It is that time of year again when my thoughts start to wander on what new stuff to try for skis this year. Specifically I am looking at the saltwater trolling baits. Having never done an off-shore trip, I was wondering if anyone could provide some insight as to the action of “Chuggers”, “Bullets”, “Smokers”, and “Flying Fish”. I would be running them on a dual planer set-up that can handle speeds up to 6mph in mildly choppy water. Yes this is for Mille Lacs, most likely the North End, middle of June through end of July.
First impressions of the lures tell me they are pretty much straight liners, and head shape, size, and weight can add subtle changes to the action of the bait. There is also a lot of talk about smoke trails (bubbles). Just how much disturbance do these lures put out in the water column?