Trolling Tips - Cannon Magnum 5 ST Owner's Manual

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Ten Good Trolling Tips
1) Test your lures over the boat side before
sending them down and back. Do this to make sure the
lure wiggles and wobbles properly without going belly
up or wandering off. Some lures can be adjusted, fi ne
tuned actually, to impart maximum action. For example,
a slight bend in the tail of a spoon or twist of the hook
eye in the nose of a plug can make a noticeable
difference in how the lure performs.
Also, when running two or more lures, make sure the
offerings are compatible. Lures that run out of harmony
with each other are bound to tangle and that means
wasted time to straighten out the mess. Testing them
fi rst will avoid the problem.
2) Consider different sizes, shapes, and colors of
lures. No one has ever fi gured out with precision what
makes a fi sh strike or snub a lure. There is no doubt,
that matching the forage (minnows, crayfi sh, etc.) in
color, shape, action, and size can help trigger those
strikes from hungry fi sh. On the other hand, if fi sh such
as bluegills, small mouth bass or Coho salmon are
protecting spawning beds, they may attack whatever is
threatening. So, bright colors in lures may out produce
bland colors.
3) Vary trolling speeds. Goosing the engine now and
then or slowing to a crawl every so often will change the
action of the lures and may get fi sh to strike them.
4) Vary trolling patterns and lead lengths. The
amount of line you let out often determines how deep
the lure will run and, to some extent, what degree of
action it will impart. For starters, consider running lures
about ten feet behind downrigger weights. If fl at line
trolling, put them back about fi fty feet, then experiment
depending on what the fi sh do.
Trolling patterns affect lure action too, that is why
some anglers like to wheel a lazy S course. On turns,
outside lures will speed up momentarily while inside
lures hang for a moment or two. Some fi sh are attracted
to lures that change speeds. Also, zigzag patterns al-
low for more water coverage, plus it keeps lures out of
propeller boil, an important consideration for browns and
other wary species.
5) Locate fi sh on a vertical plane. Place lures in
areas where fi sh might be. Skilled fi shermen call these
areas the "strike zones". They include the edges of the
weed beds, structure along bottom, drop-offs, preferred
temperature of the target species, and the thermocline.
Remember that fi sh occupy certain areas for certain
reasons (sources of food, protective cover, preferred
temperatures, etc.).
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6) Consider special knots and swivels. A good ball
bearing swivel will all but eliminate line twist and will
aid in getting maximum performance from a lure. Many
anglers add the tiny swivels to split rings already on the
lure itself. On the other hand, a swivel may dampen the
action of a sensitive lure, such as a Rapala. Some fi sh-
erman tie tiny improved clinch or loop knots. Loop knots
in particular may enhance up and down and side to side
action of lures. Any good fi shing manual will explain how
to tie these and other knots.
7) Consider releases for fl atline trolling. A good
tip is to secure a piece of downrigger cable or heavy
monofi lament to the water ski hook or handle below the
transom of most boats. To the other end of the mono or
cable, add a pinch-r-release. After letting out your lure to
the desire distance, put the rod in its holder, then bend
the tip and secure the fi shing line in the release.
8) Add a weed guard. Having trouble with weeds
hanging up lures? Consider tying a three-inch piece of
monofi lament a foot above the lure. Leaves, smaller
weeds and other debris may catch here momentarily
then fall off to the side of the lure without tangling.
Weedless lures are another smart consideration. Down-
rigger cables are effective weed catchers when trolling
for pike, muskies, or bass in weed-infested lakes.
9) Add a stinger hook. When fi sh short strike, slap at
lures without becoming hooked, adding a stinger hook
can solve the problem. Simply tie a treble hook to one
end of a four inch piece of monofi lament and then tie the
extra hook to the last gang of hooks on your lure. The
stinger hook, which trails the lure, provides extra insur-
ance.
10) Keep hooks sharp. Some of the best fi shermen
sharpen all hooks after every fi sh caught. Hooks get dull
through both use and misuse, and probably more fi sh
are lost to dull points than anything else.
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