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| Something I want to do this season is troll top water baits. In particular on the river that connects the small lake I live on to the next lake in the change. The river is quite shallow. I have had some success trolling in the river with shallow running baits, right in the prop wash. But I think if I could run a top water right off the weed edge, further back from the boat that might pull some fish out of the heavy cover.
For those who troll top water, what kind of speeds do you use? |
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Posts: 1459
Location: Brighton CO. | Years ago we went on a Pike/Walleye/Lake Trout trip to Northern Saskatchewan and we caught Pike trolling Baby Hawg Wobblers way back from the boat and slow. It started by mistake, the fellow fishing with me got a back lash and the wind was whipping and as he tried to get the backlash out the lure was quite a ways behind the boat and he had a fish blow up on his lure. Not long after that the wind laid down and fishing died so we stated to troll our Baby Hawg Wobblers and got hit. WE do this time to time but with lure way back. |
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Posts: 1281
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Speed depends on the lure used. With lure in water, adjust speed to get the desired noise/action with the lure being used. |
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| ghoti - 3/8/2025 3:16 PM
Speed depends on the lure used. With lure in water, adjust speed to get the desired noise/action with the lure being used.
Thanks. I did try one time with a Nite Walker, a top water I have had luck with and found it was kind of finicky as to speed, not too slow, not too fast and being a little smaller hard to tell immediately how it was running. |
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Posts: 2288
Location: SE, WI. | Every lure trolls better with different speeds. Find 2 that are compatible. Like hog wobblers and creeper. They run good together at slow speeds. Usually with trolling motor, not big motor. or a globe, and a Headbanger I build where you can do a bit more speed with. If your going to troll subsurface, with a surface, they need to run true at same speeds! That nightwalker never performed well for me. The thing rolled over, and half the time the middle treble was out of water ;( JD |
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| Thanks JD. Being in Northern WI, I am limited to one line, so I will have to try different lures one at a time. Reason I started with the Nite Walker was that a few years ago, while casting from a kayak, decided to switch locations and tossed that lure behind me, with rod in a holder. Went about 200 yards and got bit. After pulling in me in a circle, the fish got off (never set the hook), but it did run well behind the kayak. Not so much behind the boat. Should be fun experimenting.
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Posts: 2288
Location: SE, WI. | QUOTE]North of 8 - 3/11/2025 7:42 AM Thanks JD. Being in Northern WI, I am limited to one line, so I will have to try different lures one at a time. Reason I started with the Nite Walker was that a few years ago, while casting from a kayak, decided to switch locations and tossed that lure behind me, with rod in a holder. Went about 200 yards and got bit. After pulling in me in a circle, the fish got off (never set the hook), but it did run well behind the kayak. Not so much behind the boat. Should be fun experimenting. There is no setting the hook while trolling. When fish hits you keep trolling. In my boat, it’s about a slow 5 second rule  before pulling rod from holder! Then possibly take motor out of forward. All depends on conditions and wind! Your drags need to slip after strike! Tom Gelb was in our Muskie Inc chapter . Back in the 80’s, Remember him telling me, he would take 5-6 hard rows with the oars before pulling rod. I’m guessing it was pushing 10-12 seconds before he grabbed the rod! JD |
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| JD, when I am motor trolling, that is my approach also. But, dragging a lure behind a kayak is quite different. The kayak has very little mass, so when you stop paddling it immediately slows down and does not put much if any pressure on the fish. Very different than when I hook a fish in my 18' Pro V. There, I don't have set the hook. Forward momentum takes care of that. |
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Posts: 2348
Location: Chisholm, MN | I've heard a few people talk about trolling topwater. I don't see the point. Since you're likely fishing shallow and not covering a lot of water anyway, why not just cast them? They're easy to cast and fun to watch fish follow and blow up on them. |
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| Kirby Budrow - 3/13/2025 7:37 AM
I've heard a few people talk about trolling topwater. I don't see the point. Since you're likely fishing shallow and not covering a lot of water anyway, why not just cast them? They're easy to cast and fun to watch fish follow and blow up on them.
Where I am looking at doing this is a stretch of river between lakes, it is shallow and very weedy. I do cast there as well but there is a fair amount of boat traffic which makes it difficult to stay on a spot, although most are considerate. My thought was to cast the upper lake, troll the river and then cast in the two lakes at the end of the river.
Kind of break from casting. I will be 74 when season starts and while I stay in shape and can cast for a long time, a break is nice. |
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