like you.

I think its a way to start fishing and explore the lake a little better.

I agree with what a lot of people are saying about why people troll.

A) I think alot of people are either inexperienced or simply do not have the equipment to do anything else so they troll. I started off as someone who downrigged and trolled crank baits because I had ZERO idea what I was doing 4-5 years ago and didn't have the equipment to do anything else. Not a bad thing and I mean no offense but that has been my observation and my own personal journey. Takes a lot less equipment and skill to troll then to find fish and pick em off with good technique and presentation. It also is a lot cheaper and easier than finding, catching, and caring for shad. And I see people trolling crankbaits in the middle of December when deadsticking is really the only way to catch fish which reinforces my opinion that a lot of people simply do not know what they are doing so they troll. It takes time, experience, lots of failures to develop intuition and fishing wisdom on the water to read the graph, pin point fish, know how to catch them etc. Many do not have the time, patience, or luxury to develop this on the water experience so they troll because its something.

B) Some people just do not have equipment to do anything else. Timmychanga constantly catches lots of hybrids (while trolling is an effective approach) and from what I can tell he rarely does anything other than trolling. He is pretty smart on where the fish hang out and has tricks to catch them and that is his preferred method. I've talked to him about why is trolling his primary method and he said he didn't want to talk about spending $2500 on a smart trolling motor and more money on batteries to his wife. Budget comes in play plus "clearing it with the wife" for many.

C) Trolling is a great way to get started but I think it becomes a crutch to people. Takes a LOT more skill, knowledge, and equipment to pinpoint fish, get ontop of them, and catch them with vertical or casting presenations. Alot of people never leave that comfort zone of trolling they started off doing and grow as an angler to where they are catching them with other methods. I would say it is a hard, frustrating, and expensive journey to become an advanced angler but one worth taking if someone really loves chasing temperate bass.

I view trolling like I view trotlines and juglines...some people just want to fish that way, its effective, and it makes up for inexperience. I in my hybrid and white bass skills am advanced and can pin point fish and catch them vertically and casting. I in my catfishing journey am a toddler and all I can do to consistently catch them is throw juglines and trotlines out and not advanced enough to target trophy catfish yet with rod and reel.

Catching fish is fun and it doesn't matter how you do it. To each his own. Tight lines!
Clay

I find it somewhat amusing that inexperience is thrown around while talking about people who troll. I'm a drag queen, don't deny it. I've been fishing for over 50 years. If I had a choice of slabbing or trolling, I'd rather troll. i can hold a beer while I troll and have the stereo going. I just like it better. Does that make me inexperienced, no. I just march to a different drummer. Do I screw up other people, I don't get within 75 to 100 yards. If that is a problem, then yes I screw up other people. I have had a guide with a boat load of people troll with 25 yards of my boat right where I was casting, is he inexperienced? Don't know, [censored] yes, inexperienced not sure.

So, in summary, it's just what some like to do. If you want to look down at me, go a little lower and while your down there you can, well you know.

Ole Timmy....

I fall on to the anti-trolling list. Personally, I find it boring and rarely the most productive way to put fish in the boat. To each is their own though. Not a fan of the guy who sees fish coming in the boat and drives so close that when I cast to the same place I have been throwing 2 minutes after they troll by I get hung on 200 yrds of Stren they have behind the boat....

Or possibly just people without electronics or good enough electronics

I think it’s what people like to do. For stripers and hybrids, I like to use bait and my thumper/splasher. I can throw poppers to schooling fish but don’t like to throw artificials over live shad. I fish with kids a bunch so baits pretty easy vs slabbing for them.

For tuna, I am all artificial and prefer poppers but honestly a 10” popper flat out wears me out so I use swimbaits a bunch. I jig second and only chunk as a last resort.

We trolled for bluefin in OBX and live baited for bluefin in Cape Cod but I was really trying to catch them on topwater or jigs the whole time...

I think trolling in the middle of summer would be fun to beat the heat so may try that this year...

I prefer trolling when dealing with inexperienced folks, allows for greater control of the environment.
I would love to be consistent vertical jigging, I tried it several times, and other than fishing with a guide, its been no Bueno for me.
I chalk it up to inexperience using my electronics and knowledge of the lake.
At the end of the day, I go fishing to catch fish, and will troll in a heartbeat.

I’m going to throw in an etiquette question. If a boat is trolling 200 yards of a prime spot, what is the etiquette for an anchoring boat who would like to fish the same area? It seems unfair for a trolling boat to “claim” that much area when 5 or 6 other boats could fish the same area. I tend to set up off the spot and cast to it as best I can but do find it frustrating. Curious what you guys consider the unwritten rules.

Whatever unwritten rules apply to sailboats, jetski's, kayak's, wake boats, etc, should apply to all, which I assume is common sense watercraft operation in a safe manner and distance.
Or it there is certain exception which should be made for trolling.
Otherwise, seems like a guy could anchor and attempt to claim an entire river channel, bay or cove with the 200 yard ideal.