Trolling for Trout Can Be an Excellent Way to Catch Trout
If you want to catch your fill of trout, trolling for trout may be the answer for you. This technique is easy to learn, and many anglers of all skill levels have found trolling for trout to be a successful way to land this species of fish. One reason trolling for trout is particularly good for beginners is that you have few line snags and tangles.
Trolling for trout means that you have your rod and reel, with a lure and troll line attached, in place and you drive the boat slowly. Select your lure based on the depth you want to troll, and the weather conditions. Spoons and spinners seem to work well when trolling for trout on bright, sunny days. The speed you run the boat while trolling for trout will also determine how deep the lure is. Keep your line at least 50 feet behind the boat; when the boats passes fish will clear from its path and they need time to move back before your lure appears. Once everything is in place to begin trolling for trout, you need to find the fish.
Depending on the lake your trolling for trout in, often trout will be mid-depth, between 15 feet and 50 feet. That said, other anglers prefer to troll closer to the surface of the water. Also keep in mind that trout tend to stay within the vicinity of shelter opportunities, so you may want to begin trolling for trout near shelter areas.
Another way to find the fish while trolling for trout is to keep your eyes open for their food sources. If you see a lot of bait fish or insects, you're likely to find fish nearby. Often these food sources are along grassy banks or near marshy areas. (Of course you'll want to avoid getting your line tangled into the grass or marsh while trolling for trout!)
Yet another way to look for fish while trolling for trout is to check out known drop-offs or ledges (you can also find these with sonar), and to look where the water is more oxygenated, such as stream heads.
When trolling for trout you'll want to consider the troll you use. These vary by the number and shape of their blades, which produce different sound vibrations and rotate at different speeds. You can use a troll with just about any type of lure and/or bait when trolling for trout. A rule of thumb is to use a troll with more blades as you go deeper in the water. You may want to consider also using a rudder to prevent your line from sinking.
Some final tricks for trolling for trout include troll slowly and vary your speed. Also try to work in s-curves or jerking the line occasionally when trolling for trout.
