Wireline trolling is a striped bass fishing method utilised by thousands of New Englanders every year. Many people believe you just put the line out and cruise around in your boat to catch fish and are astonished when they watch others catch fish after fish in the exact location, presumably doing the same thing and even using the same rig. There’s got to be something different. Knowing where the fish are holding, what they’re eating, and how fast to troll are just a few of the factors to consider.
Where have all the fish gone? It would help if you went where the fish are, rather than where you wish they were. You must also go when the fish are present, not when you want to they were present. Early dawn is generally the most fantastic time for bass fishing. They may feed during the day early in the season, but as the season develops and the sun rises higher in the sky, they will only feed during the day if there is a tide and a lot of bait or a weather pattern lure them into action. You may discover them clinging to a building and be able to trap them, but it’s almost guaranteed that there’s food down there to keep them occupied. If the fish are clinging to a structure, you must present your gift over that structure; if you are 50′ off, you will have no luck. Turn around and keep going over the location until you stop getting fish if you’re trolling and mark and capture fish. Don’t leave unless you’re pretty sure there’s somewhere better to go. Also, don’t waste too much time wandering around a location without capturing anything.
Tides and currents.
Bass are ambush predators, and a current will allow them to lie in wait for a tiny creature to be washed past their position, allowing them to devour it. Therefore, you must pay attention to the current created by the tides. The Block Island North reef is an example of this. The currents generate ambush locations for Bass, and some of these are good places to troll wireline.
Trolling Rate
If it isn’t functioning, never troll at the same speed all the time. Fish will often follow your gift, waiting for the trigger that indicates their prey has noticed them. During your turns, accelerate, decelerate, change speeds, and accelerate. You’d be amazed how many times you’ll hook up with fish just after a speed change. Sometimes travelling at a specific slow speed or a specific rapid speed is all that is required. The essential thing to remember while hooking up is to pay attention to what’s going on. You should pay attention to whether it happens every time you change speeds, just when you drive fast, only when you go extremely slow, and so on. If you hurry up and turn and the inner line catches a fish, you may not have enough line out since the inside line generally goes deeper and the outer line shallower.
You can regulate your speed with the current. Troll directly into the current if you want to move extremely slowly. I fish in one area by trolling to the exact location and slowing down as the boat approaches there, allowing the boat to move into the current. We’re hardly moving ahead at times, and when I get to the GPS location, one or both poles will be loaded with fish (tide is significant in this case.) There are instances when trolling in one direction regarding the current will catch you most of your fish. When you’re hooking up, pay attention to what’s going on.
Depth of the trolling
This is a critical point. Your depth detector can find a million fish below 30 feet, but if your trolled rig is only 20 feet deep, you’ll be dissatisfied and catch few fish. Therefore, the “strike zone,” or the region near enough to the lure that the fish will be interested in hitting it, is where you should present your offering. When fish are vigorously eating, this striking zone can be rather extensive, or it can be pretty little if they are “turned off.”
If you observe fish pounding bait on the surface, release a tiny bit of wireline and troll around the feeding fish rather than straight through them. By trolling through the centre of breaking fish, many anglers effectively shut off the fishing. It’s the most ludicrous thing they could do. If you want to catch Bass that aren’t eating actively on the top, you’ll need to get the bait down near the bottom. Unless the fish are slow, you just need to be within 5′ of the bottom if the water is less than 30′ deep. Light penetration becomes a concern in deeper water, so go as near to the bottom as possible without dragging.
The rule of thumb is that for every 1′ of depth, 10 feet of wire should be allowed out—the weight of your lure and the speed of your boat influence this. Slower speeds cause the rig to run deeper, whereas faster speeds cause it to run shallower. Remember that if you’re not dragging the bottom now and again, you’re trolling too shallow.
In keeping with Hatch’s style
You’ll need to troll an offering that’s similar to what the fish are eating. For example, you shouldn’t be trolling 6″ soft plastic shads if sand eels in the area. Bunker, sand eels, and squid are the most common foods for Bass. It would help if you kept a variety of lures that reflect these species on hand. If you capture a keeper, have a look inside its stomach to discover what it’s been eating.
Sportfishing is a popular sport in the United States. This is ostensibly a sporting event. Winching is when you keep the boat in gear and continue to troll after you’ve hooked up with a fish. It’s crazy to watch that many Bass bouncing across the surface of the water while they’re being brought in. Instead of battling the boat, you should be fighting the fish. What’s the point of that? So, once you’ve hooked up, pull the boat out of gear.
Your fishing expeditions will be more successful if you follow the instructions provided here. When you’re not catching, remember to ask yourself, “What do I need to change?” The last and most essential piece of advice is to remember to ask yourself, “What do I need to change?” Are you trolling too shallow, trolling too quickly, or utilising the wrong rig? Keep an eye on what other people are doing; it could offer you a hint. Bring them up to speed!