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Posts: 7049
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Got a little nutso on Saturday after calling off fishing plans, but ended up heading out for a 3 hour run on the chain. Dropped the trolling motor, and nothing (foot pedal needed a new battery) so it was another trolling day. Winds were blowing pretty good and it was just me running three lines, so I decided to play around with some really shallow water trolling. Though I didn't even get a rip, it was cool running some big bladed spinnerbaits either short-lined or tight behind boards, keeping them clean while running in 4-5' of water (weeds are still a foot to two under the surface). Also had a 6" HR shaker running straight back behind the boat about a 3/4 of a cast length back, which stayed (mostly) free of weeds.
Just wondering, what are some other options you guys use to keep baits clean from weeds or off the bottom/rock when you're running in shallow water (under 8-10')? |
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Posts: 2024
| The only thing I've seen done to keep weeds off baits speed trolled over shallow weeds was to attach a treble (with the points clipped off) to the swivel of the leader. Appeared to work pretty well, though I didn't spend much time with the set-up (I will this summer, however...). |
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Posts: 692
Location: Pelican Rapids, MN | I like to contact the weed's as much of a pain as it is, it can be a huge factor in a looker vs a striker. I also have short lined with good success. I really like Wiley's 6 inch bait and jerkbaits.
Like I said, I have much better luck with checking and pulling weeds constantly rather than avoiding them. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | I don't know if you own a Rad Dog? It is great trolling spinnerbait for shallow water. Like Jerry said , It will allow you to make contact with weeds but it usually doe not get hung up. |
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Posts: 311
Location: Ontario | Legend OutKast is another bait that runs real high, maybe a bit shallower than a jntd Believer on the shallow eye. Most of the time in water that shallow we're able to check baits by just pulling them out of the holder, lifting the rod tip and looking at them once they've tracked to the surface, that's how close to the boat they are. Spinnerbait is the best of the best to hit weeds and stay clean, for sure. They're easy to track up and check and easy to rip clean without taking them out of the water. Nothing wrong with a trolled inline spinner, either. Big blades like 13's and 16's really blow weeds away from the lure. Even with trebles they run pretty trouble-free. I'd love to see the results if all the guys who cast Cowgirls all season gave them the same water-time trolled. Coontail's the toughest weed to fish for me, it gobs onto tackle pretty easily, you can get away with more in the cabbage weeds. Super Shad Rap's another good shortlining bait in heavy weeds, only two trebles, tight action, very bouyant. |
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| big boards. we run baits hi. to help avoid weeds we use a 5ft leader. on the leader a piece of weedwacker line. start with a 6 inch piece. tie a knot. in the middle opening put your leader snap. then attach leader. this stops weeds from following down to the lure. the tag ends on each side of the weedwacker line dispels weeds away.. on shallow cranks like shad raps, woodies try 40ft on the planer boards. this is a deadly approach for early big girls. |
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Posts: 18
| Hi Slamr!
I like shallow trolling also. I make my own leaders of 125 single strand. I use split rings, no snaps and instead of clipping the tag at the upper end close to the shaft wire, I leave about an inch stick out and bend it up slightly. Works great to catch weeds and with no snap, there's almost nothingn to catch them below except the lure. |
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Posts: 17
Location: NW PA/Allegheny River | I run a large 3-way to connect my main line to my 5ft. trolling leader with rodtips in the water. Plus, I leave a 1-inch tag on my flouro-leader just to be sure. Using the oversized 3-way also allows you to snap on a lead ball for different applications. Works well for me.
Edited by PAmusky 5/11/2009 8:10 AM
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Jsondag - 5/10/2009 10:26 PM
I like to contact the weed's as much of a pain as it is, it can be a huge factor in a looker vs a striker. I also have short lined with good success. I really like Wiley's 6 inch bait and jerkbaits.
Like I said, I have much better luck with checking and pulling weeds constantly rather than avoiding them.
Very clever! I like it. thanks for sharing!! |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | I agree with JS. It's a pain, but if you're not constently pulling weeds off of your baits, you're probably missing out on some fish. The nice thing about short lines is that it takes 2 seconds to pull a bait, clean it, and get it back out there.
Make sure you're constantly checking them though because if you get lazy, you won't need to wonder why you're not getting bit. |
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Posts: 96
| Hmm, never gone that short off the side...maybe 10-15' behind in the prop wash. I bet that is very cool to see when you have a ski chasing your bait in plain view. Intersting thread - thanks! |
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Posts: 90
Location: Ohio | Pretty good ideas, we just put the Rod tips in the water and go but some of these ideas seem interesting enough to try out. |
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Posts: 208
Location: North East PA , 20 mins from Chautauqua | I normally run wiley headshakers ,5 inch Tuff Shads or muskellunches for shallow water trolling runs . I will run baits on short lines with just the three foot leader out and two feet of the leader is out of the water . theres not much keeping the bait in the water other than the diving lip . Put it this way if I'm checking baits on one side of the boat the baits on the oppisite side sometimes raise out of the water . It's a little hard to belive you'll put these baits out and say to yourself theres no fricken way this is going to work and then you catch a couple doing this and your hooked on it . My line counter reels don't see more than 13 foot of line out all summer long and thats just so I can run down the weed edge a little deeper . when your looking at a half mile of millfoil weedbed with 10 inches of water on top of the weeds to play with your going to have fun with this . theres no better way to cover water . it's almost like putting on a deer drive . you kick them out of the brush with the boat and there looking to eat the first thing they see and thats your bait ! I would suggest running mono and a fairly loose drag on your trolling rods your going to want a little stretch when your going 4 to 5 mph and only have a foot of line out . somethings got to give , let it rip !
THE FERD |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Is there anyone has a good video clip of this? I struggling to understand how 5ft of line will actually catch fish... It just sounds so dang crazy... |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Has anyone tried running a prop style top water with boards? I really want to try this sometime this year. I think you could really cover a lot of shallow weedy water doing this. I would suspect the only issue might be these baits would probably require a slower speed than the other baits on your lines? I think just getting one blowup on a topraider or pacemaker this way would be really cool. |
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Posts: 17
Location: NW PA/Allegheny River | The Ferd knows what he is talking about......just trust him on this and start doing it.  |
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Posts: 480
| One thing we like to do is tilt the motor up and create more prop wash on the surface. It's a little noiser and people look at us kinda funny but it helps scare them out to the weed bed as gets them moving. Trueglide Joel made me a spinnerbait for shortline shallow water trolling, they rock. |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | MuskieMedic - 5/18/2009 12:44 PM
Has anyone tried running a prop style top water with boards? I really want to try this sometime this year. I think you could really cover a lot of shallow weedy water doing this. I would suspect the only issue might be these baits would probably require a slower speed than the other baits on your lines? I think just getting one blowup on a topraider or pacemaker this way would be really cool.
We've messed with topwater board trolling several times, especially on lakes where they continually try to eat the boards. Had some awesome blowups on Pacemakers doing this. One problem I've encountered is if the bait contacts as little as one blade of grass, it can foul the prop. Most times on outside boards, it's tough to see the lure well enough to know it's fouled. Now if I'm rowing a shoreline or think the fish are real high in the column, I'll run a shallow crankbait like a Slammer and clip the board right above the leader (about 30" from the lure). That way it's basically running inches below the surface, shallow enough to create a wake. My hookups are way better doing this vs. a topwater and you still get some pretty cool strikes. Not quite as cool as running a true topwater, though!
JS |
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Posts: 463
Location: Sw Pennsylvania | dtaijo174 - 5/18/2009 12:13 PM
Is there anyone has a good video clip of this? I struggling to understand how 5ft of line will actually catch fish... It just sounds so dang crazy...
Check out gregg thomas new video.. Spring Muskie techniques...he shows great trolling set ups and how to troll 8 rods by yourself... One of the better videos i've seen |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | Gregg's new video is very good, would be a great view for someone looking to pick up on some short-line trolling techniques.
JS |
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Posts: 18
| Like I said, I like short line trolling! Prefishing for the Petenwell Tournament last Friday on the Wisconsin River, I got my personal best, trolling short line (12 feet). 49 inches and about 30 # on a shark. Fat feisty fish! Wild time in the boat for a while!
It would have won the tournament but it was worth it! Thanks to Larry Manning, my partner for the great net job and handling the fish! Quick, successful release. |
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Posts: 531
Location: Hugo, MN | I never realized firsthand the effectiveness of short line trolling until a trip to Minaki years ago. My wife and I were doing some trolling along a fairly large weed patch with 8-10' cabbage. I put on a Rad Dog and she ran a Grinder. As we made the inside turn I snagged a chunk of cabbage on my bait and fouled up the blades. I didn't want to reel all the way in so I left six feet or so out and gave it a few rips. Just as the blades started to spin again I had about a 38" fish come up right next to me and take a swipe. It really caught me by surprise at first, but kind of made sense too. Since then when I troll really weedy stuff, and there's plenty of that around the Metro area, I'll usually troll a spinnerbait or Shallow Invader with no more than 15-20 feet out. When you're trolling milfoil the last thing you want is your bait sinking as you slow down around inside turns. With short line trolling the baits can't sink or dive very far, and maybe more importantly it allows you to present the baits EXACTLY where you want them. With thick weed patches I find the fish will hide out right next to them, and only come charging out if the bait comes close enough. They'll also hold their ground until you're right on top of them. If you're fishing with beginners, especially kids, this is a great way to introduce them to trolling as there is a visual aspect to it. I find it's a nice compromise between casting and trolling, where you don't miss out on the excitement of the strike. |
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Posts: 81
Location: NEW | You can also attach a treble hook to a line release and clip it any where on your line that you want. |
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Posts: 33
Location: NE Ohio | Awesome thread guys..... I was just running a shallow raider off a planer up tight to shore last weekend... I only had the 3ft fluro leader dangling from the planer.... I thought maybe I had lost my mind.. but after reading this... i will continue to do it, especially after the weeds pop. |
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Posts: 4266
| I love the Weed Whacker line idea. Like a flying V in front of your lure. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Jason, that was my thoughts exactly where fish liking hitting boards. Thanks for you insight with this tactic. |
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Posts: 86
| I run a 300 pound ball bearing swivel on my leader, and keep my rod tip just under water. This helps keep trash off the lure. The bigger size swivel will catch alot of junk and the bait will still run just fine.
Theres lots of good shallow running baits. SS shads, straight 6 inch stalkers, super stalkers, shallow invaders, your choice of shallow twitch baits, dont forget the big size bomber's, cordell redfins, and magnum rapala's, these get overloked, but they do catch fish. |
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| beaver i have been using weedwacker line for 15 years now. it really works and most guys have yard duty aka weedwackers |
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Posts: 1289
Location: WI | MuskieMedic - 5/18/2009 12:44 PM
Has anyone tried running a prop style top water with boards? I really want to try this sometime this year. I think you could really cover a lot of shallow weedy water doing this. I would suspect the only issue might be these baits would probably require a slower speed than the other baits on your lines? I think just getting one blowup on a topraider or pacemaker this way would be really cool.
I started trying this out last summer. In my experience the boards will catch most of the (floating) weeds and the lure (large plastic Pacemaker) will keep running. Using a Pacemaker helps, as you'll know when it's fouled because it will stop clicking.
I have yet to catch one doing this, but I don't see how it won't work! |
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Shallow Water Trolling