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Offshore trolling is a skill that requires precision and attention to detail. TrollTrue lures and rigging are designed to help you hone your skill and achieve success with your fishing.
Previously, we’ve discussed how TrollTrue lures work in combination with the recommended rigging to ensure offshore trolling success. If you would like to review that discussion as well as complete instructions on how to make the recommended rigging, follow the link below:
We’ve also discussed how to rig baitfish with your TrollTrue lures. If you would like to review that discussion, follow the link below:
One final step in successfully using yourTrollTrue baits is deploying or “dropping back” the lures. There are just a few steps to ensure your baits always troll optimally.
Once the bait is rigged and the TrollTrue lure is in place, lower the bait into the water next to the boat and watch how the bait swims. Adjust the boat speed and/or limber up the bait more to optimize the action.
With the bait’s action optimized, you can begin dropping the bait back. Keep your finger on the spool to maintain pressure on the line. Don't free spool the bait back. This can displace the lure and cause it not to troll right. TrollTrue lures are intended to slide up the leader when fighting a fish. This minimizes the opportunity for the fish to throw the lure. The lure is held in place on the bait by the force of the water as it is trolled. Without adequate flow of water across the lure, there is a potential for the lure to be displaced and not troll as intended.
TrollTrue lures and rigging are designed to provide an easy and fast way to rig baits and troll them in the most natural way possible. In order to accomplish this, it is important that the lure stay seated on the ballyhoo’s head. There are a few situations you want to avoid in order to ensure this happens and your baits always swim optimally:
Free-spooling the bait back- Resist the temptation to free-spool the bait. Use your finger to keep some tension on thespool and allow the bait to swim back into position.
Allowing the bait to skip- TrollTrue lures are designed for swimming, not skipping. Adjust the bait's position in the spread and/or lower the angle of entry into the water to maintain the intended swimming motion.
Stopping the boat while fighting fish- It is always good practice to keep the boat moving forward while fighting a fish. This helps the angler keep tension on the line and keeps other lines from becoming tangled. If the boat is stopped, it is a good idea to inspect the baits for proper action and condition.
Trolling too slow- TrollTrue recommends trolling at 6-8 knots with ballyhoo and 4-6 knots with cigar minnows. This seems to provide the best swimming action and allows you to cover alot of ground. That being said, we have many customers successfully trolling from kayaks. When trolling from a kayak, there is a good chance to encounter many of the situations described above.
For kayak fishermen, and others if desired, TrollTrue lures may be secured to the ballyhoo’s head. The recommended way to do that is by inserting a toothpick into the eye of the nose hook with the lure in place and then breaking off the excess.
