trolling for bass

[leesumm]

This may sound like a noobie question , but honestly I have fished for over 50 years. For a long time I was out of the fishing thing and the last 6 years got back into it . I fish solely and religiously for cats,but lately haveing a hard time finding big ones in the lake I fish. I was wondering about trolling for bass as on the FF I see suspended from 10 to 25 feet. I don't have a trolling motor and what I do have is a trihull with a 70 hp Johnson,both about 35 years old.
Now with my question. Am I able to troll with this boat for bass? And so what would a good set of lures? The lake is about 100 acres , runs anywhere from 5 to 40 feet and ups and downs in the contour. This is in the hills and so called mountains in Arkansas so there is no level flat bottom I can find. At this time surface temp is about 60 degrees and clarity is about 4 to 5 foot.. Any suggestions?

 

[JB]

Re: trolling for bass

Hmmm. I have never trolled for bass, always cast for them with deep diving lures or surface lures. They prefer to associate with structure so trolling is not a preferred method.

If I were to troll for bass I would rig a curly tail plastic worm in a weedless manner and troll it very slow over structure.

 

[dingbat]

Re: trolling for bass

Chances are if you see them on the sounder (under the boat) they're spooked and the chances of catching them are not good. We have much better luck trolling for them with planer board. It gets the baits way from the boat and allows you to troll the baits very close to structure w/o putting the boat in harms way.

 

[AChotrod]

Re: trolling for bass

I never troll for bass either but happened to watch a vid yesterday of guys trolling for small mouth. They used planer boards and row trolled over structure and deep weed beds(no motor trolling allowed). With your boat I would go as slow as possible using the same method.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: trolling for bass

I assume you're talking about, largemouth bass?

What's in the lake that the bass normally eat, crawdads, panfish, minnows, shad? I'd find a lure that mimics the forage food and go from there, or at least, something colored and shaped the same. I like JB's recommendation of a weedless soft plastic, a tandem bass spinner would also be weedless. I'd try crankbaits too, there are about a jillion different types available. Pickup some cheap ones of different colors and styles to see what works best. In that murky water, bright colors might make the lures easier for the bass to locate, firetiger color, white or chrome.

If I'm by myself, I like to troll floating lures (deep diving to get down), so they don't sink and get hung up if you stop the boat. If you're dragging stuff that will sink, don't stop the boat.

Oh yeah, while trolling, try rip-trolling the lure... Hold the rod, and every once in a while, rip the lure forward and then let it flutter back... I've had days where fish wouldn't touch a lure that was just drug around, but they would hammer the lure as soon as it was ripped forward, or as it fluttered back (paused).

 

[leesumm]

Re: trolling for bass

This was just an idea of mine while fishing cats and they didn't bite. Rig up and do a little trolling for something to get on the end of the line. I don't plan on keeping but just for something to do while on the water. I did a long time ago live in NW Kansas and fish a few lakes for Walleye and had pretty good luck with jointed Rapala and Shad Raps. This old motor runs rough and low speed but I have tried idleing some in forward and think I got the speed down to where I can troll. Just a curiousity question mostly.

Fishrdan. I don't know whats in the lake that bass eat. I do know there is crappie and suppose to be shad. I have never fished anything other than cats in this lake but have seen some big bass taken and heard of some catching nice crappie. I also learned today there is "yellow bass" there. I am not sure what a yellow bass is I haven't looked it up yet, might even be a local name for a fish but they are suposed to be equal to or better than crappie.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: trolling for bass

You might try dragging a Alabama rig around.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: trolling for bass

Trolling for Bass is easy, real easy... too easy!

My fave lure for trolling Bass is a Rapala Rattlin' Rap:
Rattlin Rapala? Lure : Cabela's

Pick up a few different colors. I like the Firetiger, Silver/blue, silver/gold, and the silver. Troll these at idle speed and a medium to long cast behind the boat. If you can use 2 rods in your state install rod holders and put a rod on each side of the boat using a different color lure on each rod. Using a commercial shad or garlic scent on the lures will help.

Another good lure is the X-Rap:
Rapala? X-Rap? : Cabela's

Use the 3 1/8" or 4" models and pick up a few different colors, use scent on these too... I like to put it on the feather on the tail.

Don't worry about the fish being spooked by the boat, a lot of times fish will be attracted to the prop wash because it churns the water and can stun shad if you go through a school.

A Yellow Bass is a Temperate Bass related to the Striped and White Bass, they're just little ol' turds that seldom grow over a pound... but they're very willing biters when they're feeding.

When trolling for Bass use a clear monofilament line between 10-14# test, this will give your lure the best action.

Trolling for Bass works best in warmer water, about 70*F and up... but they'll still bite when the temps are in the 60's.

You'll also catch other species of fish while trolling for Bass. White Bass, Yellow Bass, Freshwater Drum, Catfish, and maybe even a Buffalo fish... you'll think you have a world record Bass when you hook a Buffalo.

 

[leesumm]

Re: trolling for bass

Ok, thanks for the help. I feel like a newbie to fishing but its been so long since I have fished anything but cats for the last 15 to 20 years I am lost as to what is good and a money waster for lures. Going out cat fishing today and hopefully not get blown off the water as there is a wind warning in my area, but its super calm now at 60 degrees after being in 30's the last few days and cabin fever is taking over.

 

[strander100]

Re: trolling for bass

Lots of good information from the previous posters. I'll add to the mix saying that in my direct experience, while trolling our Northern Michigan 600 acre lake almost every day last summer, I caught over 100 fish.

Rising early, usually before daybreak, I would use a rattling lipless crankbait on the left, color was not a big deal, then a deeper diver on the right, while moving counter clockwise at the edge of weed beds and drop offs. I maybe got skunked twice in all that time, but normally hooked between 3-5 fish over a two hour period. Seven was my best.

My 16' jonboat and 9.9 Yamaha were just the answer for this method. I was usually off the water by 7:30 am, due the water skiers. I have never used planer boards and the fish ranged across the spectrum. My five biggest fish included two smallies and two largemouth and one giant pike.

As a matter of fact, just ordered two sealine 17s yesterday and look forward to the coming season. After all this being said, I do plan on experimenting with dipsy divers, snap loc weights, tadpoles, and small planer boards to compare results this summer. I love trolling for bass. Don't over think it, just do it.

 

[AChotrod]

Re: trolling for bass

Ok, thanks for the help. I feel like a newbie to fishing but its been so long since I have fished anything but cats for the last 15 to 20 years I am lost as to what is good and a money waster for lures. Going out cat fishing today and hopefully not get blown off the water as there is a wind warning in my area, but its super calm now at 60 degrees after being in 30's the last few days and cabin fever is taking over.

Good luck out there! Your weather sounds like my weather here in IL. Its been freezing, my pond in the back yard even froze and now its 60. I am however still out there at least once a week hoping for a late fall Muskie. Bad part about Muskie fishing is that you dont catch anything else do to the size of the lures I use.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: trolling for bass

Chances are if you see them on the sounder (under the boat) they're spooked and the chances of catching them are not good. We have much better luck trolling for them with planer board. It gets the baits way from the boat and allows you to troll the baits very close to structure w/o putting the boat in harms way.

Drifting works even better, as does planners and bottom bouncers in various weights to cover the entire water depth fishing. Just a bunch of work using bottom bouncers when it gets shallow. Drifting is always my preferred method

 

[scipper77]

Re: trolling for bass

I just wanted to add a little bit to jigngrub's advice (which is rare as he knows tackle better than just about anybody). Rather than using straight mono filament I like to use braid with a mono filament leader. The reason I like this is because often when trolling your lure will snag up on small amounts of algae/weeds. Because braided line does not stretch it is much easier to tell if your lure becomes slightly fouled by feel (it will lose most of it's wobble when fouled). The braid isn't going to help your presentation but for me it reduces the time I spend pulling a fouled lure behind me.

 

[leesumm]

Re: trolling for bass

Drifting works even better, as does planners and bottom bouncers in various weights to cover the entire water depth fishing. Just a bunch of work using bottom bouncers when it gets shallow. Drifting is always my preferred method

Yeh, I have been "drifting " lately, the wind has been picking up on the lake not to white caps but just enough to give my little boat a good push across the lake. Still nothing tho. I got a couple of Shad Raps , a triple jointed Rapala like "shad", a Rapala X rap with the feather on the tail and a squirt or two of scent on the feather. Still nothing, fish just wont cooperate in the lake any more . I can see "schools" on the fish finder but it don't catch the fish.

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: trolling for bass

I often troll for bass when moving from one spot to another. Here in florida, it generally works best to follow a depth line, or a weed line... the outside edge of a weedline in 8-12ft of water is usually a good bet. Sometimes I am surprised and pick up a fish in open deep water, so you never know. I use either a rattle trap type lure, or a deep diving crankbait, in natural colors. I bass fish either from my kayak or a jon boat, so its obviously fairly slow trolling. If you are looking for crappie, slow trolling a very small spinnerbait should work if you can find the fish. Live minnows fished at the right depth and right time of year are the best bet for a mess of tasty crappie though. you would do better catching them by tapping into some local knowledge... chat up some fellow fisherman at the ramp!