Why troll for bass?

[Andreas Toy]

Hey Sal hope your well, good info this past week we have over 100 stripers.
Interestingly enough, larger fish have whole bunkers in there stomach, yet we have chunked in same spots with no takers, water temp 48-52. In my experience 55 degree is magic time for chunking.

[jerseyhunter]

Used to love trolling bunker spoons back and forth between the range b, you'd get giants, umbrella rigs worked well too but would suk when you got a rig full of shorts or more than one beauty. But that's how it was done and I couldn't complain.(not my vessel) , I also disliked drifting 8 and 10 oz's of lead for fluke next to the Ambrose tower, and I mean next to. Big fluke but to me took out the sport. Same as trolling.

[Joey Dah Fish]

This is me staying silent. But good luck to all hoping everyone has a great season

[MVP]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

This is me staying silent. But good luck to all hoping everyone has a great season

Joey loves all types of fishing especially (Fluke,blackfish and tuna) but his favorite thing to do is trolling. He could care less if he catches any fish as it is so relaxing for him. He just loves it

[stugots]

Some days the fish only bite on the troll. You have to adapt to catch fish. To go out on any given day for any species without a plan B is why some guys catch and some guys don't. I always have the trolling rods while bass fishing and most days we use them at some point or another.

Same with Tuna. Bring the bait but always have the trolling gear as well.

I understand how some may think trolling is "cheating" but i will do whatever it takes to catch fish.

[SaltLife1980]

Trolling = Booo

[Oasis]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

This is me staying silent. But good luck to all hoping everyone has a great season

Trolling is not fishing....

[MVP]

Originally Posted by Oasis

Trolling is not fishing....

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.

[bulletbob]

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

[Hunter 2]

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