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| I know this isn't a new technique, but I just don't hear of it TOO often. Gotta few questions:
Do you feel a regular jerkbait rod is best, or is there better?
What baits do you feel are best for this application? (any specific action you give these baits, ex: 2ft pulls)
In what situations would you use these tactics? (besides the one where you're too lazy and tired to cast)
Any specific structure you try to cover?
Thanks,
MJB
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| MJB_04,
First off you don't get rest while trolling jerk baits!
Trolling jerk baits is a lot of work, you have to put the action in the lure. I use suicks all the time, I cast them out behind the boat and let them drift out about 100' or so (long line). You make short tugs on the rod while moving at about 3-4 miles an hour, this will make the bait dive and pause for a second, remember you are moving. You can use diferent tugs or jerks, keep changing up (ie. two short pulls and a pause, jerk and pause, jerk and pause, you get the idea). Don't get stuck doing the same thing over and over, change up your presentation. Remember hold on tight, when a big fish hit's a moving bait while your holding on to the rod, it's like hooking a tree (sometimes where I fish, it is a tree), almost breaking your arm.
You'll find out for yourself after trying this technique that it does work, as long as you don't get lazy. "YOU HAVE TO PUT THE ACTION INTO THE LURE", there's no eating a sandwich while trolling jerks, save that for the crank baits and the rod holder.
As far as rods, I use my 6'9" St. Croix for all jerk bait trolling.
Troll your weed edges and breaks, don't be afraid to get right up on the sructure!
Give it a try and I'm sure you will be hooked, try other jerks as well, just make sure you toss them over the side while your going at the desired speed to check the action, some will go deeper than others.
Good luck! |
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| Try trolling a Burt ;-) |
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| I tried trolling bobbie baits and gliders. Some of my handmade gliders swing slowly from left to right in a glidepath of 50-70cm and if you don't go too fast, it keeps below the surface. I will experiment this summer with a faster sinking version of my jointed glider to see if I can keep it down.
I heard great things from people trolling squirrely burts (no taps or pulls, just troll it like a crankbait) and weighted burts. Suicks tend to move head-up to the surface if the tail isn't positioned correctly. I think the head is too narrow to make it dive, that opposed to the bobbie bait which has a sort of angled head whch allows it to dive, even without the tail. Try weighting the suick and the bobbie to get them down to 3-4m.
Another jerk that is easy to troll is the moore's exciter. Fish these with sharp forward pulls and mùove the rod backwards to allow the jerkbait to float up a little before pulling again. Try to mix up the retrieve as said in one of the above posts.
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| Some of the guys here in Ohio troll the Sledge jerkbaits FAST!!! They do pretty well, although it hasn't worked for me. They do look good though.
Jim |
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| When trolling jerkbaits I normaly drag 8in. reef hogs or 8in. sledge between 3 and 3.5 mph. 10 to 30 feet behind the boat. As far as rods 7ft heavy action 80 lb line and 30 in 7 strand leaders
Dave Jackley |
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| yup, trolling sledges works, i hooked and lost at boatside a nice 40 incher last fall using this method. also caught a 29 lb striped bass trolling a sledge. |
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| I troll 10 ich Reef Hawgs, they have better action than the eight inch model. They have a wide swing. I use them in combination with spinnerbaits. If I have three or four anglers in the boat I put the Hawgs out on planer boards.
It's best to put action on the baits by working the rod while trolling. When on the boards I just put the rod in a holder and they still catch fish.
Good luck, Murph |
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