Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Not much of a troller myself either but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get some fish onboard.

Interested in hearing more about this bungee method Pappas

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Trolling is not fishing:D....:p

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Based on your smiley face i know you are kidding. I personally hate trolling for anything as i like to have my rod in my hand. Getting fish to hit a a bunker spoon (piece of Metal) when there are nice juicy bunker and live bait for the taking is truly an art. I am lucky enough to get to fish with one of the best striper trollers around. Home made bunker spoons and custom old school fiberglass trolling rods. Watching those rods work there magic and seeing the old man manipulate those spoons by bending them to get them to swim a certain way is very impressive. Lent my friend use my custom trolling rods and old man customs spoons being i rarely ever use them myself. For 10 trips in a row the old man spoons outfished the most popular bunker spoon sold to tackle shops by 5 to 1. To say he was amazed is an understatement. Trolling is definetly not my thing but it is hard not to appreciate its effectiveness when in the right hands especially for bigger fish.

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Trolling.. meh.. I would simply target tog or ling, sea bass, horn dogs,, whatever.

Up here in the Finger Lakes, if someone asks you to go fishing, they are asking you to go trolling.. Thats all anyone does.. A few guys around here jig for lakers and walleyes, but that might be 5%... Trolling 100 feet down for fish that are usually less than 5 pounds from a boat that must remain moving at 3 knots?.. Not much fun really. They use 8 foot "noodle rods" and a reel the size of a Daiwa 27 or 47 H.. Riggers, or "wire dipseys". Lots of very old methods as well still very common. "Pulling copper", Using a hundred or so feet of copper wound on a giant spool, pulling a spoon on a leader by hand, no rod ,right off bottom.. Guys catch a lot of lakers like that, but ugh.... Also Seth Green "meat rigs" are still widely used. You use a tuna size rod with roller guides and conventional reel with a THREE POUND sinker, heavier than many of the fish you will catch, heavy braided or wire line, and 4 or 5 leaders about 10- 15 feet long spaced 15- 20 feet apart, and using a bunch of swivels and quick snap leaders.. You cover the water column from say 25 feet to well over 100 feet. If your fish hits the bottom leader, you reel up, unsnap and stow the top 4 leaders, take your fish off and re attach all 5 of them in order as you slowly lower the neat rig back down from a moving boat... yuck..... Its an abomination, but it catches a LOT of fish.. Me? Personally,I will pass, and go fish for sunnies and perch with worm and bobber..,,
THATS why I still drive down to NJ salt water to do much of my fishing... The LAST thing I would want to do is troll for stripers. If they won't hit bait, jigs, plastics, topwaters, etc on any given day, I would leave them be until they are in the mood. bob

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Tony Maja sells the bungee system. It gives the spoon similar action on down riggers as if you were using Maja rods. Check out his web sight

http://tonymajaproducts.com/trolling-bungee-system

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

There would be many times you would go home with nothing if you don't troll. There are no ling or sea bass in Raritan Bay and no one is going to make tha run.

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

I am in Florida and we catching big kings on stretches. I also catch grouper in the keys on stretches.:)

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

To each his own but I like to troll. On my boat with me running it I find it fun and interesting. Watching the chart plotter, fish finder,boat traffic, and rod tips keeps me occupied and happy. I don't use very complicated rigs or pull a big spread so I don't have many hassles. Just one or two rods with a stretch 25 or an umbrella rig pretty simple but it works. Most of the time at least...Charlie

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

I realize that... However, I would still find something else to if the only way to catch is to troll... I have done it plenty, and for me personally, its not what I like to do, especially when you have to keep the boat moving, and the fish fights like a log with a bit of a wiggle, and skitters on its side to the moving boat.. Its ok in shallow water where you can stop the boat and enjoy the fight of the fish.. meh,, Its just not for me.. I DO however acknowledge that its certainly the most effective technique in many circumstances... bob

Re: Why troll for bass?
 

Yeah Man. Thought I was the only one, but I love trolling.