How to Troll a Lake

Fishermen often troll for walleyes.

Trolling is a method of fishing that involves dragging live bait or an artificial lure behind a moving boat. Trolling is effective because it allows anglers to cover vast amounts of water and locate fish that are feeding actively. Anglers who are fishing a new lake find trolling is especially good for helping them find the areas in the lake where fish congregate. Fishermen troll for a wide variety of freshwater species, including bass, crappies, northern pike, muskies and walleyes.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing rod and reel
• Fishing line
• Sinker
• Swivel
• Hook
• Bait
• Lure
• Boat
• Motor

Instructions

1. Rig a couple of 6- to 7-foot fishing rods for trolling. Attach to one a live-bait rig, which includes -- in order -- a sinker heavy enough to keep the rig in contact with the bottom, a barrel swivel, a 36- to 48-inch leader, and a hook baited with a leech, minnow or night crawler. Attach an artificial lure to the other. Crank baits are especially effective. Select one that runs slightly deeper than the water depth.

2. Motor into the lake and use a depth finder to locate a drop-off or weed edge. A drop-off is a spot where the bottom goes from shallower to deeper. A weed edge is the deepest spot at which vegetation grows. Once you find one, drive the boat along the edge of it. Troll slowly -- less than 1/2 mph -- if you are using a live-bait rig. Troll between 1 and 2 mph with an artificial bait.

3. Troll in a slight zigzag pattern. Fish may not be on the immediate edge of the drop-off or weed edge, so moving in a zigzag pattern allows your bait or lure to cover more water.

4. Pull your rod tip forward slightly to impart erratic action on your bait or lure. The quick movement could convince a trailing fish to bite because it believes its meal is about to get away.

5. Mark spots where you catch fish, especially schooling species like bass, crappies and walleyes. Often, you can catch more than one fish from the same spot, so it is a good idea to troll through the area multiple times.

References

• Walleyes Inc.; Hot Walleye Trolling Techniques; Rick Olson
• Jim Porter's Guide to Bass Fishing; Trolling - Why?; Jim Porter