HOME STURGEON SALMON & STEELHEAD REPORTS MESSAGE BOARD GUESTBOOK E-MAIL A Complete Guide On The Effective Use Of TROLLING SPOONS FOR SALTWATER SALMON
(Revised) Saltwater salmon sport fishing takes place in an ever-changing environment. Conditions vary hourly, due to tide and current fluctuations, and the angler must be prepared to make instant revisions in tackle and/or fishing methods to be successful. One proven day-in and day-out [Image of King Salmon] saltwater fishing technique is trolling and one class of lures naturally geared for baitfish-eating salmon is spoons. The combination of the two is a salmon-catching technique considered unbeatable by many anglers . . . trolling spoons.
The degree of success you'll attain by trolling spoons for Chinook or coho salmon will depend heavily on understanding the differences in habits and preferences between the two species and a knowledge of how tides and currents affect saltwater fish and fishing conditions.
Trolling with spoons is an extremely effective technique for both Chinook and coho salmon because the lures closely resemble and imitate the action of crippled baitfish which make up a large part of the diet of salmon and because a large amount of water can easily be covered in a short time.
A spoon should wobble from side to side and will produce the best all-around results when trolled at speeds between the slowest that produces a wobble and the fastest darting action which does not cause it to revolve or spin.
The following guidelines deal specifically with saltwater salmon fishing and following them will yield optimum results.
TIDES
A knowledge of tides and their effects is the #1 key to becoming a successful salmon troller. Salmon feeding activity and fishing is best during the period from one hour before, through and for one hour after a tide change.
A 24-hour tide cycle has two highs and two lows so there are at least two daylight tide change periods to fish each day which provide optimum conditions. Charting one tide period, we would have low slack (the time of change), flood (run-in), high slack (change), ebb (run out) and back to low slack.
If the tide fluctuation is minimal between high and low, say 3 to 8 feet, baitfish and salmon will be active throughout the tide cycle along rips, in eddies and many times in open water. But, the period before slack tide, during the slack and after still will provide you with top angling as salmon will feed most actively when the don't have to battle currents. You'll have about three hours of prime fishing time around each change and it's extremely important to fish these periods intensely.
Purchase a tide book for your area and become familiar with it and schedule your trips, if possible, to coincide with these change periods. Also, high tides provide the best launching and bar-crossing conditions in most bays and estuaries.
LOW LIGHT PERIODS
Although the time period around a tide change is considered best for fishing, two other times consistently produce salmon . . . the low light periods of early morning and at dusk. During times when bright sunlight is not present, baitfish and salmon often will be found within the top 30 feet of water. Combining a tide change period with one of these low light periods will produce the ABSOLUTE BEST CONDITIONS.
BIRDS/BAITFISH
Working birds are a good giveaway that baitfish are present and usually salmon. The presence of seagulls or other surface-oriented birds indicates most bait is in the top 20 feet of water. Gulls and diving birds such as cormorants, in combination usually signal baitfish from 10 to 50 feet deep. Diving birds by themselves normally mean bait is deeper than 50 feet (surprising as it may seem, cormorants commonly dive up to 100 feet) If birds are not actively working, concentrate your efforts along the clean sides of rips or foam lines where conflicting currents come together, concentrating food.
TROLL WITH THE CURRENT
Salmon, as do other fish, always face into the current so troll with it rather than against it. By trolling with the current, you will constantly be presenting your spoon to salmon from the front where it can easily be seen, rather than from behind where it can't. when current is strong, salmon also have a tendency to stay in areas where they don't have to fight it. If the fish are stationary and you're trolling against the tide and not covering new water, your chances for intercepting them are diminished. If trolling estuary areas, or in Puget Sound and the tide is running strong between changes, look for salmon off points, in back eddy areas and troll zig-zag patterns because trolling with the tide is usually just too fast to be productive in this situation.
COLOR AND DEPTH
Both coho and Chinook can be very fickle when it comes to color, displaying a fondness for one color pattern at a particular time and then changing preference completely within a few hours or on a different day. How and what a salmon sees is influenced by the amount of available light, water clarity and mood of the fish.
Colors change depending on depth. Red is filtered out of the light spectrum in about the first 30 feet, yellow and chartreuse at about 60 feet with green and blue the last to turn gray. White turns to gray at about 60 feet and black is always black, regardless of depth. Thus a deep water salmon will see mostly blues, greens and dark shapes while a salmon in shallow water will see all colors. When prospecting for salmon, run spoons having red or metallic finishes toward the surface, yellow, chartreuse or Prism-Lite® finishes at medium depths and greens and/or blue colors at the deepest level. Note: Blues and greens are effective at all depths because they imitate natural baitfish colors.
CHECK YOUR GEAR
Even if all other conditions are right, you won't catch salmon if your lure is tangled or has picked up weeds or jellyfish. Salmon, particularly big Chinook, are very wary of anything unnatural in the water. The best advice is to check your gear every 30 minutes (10 to 15 minutes if debris is present) to make sure it's clean and running right.
KNOW THE AREA
Know everything you can about the area you're going to fish BEFORE going out. Check with other anglers, baithouses, sporting goods stores, etc.
SPOON TROLLING SETUPS
Diagramed below are seven proven ways to rig a spoon for trolling. Dodgers often are used as attractors in conjunction with spoons when fish are scattered, in deep water or when faster spoon action is desired, such as when fishing for coho. Divers (diving sinkers), such as the Pink Lady®, Deep Six®, Jet Diver or Dipsy Diver® provide an easy means for getting a spoon deep and also serve as attractors due to their shape and color. The multi-directional Dipsy Diver® has [Image of Dipsy Diver] another added advantage as it can be made to troll to starboard or port by simply shifting the base plate weight. It will allow you to cover a wider swath of water to either side in addition to those flatlines and downrigger lines regularly run off the stern.
FLATLINE: With the surface or flatline technique, the spoon is tied directly, via it attachment device, to 8- to 20-lb. test main line. No additional weights are used or, at most, a small 1/8- to 1/2-oz. keel-type sinker 6 feet up the line from the spoon. The spoon is let out behind your moving boat 50 to 150 feet and the troll begun. The Jet Diver makes it particularly easy to know exactly how far out your spoon is behind the boat. It fill float until the actual troll is started, allowing you to see its position until it dives. The flatline technique is particularly effective when salmon are feeding near the surface, such as when they are chasing baitfish schools. Low light periods are usually best.
SHALLOW/MEDIUM: With the addition of a keep sinker 4 to 6 feet up the line from the spoon, shallow to medium depths can be trolled effectively. Sinker weights, depending on the depth desired, usually run from 1 to 8 ounces with main line testing from 12 to 30 pounds. As in flatlining, let out 50 to 150 feet of line behind your moving boat and begin the troll. Note: Always attach a swivel-chain-rigged keel sinker with the single swivel end to your main line and the chain end toward the spoon.
DIVERS: One effective way to get a spoon and spoon/attractor rig deep without excessive lead weights is with a diving sinker such as the Pink Lady® [Pink Lady Diver Image] or Dipsy Diver®. Standard rigging is with 4 to 6 feet of leader between spoon and diver and 10- to 30-lb. test main line to your rod. A second way of rigging a diver adds a dodger with 18- to 24-inch leader between spoon and dodger and then 48 inches of leader between dodger and diver.
DOWNRIGGERS: Spoons often are fished off a downrigger, either by themselves or in conjunction with a dodger or flasher. With a downrigger you will be able to work all depths and will have the added advantage of no weights between you and the fish once hooked. Anglers who troll spoons by themselves behind a downrigger, especially when seeking wary fish such as Chinook, often prefer 10 to 20 feet (some as much as 40 to 60 feet) between line release and spoon.
Dodgers can be used as attractors in conjunction with a spoon behind a downrigger with good results. Size 0 or 1 Jensen Dodgers are recommended. Be sure to allow at least 6 feet of line between the dodger and downrigger line release so as not to inhibit the action of the dodger. Allow 18 to 25 inches of leader between your spoon and dodger (shorter leaders produce more frantic and faster spoon action; longer ones slower action).
Flashers such as the Abe 'n Al® or Alaskan Eagle [Image of Abe N AL flasher] are yet another kind of attractor which can be used with a spoon behind a downrigger. Flashers produce a deliberate, slow roll which often is favored by species such as Chinook. Because of the rotating nature of the flasher, spoons trailed behind must have more leader than that recommended for dodgers, such as 18 to 36 inches.
COHO VS. CHINOOK
There are big differences between Chinook and coho in their feeding habits, lure action preferences and habitat.
COHO: Coho salmon generally can be found at depths less than 50 feet and commonly from the surface down to 30 feet. These are fast moving fish and they prefer spoons with a fast action as well as the increased attraction provided by a #0 or #00 dodger ahead of the spoon. They are wide-ranging and often can be found in open water, far away from structure. During low light periods, coho can be located feeding within a few feet of the surface or just along rip lines.
Specific spoons geared for medium to fast coho trolling include the Diamond King®, Tom Mack® Krocodile® and Coyote. Coho are known to strike a variety of color patterns with Chartreuse/Fishscale®, Glo/Fluorescent Green, Nickel/Neon Blue Stripe, Nickel/Neon Green Stripe, Mother of Pearl and Green/Chartreuse combinations the most popular. Basic metallic finishes of Brass, Chrome, 50/50 Brass/Chrome or Chrome/Blue also are productive. Prism-Lite® in Silver, Gold, Blue, Green or Red in combination with Chrome can be very effective.
CHINOOK: When compared with coho, Chinook prefer deeper water, larger spoons and slower action attractors. They often are caught in water from 60 to 120 feet or even deeper, especially during sunny, mid-day time periods.
There is a definite dawn bite associated with Chinook salmon and a tide change period in association with first light is an optimum fishing time. Chinook often will shy away from any unnatural object or movement in the water so longer leaders and additional line out often are the rules. Proven spoons are the Krocodile®, Tom Mack®, Slow Sam and Point Defiance®. Mother of Pearl, Chartreuse/Fire Dot, 50/50 Chartreuse/Green and Glo finishes such as Glo/Green Stripe produce Chinook strikes regularly. When fish are found in shallow-to-medium depths, metallic finishes of Chrome, Chrome/Brass, either hammered or plain and the Prism-Lite® patterns are good choices. Metallic finishes of Chrome/Neon Blue Stripe, Chrome/Neon Green Strip and Prism-Lite® in Chrome/Blue, Chrome/Green and Chrome/Chartreuse combinations can be very effective medium-to-deep water Chinook patterns.
Both dodgers and flasher can be rigged with a spoon for Chinook trolling with good results. If using a rotating flasher, such as the Abe 'n Al® or Alaskan Eagle, be sure to use a longer leader than that used for a dodger. One 18 to 30 inches will produce a slow, deliberate action from the trailing spoon . . . one frequently favored by Chinook.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
One of the easiest and least complicated things you can [image of Hook File] do to improve your fishing results is to make sure all hook points are stick-sharp. The majority of lost fish can be traced to dull hooks with prevented proper penetration into the fish's mouth. A small file such as Luhr Jensen's Sharp Hook File is the absolute best hook sharpening tool available. Hold the file parallel to the hook point and, with gentle one-way strokes, remove a small amount of metal from at least two sides of the point. This results in both a sticky-sharp point and a knife-like cutting edge.
You should always use a premium quality monofilament line such as Trilene XT which has superior knot strength, small diameter in relation to pound test and which is abrasion resistant.
Purchase a quality depth sounder, such as one of the Lowrance units, which will help in locating fish as well as prime underwater fish-holding structure which can't otherwise be detected. A paper chart recorder such as the X-15 will allow you to maintain a permanent record of structure areas and fish-holding level and will totally eliminate the guesswork.
This is one of a series of more than 20 detailed technique reports.
HOME STURGEON SALMON & STEELHEAD REPORTS MESSAGE BOARD GUESTBOOK E-MAIL
A.) It is a 2.0" diameter plastic fishing bobber, with a DC motor unit attached underneath. Used for fishing from boats, docks, piers, and elsewhere.
Q.) How Does It Work?
A.) Just turn on the motor, set the rudder, and drop it in the water. Then watch it go.
Q.) How Do You Use It?
A.) Connect your fishing line to the top of the fishing bobber; hook a leader to the swivel under the motor unit. Attaching your bait to the leader.
Q.) What Type Of Bait Do I Use With It?
A.) It will pull any small bait, but the bigger the bobber you buy, the bigger the bait you can use.
Q.) Is It Safe For Children To Use?
A.) Much safer than regular fishing tactics, the Trolling Bobber does away with the need for casting. No more flying hooks ready to snag the unwary.
Q.) How Long Does Delivery Take?
A.) Usually, Delivery Takes 1 To 2 Weeks, And Are Shipped As Soon As Possible.
Q.) What Sizes Of Bobbers Can I Order?
A.) Currently, We Have Three Sizes Available:
Small Duty Bobber
Medium Duty Bobber
Heavy Duty Bobber
Q.) Is There Any Special Deals I Can Get?
A.) Currently, We Are Selling Complete Packages Which Will Have All Your Needs:
Complete Package 1: light duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
Complete Package 2: medium duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
Complete Package 3: heavy duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
"My son and I purchased a regular Trolling Bobber and its great. We thought the sound of the motor would scare the fish, but it doesn't. We are purchasing a second one, so we each have our own!"
M. Fitzgerald
"I bought the Heavy-duty Trolling Bobber and it works great. Who needs a boat anymore, the Trolling Bobber goes where ever I want it!"
C. Melton
"The Trolling Bobber works great, I no longer use anything else!"
D. Cook
"Thanks to the Trolling Bobber, there's no more slimy bait hitting you in the face when you take the kids fishing. Fishing is fun for all of us again."
M. Jacobson
"I'm surprised no one thought of it sooner, fishing has taken on a whole new meaning."
When you rig a boat for trolling, you will want it to provide you and your fishing buddies with the most enjoyable fishing trips you could ask for. Here are some time proven trolling boat layouts.
If you fish alone in a small tiller boat, mounting the downriggers at the transom is a practical choice. You can keep everything in easy reach, eliminating the need to get up and move around the boat. (illustration 1)
If two or more people are fishing in a small tiller boat, try mounting the downriggers midship. Everybody can reach the downriggers and rods from either end of the boat. Pedestal mounts may be needed for the downriggers to clear the gunwales and swivel mounting bases will make for easier docking. (illustration 2)
On larger console style boats, a pair of Captain's Paks on swivel mounting bases are a popular arrangement. The swivel mounting base allows you to spread your lines wider when fishing and can be turned inline with the gunwales when the boat comes to dock. (illustration 3)
If your boat is large enough for a large fishing party, mount a pair of Pro Sportsmen at the transom and a pair of Captain's Paks on swivel mounting bases futher forward on the gunwales. When you use the Captain's Pak electric downriggers as sideriggers, you will quickly appreciate the locking, tip-up booms make it easy to set your lines. With this many lines in the water, your lure presentation will resemble a school of bait fish. (illustration 4)
The same kind of presentation can be achieved by installing four Captain's Paks on a removable transom bar. The whole downrigging system can be easily removed as one unit when your boat is to be used for other purposes. The transom bar is also an ideal location to mount a secondary fish finder/graph. (illustration 5)
When installing a planer rigger system, remember two important facts. First, the taller your mast is, the greater distance your planers will travel from the sides of your boat. And second, the futher forward you mount your mast, the less distance your planers will travel behind your transom. Both points effect navagation and line control. For the very best planer performance, use Big Jon's Otter boats. They are designed to produce a minimum of water resistance and out perform old fashion boards. They also will not stall in a turn. (illustration 6)
A popular method of mounting the planer mast is to use a pedestal seat mount (sold in our Parts Department). It fits Springfield seat bases, that are common on most boats. The seat mount makes the mast easily removable for storage. This base also allows you to use your planer rigger system on more than one boat. (illustration 7)
Two single reel planer mast mounted on the gunwales just behind the cabin or canopy top are popular for larger boats where the bow is not easily accessable. Mounting the planer riggers on the gunwale decks will provide the height needed for the Otter Boats to perform at their best. (illustration 8)
Or you can upgrade your mast with pair of electric planer reels. Big Jon electric reels come complete with remote switches and circuit breakers, so you can operate them from the cabin. Big Jon Electric Planer Reels are built using the same powerful sealed motor found on Big Jon downriggers. You can count on them for years of reliable performance. (illustration 9)
Plan your boat for comfort and safety. Having too much equipment, or having it located in the wrong place can hamper your ability to move around freely. Before mounting any equipment, get in your boat with your fishing buddies and discuss the best location for each piece of equipment. All equipment should be easily accessable to all fishermen.
Welcome to AllTrollingMotors.com - We are all about POWER for the serious fisherman! We focus on high quality electric, environmentally friendly motors.
While we focus on Minn Kota, we also can provide you with excellent trolling solutions like the one featured at the right.
You can click here if you know which of the many trolling motors you are interested in. We carry top of the line Minn Kota trolling motors! Otherwise, we have prepared the following information for you in order to help you choose which type of trolling motors you might want!
When looking for a motor there are several important issues that always come up. In order to cover these issues we have put together this guide. We have covered many points such as saltwater, thrust, shafts, voltage, props, batteries, mounts and more! If you have anything else you think we should include then let us know.
We have posted answers to many questions below. Feel free to send us your question too!
Should I go with a bow or transom mount motor?
Bow mount motors offer very precise control. In the wind or on a river a bow mount motor will help you the most. The drawback of a bow mount motor is that most of them are more or less permanently mounted on your bow.
Transom mount motors are more versatile and can be moved easily from boat to boat. On a small craft like a canoe or row boat they can be used as the primary source of power.
How much thrust do I need?
In general you want to have as much thrust as possible for the times when you run into wind and current. The rule of thumb in choosing thrust is to take the total weight of the loaded boat and divide it by 70. For example, if your boat with people and gear weighs a total of 3500 lbs you will then divide that by 70. That means that ideally you should have a motor with at least 50 lbs. of thrust.
Motor Thrust Total Weight
30 lbs 2100 lbs
36 lbs 2520 lbs
40 lbs 2800 lbs
42 lbs 2940 lbs
44 lbs 3080 lbs
48 lbs 3360 lbs
50 lbs 3500 lbs
55 lbs 3850 lbs
65 lbs 4550 lbs
74 lbs 5180 lbs
101 lbs 7070 lbs
What type of steering should I choose?
First of all there are several types of steering to choose from. There is hand control, foot control, remote control, and even voice activated. Yes, that's right - voice activated. Believe it or not.
What it comes down to is your preferences and style of fishing. Some like the foot control because it allows for hands free control while fishing. While pulling in a big one you can maneuver your craft if necessary. If you are a no-frills type of person then hand control might be right for you. If you aren't a talker then I don't recommend a voice activated model. Fancy features aren't for everyone.
What length of shaft do I need?
First, that depends on whether you want a transom mounted motor or a bow mounted motor. If you go with a transom mounted motor then you need to know the distance from the transom to the waterline when your boat is loaded. You want to take that distance and add at least 20 inches to it. If there isn't a shaft in that size then round up. Let's say the distance is from the transom to the waterline is 10 inches. You then add 20 inches to that and the length of shaft you want is 30 inches.
If you want a bow mounted motor then you take the length from the top of the bow (where the motor would be mounted) to the waterline when the boat is loaded. You then add 20 inches to that number and then round up to the next longest shaft if you have to. So, if the distance from the bow to the water is 15 inches then you will add 20 inches to that. You come up with 35 inches but find that there is no motor for the brand you want with a 35 inch shaft. Therefore, all you have to do is round up to the 36 inch shaft. Simple, right?
Bow to Waterline Shaft Length
0-10 inches 30 inches
11-16 inches 36 inches
17-22 inches 42 inches
23-30 inches 50 inches
31-34 inches 54 inches
Battery chargers and testers
We do recommend having a battery tester so that you know how much power is left in your battery. Many people also like to have a battery charger. Here is a Minn Kota charger and tester all in one unit!
You know, one of the nice about running two different OSes is finding that you still have active slashdot accounts cached in your browsers. Kind of gives me a hot gritsy feeling deep down in my pants.
What about running networks in a home? Is it possible in that way, in theory? Say for instance you have a failry large block of DNS to work with. Not that I do, but was just wonderring.
Call me, let me think, hmmm, this could take a while. Gosh, I don't know. How about, no that's no good. Oh I got it. Nope that's not it either. Ahh wait. handybundler.
I am amazed. All of this trolling and not a single mention of the huge mis-spelling going on the header and body of the story posted on the front page. Shame on the trolls. Lutis vs. Lutris.
What about NASA being able to incorporate space technology like flame/heat retardant shields for veihcles that are in closer contact with fires. Quite possibly NASA could even build a robotic fire fighting device that could enter the fire with out endangering it's inhabitants. I think NASA could do a little PR work here in this area and this would help build a little respect and admiration for the organisation that is so looked down upon by the general public as being a waste of tax payer money. (These negative opinions are, however, not my own. I have a high level of respect for NASA.)
that as of July the Apache based portion of the web is at 63.02%. Where microsoft did rise in number they only currently hold 20.39%. Of these numbers I would like to know what percentage of them go to major Coprorate use and which go to other usage. In other words, what companies run on what?
I think Apache will maintain it's share if want's to maintain it's share. It might be worth while to restructure a few things about the business aspects of the Open Source Community in order to remain recognized as a serious contender in web enginerring.
could some one please tell me what the hell happened to geekizoid.com over the weekend. As of Friday night I kept getting a redirect to jelerial.com or some thing. ??? WTH ??? Do you know what's happened?
In the 70's and 80's so much money was spent on stockpiling nuclear weapons that a lot of money was diverted from the space race. After a few failed missions, people and the country lost faith in NASA. Clinton's ideals are in the right palce and personally, I couldn't agree with him more.
Unfortunately Bush will most likely not see it this way. He has already stated himself as being a president with a different set of agenda to be heading in to office with. He is a near retirement age individual who is in the interest of Social Security and tax cuts for fat,rich, Republicans.
He has no concept of the world out side of arms reach, let alone thousands of miles away in space. If he actually takes money and devotes it the exploration of space, or helps propel the means for the space stations to be completed, then he gets my respect, but I seriously think that Clinton's plan will be forgotten in about a day or two.
We could spell out "Give NASA money" in lines of coke so GWB could toot up and maybe he'd remember. Ahhh, probably not.
Slashdot Mirror
HOME STURGEON SALMON & STEELHEAD REPORTS MESSAGE BOARD GUESTBOOK E-MAIL
A Complete Guide On The Effective Use Of
TROLLING SPOONS
FOR SALTWATER SALMON
(Revised)
Saltwater salmon sport fishing takes place in an ever-changing environment. Conditions vary hourly, due to tide and current fluctuations, and the angler must be prepared to make instant revisions in tackle and/or fishing methods to be successful. One proven day-in and day-out [Image of King Salmon] saltwater fishing technique is trolling and one class of lures naturally geared for baitfish-eating salmon is spoons. The combination of the two is a salmon-catching technique considered unbeatable by many anglers . . . trolling spoons.
The degree of success you'll attain by trolling spoons for Chinook or coho salmon will depend heavily on understanding the differences in habits and preferences between the two species and a knowledge of how tides and currents affect saltwater fish and fishing conditions.
Trolling with spoons is an extremely effective technique for both Chinook and coho salmon because the lures closely resemble and imitate the action of crippled baitfish which make up a large part of the diet of salmon and because a large amount of water can easily be covered in a short time.
A spoon should wobble from side to side and will produce the best all-around results when trolled at speeds between the slowest that produces a wobble and the fastest darting action which does not cause it to revolve or spin.
The following guidelines deal specifically with saltwater salmon fishing and following them will yield optimum results.
TIDES
A knowledge of tides and their effects is the #1 key to becoming a successful salmon troller. Salmon feeding activity and fishing is best during the period from one hour before, through and for one hour after a tide change.
A 24-hour tide cycle has two highs and two lows so there are at least two daylight tide change periods to fish each day which provide optimum conditions. Charting one tide period, we would have low slack (the time of change), flood (run-in), high slack (change), ebb (run out) and back to low slack.
If the tide fluctuation is minimal between high and low, say 3 to 8 feet, baitfish and salmon will be active throughout the tide cycle along rips, in eddies and many times in open water. But, the period before slack tide, during the slack and after still will provide you with top angling as salmon will feed most actively when the don't have to battle currents. You'll have about three hours of prime fishing time around each change and it's extremely important to fish these periods intensely.
Purchase a tide book for your area and become familiar with it and schedule your trips, if possible, to coincide with these change periods. Also, high tides provide the best launching and bar-crossing conditions in most bays and estuaries.
LOW LIGHT PERIODS
Although the time period around a tide change is considered best for fishing, two other times consistently produce salmon . . . the low light periods of early morning and at dusk. During times when bright sunlight is not present, baitfish and salmon often will be found within the top 30 feet of water. Combining a tide change period with one of these low light periods will produce the ABSOLUTE BEST CONDITIONS.
BIRDS/BAITFISH
Working birds are a good giveaway that baitfish are present and usually salmon. The presence of seagulls or other surface-oriented birds indicates most bait is in the top 20 feet of water. Gulls and diving birds such as cormorants, in combination usually signal baitfish from 10 to 50 feet deep. Diving birds by themselves normally mean bait is deeper than 50 feet (surprising as it may seem, cormorants commonly dive up to 100 feet) If birds are not actively working, concentrate your efforts along the clean sides of rips or foam lines where conflicting currents come together, concentrating food.
TROLL WITH THE CURRENT
Salmon, as do other fish, always face into the current so troll with it rather than against it. By trolling with the current, you will constantly be presenting your spoon to salmon from the front where it can easily be seen, rather than from behind where it can't. when current is strong, salmon also have a tendency to stay in areas where they don't have to fight it. If the fish are stationary and you're trolling against the tide and not covering new water, your chances for intercepting them are diminished. If trolling estuary areas, or in Puget Sound and the tide is running strong between changes, look for salmon off points, in back eddy areas and troll zig-zag patterns because trolling with the tide is usually just too fast to be productive in this situation.
COLOR AND DEPTH
Both coho and Chinook can be very fickle when it comes to color, displaying a fondness for one color pattern at a particular time and then changing preference completely within a few hours or on a different day. How and what a salmon sees is influenced by the amount of available light, water clarity and mood of the fish.
Colors change depending on depth. Red is filtered out of the light spectrum in about the first 30 feet, yellow and chartreuse at about 60 feet with green and blue the last to turn gray. White turns to gray at about 60 feet and black is always black, regardless of depth. Thus a deep water salmon will see mostly blues, greens and dark shapes while a salmon in shallow water will see all colors. When prospecting for salmon, run spoons having red or metallic finishes toward the surface, yellow, chartreuse or Prism-Lite® finishes at medium depths and greens and/or blue colors at the deepest level. Note: Blues and greens are effective at all depths because they imitate natural baitfish colors.
CHECK YOUR GEAR
Even if all other conditions are right, you won't catch salmon if your lure is tangled or has picked up weeds or jellyfish. Salmon, particularly big Chinook, are very wary of anything unnatural in the water. The best advice is to check your gear every 30 minutes (10 to 15 minutes if debris is present) to make sure it's clean and running right.
KNOW THE AREA
Know everything you can about the area you're going to fish BEFORE going out. Check with other anglers, baithouses, sporting goods stores, etc.
SPOON TROLLING SETUPS
Diagramed below are seven proven ways to rig a spoon for trolling. Dodgers often are used as attractors in conjunction with spoons when fish are scattered, in deep water or when faster spoon action is desired, such as when fishing for coho. Divers (diving sinkers), such as the Pink Lady®, Deep Six®, Jet Diver or Dipsy Diver® provide an easy means for getting a spoon deep and also serve as attractors due to their shape and color. The multi-directional Dipsy Diver® has [Image of Dipsy Diver] another added advantage as it can be made to troll to starboard or port by simply shifting the base plate weight. It will allow you to cover a wider swath of water to either side in addition to those flatlines and downrigger lines regularly run off the stern.
FLATLINE: With the surface or flatline technique, the spoon is tied directly, via it attachment device, to 8- to 20-lb. test main line. No additional weights are used or, at most, a small 1/8- to 1/2-oz. keel-type sinker 6 feet up the line from the spoon. The spoon is let out behind your moving boat 50 to 150 feet and the troll begun. The Jet Diver makes it particularly easy to know exactly how far out your spoon is behind the boat. It fill float until the actual troll is started, allowing you to see its position until it dives. The flatline technique is particularly effective when salmon are feeding near the surface, such as when they are chasing baitfish schools. Low light periods are usually best.
SHALLOW/MEDIUM: With the addition of a keep sinker 4 to 6 feet up the line from the spoon, shallow to medium depths can be trolled effectively. Sinker weights, depending on the depth desired, usually run from 1 to 8 ounces with main line testing from 12 to 30 pounds. As in flatlining, let out 50 to 150 feet of line behind your moving boat and begin the troll. Note: Always attach a swivel-chain-rigged keel sinker with the single swivel end to your main line and the chain end toward the spoon.
DIVERS: One effective way to get a spoon and spoon/attractor rig deep without excessive lead weights is with a diving sinker such as the Pink Lady® [Pink Lady Diver Image] or Dipsy Diver®. Standard rigging is with 4 to 6 feet of leader between spoon and diver and 10- to 30-lb. test main line to your rod. A second way of rigging a diver adds a dodger with 18- to 24-inch leader between spoon and dodger and then 48 inches of leader between dodger and diver.
DOWNRIGGERS: Spoons often are fished off a downrigger, either by themselves or in conjunction with a dodger or flasher. With a downrigger you will be able to work all depths and will have the added advantage of no weights between you and the fish once hooked. Anglers who troll spoons by themselves behind a downrigger, especially when seeking wary fish such as Chinook, often prefer 10 to 20 feet (some as much as 40 to 60 feet) between line release and spoon.
Dodgers can be used as attractors in conjunction with a spoon behind a downrigger with good results. Size 0 or 1 Jensen Dodgers are recommended. Be sure to allow at least 6 feet of line between the dodger and downrigger line release so as not to inhibit the action of the dodger. Allow 18 to 25 inches of leader between your spoon and dodger (shorter leaders produce more frantic and faster spoon action; longer ones slower action).
Flashers such as the Abe 'n Al® or Alaskan Eagle [Image of Abe N AL flasher] are yet another kind of attractor which can be used with a spoon behind a downrigger. Flashers produce a deliberate, slow roll which often is favored by species such as Chinook. Because of the rotating nature of the flasher, spoons trailed behind must have more leader than that recommended for dodgers, such as 18 to 36 inches.
COHO VS. CHINOOK
There are big differences between Chinook and coho in their feeding habits, lure action preferences and habitat.
COHO: Coho salmon generally can be found at depths less than 50 feet and commonly from the surface down to 30 feet. These are fast moving fish and they prefer spoons with a fast action as well as the increased attraction provided by a #0 or #00 dodger ahead of the spoon. They are wide-ranging and often can be found in open water, far away from structure. During low light periods, coho can be located feeding within a few feet of the surface or just along rip lines.
Specific spoons geared for medium to fast coho trolling include the Diamond King®, Tom Mack® Krocodile® and Coyote. Coho are known to strike a variety of color patterns with Chartreuse/Fishscale®, Glo/Fluorescent Green, Nickel/Neon Blue Stripe, Nickel/Neon Green Stripe, Mother of Pearl and Green/Chartreuse combinations the most popular. Basic metallic finishes of Brass, Chrome, 50/50 Brass/Chrome or Chrome/Blue also are productive. Prism-Lite® in Silver, Gold, Blue, Green or Red in combination with Chrome can be very effective.
CHINOOK: When compared with coho, Chinook prefer deeper water, larger spoons and slower action attractors. They often are caught in water from 60 to 120 feet or even deeper, especially during sunny, mid-day time periods.
There is a definite dawn bite associated with Chinook salmon and a tide change period in association with first light is an optimum fishing time. Chinook often will shy away from any unnatural object or movement in the water so longer leaders and additional line out often are the rules. Proven spoons are the Krocodile®, Tom Mack®, Slow Sam and Point Defiance®. Mother of Pearl, Chartreuse/Fire Dot, 50/50 Chartreuse/Green and Glo finishes such as Glo/Green Stripe produce Chinook strikes regularly. When fish are found in shallow-to-medium depths, metallic finishes of Chrome, Chrome/Brass, either hammered or plain and the Prism-Lite® patterns are good choices. Metallic finishes of Chrome/Neon Blue Stripe, Chrome/Neon Green Strip and Prism-Lite® in Chrome/Blue, Chrome/Green and Chrome/Chartreuse combinations can be very effective medium-to-deep water Chinook patterns.
Both dodgers and flasher can be rigged with a spoon for Chinook trolling with good results. If using a rotating flasher, such as the Abe 'n Al® or Alaskan Eagle, be sure to use a longer leader than that used for a dodger. One 18 to 30 inches will produce a slow, deliberate action from the trailing spoon . . . one frequently favored by Chinook.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
One of the easiest and least complicated things you can [image of Hook File] do to improve your fishing results is to make sure all hook points are stick-sharp. The majority of lost fish can be traced to dull hooks with prevented proper penetration into the fish's mouth. A small file such as Luhr Jensen's Sharp Hook File is the absolute best hook sharpening tool available. Hold the file parallel to the hook point and, with gentle one-way strokes, remove a small amount of metal from at least two sides of the point. This results in both a sticky-sharp point and a knife-like cutting edge.
You should always use a premium quality monofilament line such as Trilene XT which has superior knot strength, small diameter in relation to pound test and which is abrasion resistant.
Purchase a quality depth sounder, such as one of the Lowrance units, which will help in locating fish as well as prime underwater fish-holding structure which can't otherwise be detected. A paper chart recorder such as the X-15 will allow you to maintain a permanent record of structure areas and fish-holding level and will totally eliminate the guesswork.
This is one of a series of more than 20 detailed technique reports.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q.) What Is A Trolling Bobber?
A.) It is a 2.0" diameter plastic fishing bobber, with a DC motor unit attached underneath. Used for fishing from boats, docks, piers, and elsewhere.
Q.) How Does It Work?
A.) Just turn on the motor, set the rudder, and drop it in the water. Then watch it go.
Q.) How Do You Use It?
A.) Connect your fishing line to the top of the fishing bobber; hook a leader to the swivel under the motor unit. Attaching your bait to the leader.
Q.) What Type Of Bait Do I Use With It?
A.) It will pull any small bait, but the bigger the bobber you buy, the bigger the bait you can use.
Q.) Is It Safe For Children To Use?
A.) Much safer than regular fishing tactics, the Trolling Bobber does away with the need for casting. No more flying hooks ready to snag the unwary.
Q.) How Long Does Delivery Take?
A.) Usually, Delivery Takes 1 To 2 Weeks, And Are Shipped As Soon As Possible.
Q.) What Sizes Of Bobbers Can I Order?
A.) Currently, We Have Three Sizes Available:
Small Duty Bobber
Medium Duty Bobber
Heavy Duty Bobber
Q.) Is There Any Special Deals I Can Get?
A.) Currently, We Are Selling Complete Packages Which Will Have All Your Needs:
Complete Package 1: light duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
Complete Package 2: medium duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
Complete Package 3: heavy duty bobber, pole, and assembly. Ready to go and drop in the water.
"My son and I purchased a regular Trolling Bobber and its great. We thought the sound of the motor would scare the fish, but it doesn't. We are purchasing a second one, so we each have our own!"
M. Fitzgerald
"I bought the Heavy-duty Trolling Bobber and it works great. Who needs a boat anymore, the Trolling Bobber goes where ever I want it!"
C. Melton
"The Trolling Bobber works great, I no longer use anything else!"
D. Cook
"Thanks to the Trolling Bobber, there's no more slimy bait hitting you in the face when you take the kids fishing. Fishing is fun for all of us again."
M. Jacobson
"I'm surprised no one thought of it sooner, fishing has taken on a whole new meaning."
T. Fredricks
Planning Your Trolling Boat
When you rig a boat for trolling, you will want it to provide you and your fishing buddies with the most enjoyable fishing trips you could ask for. Here are some time proven trolling boat layouts.
If you fish alone in a small tiller boat, mounting the downriggers at the transom is a practical choice. You can keep everything in easy reach, eliminating the need to get up and move around the boat. (illustration 1)
If two or more people are fishing in a small tiller boat, try mounting the downriggers midship. Everybody can reach the downriggers and rods from either end of the boat. Pedestal mounts may be needed for the downriggers to clear the gunwales and swivel mounting bases will make for easier docking. (illustration 2)
On larger console style boats, a pair of Captain's Paks on swivel mounting bases are a popular arrangement. The swivel mounting base allows you to spread your lines wider when fishing and can be turned inline with the gunwales when the boat comes to dock. (illustration 3)
If your boat is large enough for a large fishing party, mount a pair of Pro Sportsmen at the transom and a pair of Captain's Paks on swivel mounting bases futher forward on the gunwales. When you use the Captain's Pak electric downriggers as sideriggers, you will quickly appreciate the locking, tip-up booms make it easy to set your lines. With this many lines in the water, your lure presentation will resemble a school of bait fish. (illustration 4)
The same kind of presentation can be achieved by installing four Captain's Paks on a removable transom bar. The whole downrigging system can be easily removed as one unit when your boat is to be used for other purposes. The transom bar is also an ideal location to mount a secondary fish finder/graph. (illustration 5)
When installing a planer rigger system, remember two important facts. First, the taller your mast is, the greater distance your planers will travel from the sides of your boat. And second, the futher forward you mount your mast, the less distance your planers will travel behind your transom. Both points effect navagation and line control. For the very best planer performance, use Big Jon's Otter boats. They are designed to produce a minimum of water resistance and out perform old fashion boards. They also will not stall in a turn. (illustration 6)
A popular method of mounting the planer mast is to use a pedestal seat mount (sold in our Parts Department). It fits Springfield seat bases, that are common on most boats. The seat mount makes the mast easily removable for storage. This base also allows you to use your planer rigger system on more than one boat. (illustration 7)
Two single reel planer mast mounted on the gunwales just behind the cabin or canopy top are popular for larger boats where the bow is not easily accessable. Mounting the planer riggers on the gunwale decks will provide the height needed for the Otter Boats to perform at their best. (illustration 8)
Or you can upgrade your mast with pair of electric planer reels. Big Jon electric reels come complete with remote switches and circuit breakers, so you can operate them from the cabin. Big Jon Electric Planer Reels are built using the same powerful sealed motor found on Big Jon downriggers. You can count on them for years of reliable performance. (illustration 9)
Plan your boat for comfort and safety. Having too much equipment, or having it located in the wrong place can hamper your ability to move around freely. Before mounting any equipment, get in your boat with your fishing buddies and discuss the best location for each piece of equipment. All equipment should be easily accessable to all fishermen.
Welcome to AllTrollingMotors.com - We are all about POWER for the serious fisherman! We focus on high quality electric, environmentally friendly motors.
While we focus on Minn Kota, we also can provide you with excellent trolling solutions like the one featured at the right.
You can click here if you know which of the many trolling motors you are interested in. We carry top of the line Minn Kota trolling motors! Otherwise, we have prepared the following information for you in order to help you choose which type of trolling motors you might want!
When looking for a motor there are several important issues that always come up. In order to cover these issues we have put together this guide. We have covered many points such as saltwater, thrust, shafts, voltage, props, batteries, mounts and more! If you have anything else you think we should include then let us know.
We have posted answers to many questions below. Feel free to send us your question too!
Should I go with a bow or transom mount motor?
Bow mount motors offer very precise control. In the wind or on a river a bow mount motor will help you the most. The drawback of a bow mount motor is that most of them are more or less permanently mounted on your bow.
Transom mount motors are more versatile and can be moved easily from boat to boat. On a small craft like a canoe or row boat they can be used as the primary source of power.
How much thrust do I need?
In general you want to have as much thrust as possible for the times when you run into wind and current. The rule of thumb in choosing thrust is to take the total weight of the loaded boat and divide it by 70. For example, if your boat with people and gear weighs a total of 3500 lbs you will then divide that by 70. That means that ideally you should have a motor with at least 50 lbs. of thrust.
Motor Thrust Total Weight
30 lbs 2100 lbs
36 lbs 2520 lbs
40 lbs 2800 lbs
42 lbs 2940 lbs
44 lbs 3080 lbs
48 lbs 3360 lbs
50 lbs 3500 lbs
55 lbs 3850 lbs
65 lbs 4550 lbs
74 lbs 5180 lbs
101 lbs 7070 lbs
What type of steering should I choose?
First of all there are several types of steering to choose from. There is hand control, foot control, remote control, and even voice activated. Yes, that's right - voice activated. Believe it or not.
What it comes down to is your preferences and style of fishing. Some like the foot control because it allows for hands free control while fishing. While pulling in a big one you can maneuver your craft if necessary. If you are a no-frills type of person then hand control might be right for you. If you aren't a talker then I don't recommend a voice activated model. Fancy features aren't for everyone.
What length of shaft do I need?
First, that depends on whether you want a transom mounted motor or a bow mounted motor. If you go with a transom mounted motor then you need to know the distance from the transom to the waterline when your boat is loaded. You want to take that distance and add at least 20 inches to it. If there isn't a shaft in that size then round up. Let's say the distance is from the transom to the waterline is 10 inches. You then add 20 inches to that and the length of shaft you want is 30 inches.
If you want a bow mounted motor then you take the length from the top of the bow (where the motor would be mounted) to the waterline when the boat is loaded. You then add 20 inches to that number and then round up to the next longest shaft if you have to. So, if the distance from the bow to the water is 15 inches then you will add 20 inches to that. You come up with 35 inches but find that there is no motor for the brand you want with a 35 inch shaft. Therefore, all you have to do is round up to the 36 inch shaft. Simple, right?
Bow to Waterline Shaft Length
0-10 inches 30 inches
11-16 inches 36 inches
17-22 inches 42 inches
23-30 inches 50 inches
31-34 inches 54 inches
Battery chargers and testers
We do recommend having a battery tester so that you know how much power is left in your battery. Many people also like to have a battery charger. Here is a Minn Kota charger and tester all in one unit!
You know, one of the nice about running two different OSes is finding that you still have active slashdot accounts cached in your browsers. Kind of gives me a hot gritsy feeling deep down in my pants.
What about running networks in a home? Is it possible in that way, in theory? Say for instance you have a failry large block of DNS to work with. Not that I do, but was just wonderring.
For real yo?!
There was no GPL attached to it.As far as I know it's not proprietary.
I heard some thing about Troll Tuesday at this site. Is this true? Do people really do that sort of thing?
Call me, let me think, hmmm, this could take a while. Gosh, I don't know. How about, no that's no good. Oh I got it. Nope that's not it either. Ahh wait. handybundler.
Vlad decided Slash 2.0 is poo
Looks like the Old Way will be new
So trolls dust off your penisbirds
And don your witty caps
Because in a few short days
Geekizoid will be back.
I am amazed. All of this trolling and not a single mention of the huge mis-spelling going on the header and body of the story posted on the front page. Shame on the trolls. Lutis vs. Lutris.
Ahhh, it's you again with that thing you built for yourself and your using Slashdot as your propegation playground. Sickening.
"Daddy, if you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?" "Nah, bitch, you'd have a dick in yo' mouth!"
poke. Like it or not.
AC modded to +1? That's retarded.
Your comment has too few words per line (currently 5.75).
Love,
~\/~
Penis_Goat_Guy
What about NASA being able to incorporate space technology like flame/heat retardant shields for veihcles that are in closer contact with fires. Quite possibly NASA could even build a robotic fire fighting device that could enter the fire with out endangering it's inhabitants. I think NASA could do a little PR work here in this area and this would help build a little respect and admiration for the organisation that is so looked down upon by the general public as being a waste of tax payer money. (These negative opinions are, however, not my own. I have a high level of respect for NASA.)
Elect RMS, even more sexy with HIS beard. Plus, it's big enough so you can hide things in it.
that as of July the Apache based portion of the web is at 63.02%. Where microsoft did rise in number they only currently hold 20.39%. Of these numbers I would like to know what percentage of them go to major Coprorate use and which go to other usage. In other words, what companies run on what?
I think Apache will maintain it's share if want's to maintain it's share. It might be worth while to restructure a few things about the business aspects of the Open Source Community in order to remain recognized as a serious contender in web enginerring.
I'd hate to see a good thing go bad.
eh? any one?
could some one please tell me what the hell happened to geekizoid.com over the weekend. As of Friday night I kept getting a redirect to jelerial.com or some thing. ??? WTH ??? Do you know what's happened?
playing their banjos?
Don't like being mugged, carry a brick wall around with you. Innefficient, but effective.
In the 70's and 80's so much money was spent on stockpiling nuclear weapons that a lot of money was diverted from the space race. After a few failed missions, people and the country lost faith in NASA. Clinton's ideals are in the right palce and personally, I couldn't agree with him more.
Unfortunately Bush will most likely not see it this way. He has already stated himself as being a president with a different set of agenda to be heading in to office with. He is a near retirement age individual who is in the interest of Social Security and tax cuts for fat,rich, Republicans. He has no concept of the world out side of arms reach, let alone thousands of miles away in space. If he actually takes money and devotes it the exploration of space, or helps propel the means for the space stations to be completed, then he gets my respect, but I seriously think that Clinton's plan will be forgotten in about a day or two.
We could spell out "Give NASA money" in lines of coke so GWB could toot up and maybe he'd remember. Ahhh, probably not.