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Location: North Metro, MN | Over the last couple years I've noticed that now I usually just keep the trolling motor on and adjust my speed as needed for wind and staying spot on. I'm the only one out of my Musky fishin pals I know that does this and most think that I'd be spooking those boat side follows. Seems I get better boat control in many situations and there are times that's the way to go.
Actually seems I've caught more on the 8 and initial L turn than I used to... maybe I've just ran into more aggressive ones or stepped up the triggering em game haha. Even had em smash it literally only a foot away from the prop. I do try to keep my bait away from it or even slow it way down when there's one there. Also quick to try n shut it off once I hook one. Just wanted to see some other experiences and thoughts on this. |
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Posts: 454
| I always run mine manually and typically take my foot off the pedal when I am approaching the boat with my lure. I have wondered the same thing. Some feel that the on and off continuously does more to "spook" fish than keeping it on at all times. I personally think I get better boat control and can work spots better when I use it sporadically vs. continuously. |
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Posts: 63
Location: Minnesota | For me it depends on the situation. If i'm moving fast with bucktails, or there is medium to little wind i'll keep it on continuous. However, if I plan on picking a specific spot apart i'll keep it on momentary so I can line up every cast. On extremely windy days I drift with the wind and use my trolling motor for position correction if possible. |
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| I've never noticed a difference between catch rates in boats run in both ways. I run mine on constant and only turn it off once a fish is hooked. I believe if it's on, leave it on. Off, leave it off. |
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Posts: 258
Location: Mayville, WI | I leave it on & adjust the speed for wind/drift to get good control, but turn off when fighting a fish. Have a buddy who's a hardcore bass fisherman & I let him take the controls one day & he was a on/off type guy in windy weather & it drove me nuts how terrible his boat control was. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Mines always on, when the fish hits the net or a buddy is with we hit spotlock as soon as possible and it runs untill fish is released then we go on our way down the rest of the run without missing anything.... |
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Posts: 1168
| If my memory isn't too foggy I recall this sort of thing being addressed in a MHM article focused on the tracking study that Jordan Weeks did a few years back.
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | I am just back from a fishing trip. I got a new TM with the ipilot so I was enjoying marking some spots and making routes to follow. (Man that makes fishing a bit easier, but that is another story) I was in the bow right next to the TM and caught 3 fish on figure 8's with the motor going each time. I think in most situations it doesn't matter. I did, however, turn it off when the water was very still and I was in skinny water. |
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| Depends if I have a sucker out or not... |
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Posts: 44
| Used to spoon plug years ago (Buck Perry method)
Speed up on the outside turns
Slow it down on the inside turns.
Otherwise pretty constant depending on the wind |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I dissect the water way too thoroughly to run on constant on, and can't control the boat correctly positioning it for everyone else on constant on. |
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Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Caught a fish with 30ft of line out while trolling at 4mph with the stereo up pretty loud, a few days ago. I believe there's as much reason to think that noise from an engine, trolling motor or stereo actually attracts muskies versus scaring them off. |
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Location: sneaking out to get on the water ;-) | Mine is on the majority of the time. Certain bodies of water do have their ticks though. I think you catch more on the 8 with it on because if it were off you would have drifted off or.over them too quickly. But there are a few times I run it manually. Boat control I feel is more important than a lil noise. Just my opinion. |
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| wicked - 10/2/2013 9:57 AM
I think you catch more on the 8 with it on because if it were off you would have drifted off or.over them too quickly. .
I'd argue the opposite being true, especially fishing into the wind/current, as I frequently do. |
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Posts: 1760
Location: new richmond, wi. & isle, mn | I've always felt I'm missing too many casts leaving it on constant. The only time I leave it on is when I'm "flock shooting" areas between spots or fishing huge flats. |
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Location: sneaking out to get on the water ;-) | strawberry - 10/2/2013 7:33 PM
wicked - 10/2/2013 9:57 AM
I think you catch more on the 8 with it on because if it were off you would have drifted off or.over them too quickly. .
I'd argue the opposite being true, especially fishing into the wind/current, as I frtequently do.
I also now fish into the wind but use constant on a low setting. It is just my opinion but for me my numbers have gone way up. I've caught a third or better of my fish in the 8 and all were with trolling motor on.  |
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Posts: 1220
| I think that stop-and-go operation tends to occur at higher RPM's than constant on operations, creating more of a disturbance than what you are trying to avoid. Mine's on most of the time! |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | Run it whichever way allows you the most boat control. |
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Posts: 2068
| I do both but pulse 80% of the time....always running your trolling motor in many situations is a poor idea_ IMO . I camp on good spots a lot...pulse let the wind drift me back, then come in with a slightly different angle drift back off...I might do this 10 times on some spots - even in clear water! - Unbeliveable how many times Ive caught quality fish refishing good spots! If the wind is strong I'll drift but pulse the boat in "reverse" so Im still picking spots apart . - I don't fish a spot unless I think I'm going to catch one there - On the rare day fish are going crazy ..ya ill fire up the trolling motor and cover ground but with the pressure that has increased the last 10 years, how often are they going crazy? I most often slow way down and present my baits from multiple angles... tirelessly slow, might take me an hour to fish 40 yards of weedline.. often hitting the same spot 3-4 times in an 8 hr period. Even on big water - works for me, Its a rare day when I don't catch at least one. Muskies are pretty predictable creatures. |
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Trolling motorin: constant speed vs. short bursts