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Posts: 6
| What do you think the best strategy for trolling where you're allowed multiple lines, running multiple baits at the same depth but a differant distance back or run them at differant depths but keep roughly the same amount of line out?
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Posts: 1824
| In Minnesota we can only run one line but if we could run two I think i'd run one 1/2 way down the colume and the other up high. I don't know if that would work but thats the route I would start with. I think running a "S" pattern would also bo important. I dunno. |
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Posts: 74
| I like to run a deeper diver on a shorter line then a shallower on a longer. Helps avoid tangle. |
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| If you can find it, a few years ago, Musky Hunter TV show did a trolling show, explaining how they set the rods, etc. Think they were running six rods at a time, including down rods off the transom, with very short lines. Saric did a good job of explaining the set up. |
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Posts: 6
| Found it. From 3 years ago. Called Early Season Trolling Stratagies. It was very helpful. Thank you. |
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Posts: 176
Location: Alexandria, MN | I guess it depends on where you're targeting... open water basin? Shallower flats? Contour trolling an edge? For basin trolling, I would definitely start out running different depths. Always have at least one bait shallow. Watch your electronics and see where the bait is. I usually try to run baits in or slightly above where I am seeing most of the baitfish. If you get bit, target that depth more. Let the fish tell you what they want. For trolling shallower or contours, it's never a bad idea to have one bait in the prop wash - maybe 15-30 feet back. I didn't believe it worked until I experienced it. |
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| phselect - 3/18/2026 6:05 AM
I guess it depends on where you're targeting... open water basin? Shallower flats? Contour trolling an edge? For basin trolling, I would definitely start out running different depths. Always have at least one bait shallow. Watch your electronics and see where the bait is. I usually try to run baits in or slightly above where I am seeing most of the baitfish. If you get bit, target that depth more. Let the fish tell you what they want. For trolling shallower or contours, it's never a bad idea to have one bait in the prop wash - maybe 15-30 feet back. I didn't believe it worked until I experienced it.
When motor trolling was again allowed in Northern WI about ten years ago, my nephew suggested I could troll the shallow river that leaves the lake I live on by prop wash trolling, with maybe 10 feet of line. And it worked. After releasing the first fish, I thought of all the times many years ago when I rowed the boat for my uncle at his cabin in the Harrison Hills. Any noise was forbidden, scare the fish. And here was a 40" fish eating right behind a running outboard. |
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Posts: 231
Location: Rochester, New York |
The further back the rod holder the further back i would run the line
From what i also understand while pike tend to be closer to the bottom muskies and tigers will be higher in the water column so i would suggest when starting trying to get lures in the middle of the water column at first and then go from there and change based on what you see
North of 8 - 3/18/2026 8:47 AM
phselect - 3/18/2026 6:05 AM
I guess it depends on where you're targeting... open water basin? Shallower flats? Contour trolling an edge? For basin trolling, I would definitely start out running different depths. Always have at least one bait shallow. Watch your electronics and see where the bait is. I usually try to run baits in or slightly above where I am seeing most of the baitfish. If you get bit, target that depth more. Let the fish tell you what they want. For trolling shallower or contours, it's never a bad idea to have one bait in the prop wash - maybe 15-30 feet back. I didn't believe it worked until I experienced it.
When motor trolling was again allowed in Northern WI about ten years ago, my nephew suggested I could troll the shallow river that leaves the lake I live on by prop wash trolling, with maybe 10 feet of line. And it worked. After releasing the first fish, I thought of all the times many years ago when I rowed the boat for my uncle at his cabin in the Harrison Hills. Any noise was forbidden, scare the fish. And here was a 40" fish eating right behind a running outboard.
If i remember correctly from what i had a friend tell me the prop wash trick works because the prop wash would stun bait fish and leave behind an easy meal.
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| Steve Heiting subscribes to the stunned baitfish theory. At a seminar he said when he was guiding, clients would get mad when a pontoon or pleasure boat would zip past while they were casting. He would tell his clients to immediately cast into the wake of the passing boat and said that often resulted in a strike. |
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Posts: 3925
| Predators stalk where they know prey will be disoriented, consider Red Tail Hawks and other raptors that hunt highways. My Golden Retriever used to walk back and forth chasing shiners and soon a school of wee small bass learned to follow HIM to pick off minnows. Really quite remarkable, but for sure those 4" bass chased the dog, right under his butt, too.
In addition to the great ideas above, if you're fishing alone two lines out is the most to reasonably manage. If you're running a drop off, set a rod with a floating crank on the deep side and hold a rod doing pull/stall with another floating crank on the shallow side. You want two floaters because when you get hung up on one side or the other, and have to seriously slow or stop, the unhung bait will drift up to the surface as opposed to sinking down into another mess you have to clear. Two lines out means you have one bait running steady and the other with whatever cadence you do.
If you're trying to troll next to a weed line that quickly drops to deeper water a great choice is to hold a rod rigged with a big spinnerbait, like a Raddog, and get all bold. Run tight against the drop off and rip the bait out when it hits weeds. That spot on a spot, the shade under weeds on the edge of a drop off, is golden. Have faith that the fish will be there and that you will be the guy who makes her move by sticking a bait right in her face. Plus, by running the line over and over you'll learn the location of structure not on the map, especially points. Those are also golden, spots on spots on spots saved for casting when conditions are juuuust right. (Don't ever camp on spots on spots on spots because other smart bears watch where you get your honey.)
There're some more ideas, hope helpful.
Edited by Ranger 3/18/2026 4:18 PM
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Posts: 365
Location: Vilas County, WI | As I've gotten older, I find myself trolling more. Even if it's just an hour or two for a break from standing and casting. I've had some success and now I have one buddy that if he's in the boat, he insists on trolling.
All of the above are good tips. Propwash definitely works, no secret there. And when the rod gets smoked with 10 feet of line out it's a fire drill! There are apps and books out there that will give you dive charts for certain baits - X amount of line out = Y depth in the water column. Stagger your baits until you find active fish.
Remember that many store-bought cranks will need to be tuned. It's frustrating to throw a new bait out there, only to have it wash out and run sideways. Changing the hooks out (heavier or lighter) can also affect how the bait runs.
Where allowed, my preference is to run 4 lines. I usually troll contours, breaks, or weed edges so I need the ability to turn sharper. I can do that with 4 lines; 6 gets challenging. |
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