Night trolling?

  • dbright
    Cambridge
    Posts: 1867
    #1355908

    I rarely fish for eyes on lakes but will be up visiting family up north this weekend. My step dad usually slip bobber fishes after dark but there is a short window that produces. I think if we pulled cranks after he gives up on watching bobbers we could put a few more in the boat. He normally sets up in 16-18 fow. How shallow would you start trolling and what type of cranks would you pull?

    smokinbobo
    Monticello / Guthrie, MN
    Posts: 382
    #1414030

    Just outside the weeds with Shallow Shad Raps ought to do it. Run the weedline before dark and drop some way points on the outside of them so you can stay close via GPS when trolling.

    Sargeant
    Mn
    Posts: 2
    #1414034

    Agree with BobO. Also consider pulling shallow shads over the top of the weeds. Weed growth this time of year is only 1-2ft.

    nhamm
    Inactive
    Robbinsdale
    Posts: 7348
    #1414055

    If water clarity is super good the 16-20′ will work, but still lots of reports out there with shallow eyes, and being most lakes aren’t that clear, with weed lines about 8-12′, with most of that being as said only a couple feet up max, don’t count out over the tops of bed with stick baits, or even heard spinners at night work to for more of a weedless presentation if lots of floating crap in the water.

    dbright
    Cambridge
    Posts: 1867
    #1414061

    Water clarity is right around 20ft . The limited time I have been out there there doesn’t seem like there is much for weeds on that part of the lake other then a few small pockets right by shore.

    Mike Klein
    Hastings, MN
    Posts: 1026
    #1414067

    Weed edges almost can’t go,too shallow. Start deep and work in as it get later the fish will tell you where to be.

    nhamm
    Inactive
    Robbinsdale
    Posts: 7348
    #1414068

    That clear of water I would really get those lines back, even night, it can’t hurt, good luck!

    Ben Brettingen
    Moderator
    Mississippi
    Posts: 605
    #1414070

    I wouldn’t be afraid the breakdown the situation by making trolling passes from your normal 16-20 all the way down to under 5 feet. If the shoreline you are fishing is a gravely rubble mix then I would cut right to the chase and get under 10 feet as I believe the fish would most certainly go shallow.

    I would cruise in that 15-20 foot range and see what you can mark. If it’s relatively little then it would be safe to assume the fish have pushed up shallower, and thus focus your attention there.

    Like others have said a great bait is the Shallow Shad rap or a Jointed Shallow Shad Rap for a little more action for under say 5 or 6 feet of water. Depending on the forage base, I wouldn’t hesitate to go with a yellow perch, or step it up to something a little brighter like Fire Tiger.

    The next level of depth, around 10 feet, which I would most likely attack with a Husky Jerk or a Deep Scatter Rap.

    Stepping down to around 15 feet you’re looking into that #10 Down Deep Husky Jerk, which is actually a good bait to cover a wider range of water depths.

    Then to the 20 foot range which could be tackled with leadcore but for the sake of being easy a #9 Deep Tail Dancer will get you in that 20 foot range.

    Good Luck! Let us know how you do!

    Ben Brettingen
    Moderator
    Mississippi
    Posts: 605
    #1414072

    Quote:


    That clear of water I would really get those lines back, even night, it can’t hurt, good luck!


    Really good point here! If you don’t plan on running planar boards then get those lines away from the boat!

    jiggin-rake
    inver grove heights, minnesota
    Posts: 857
    #1414081

    13-20 ft.

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1414088

    Our lake is really clear and at night this time of year I use the electric motor with about 100′ of line out to a floating orange and gold original rap with a few splitshots, deadly.

    CJ
    Posts: 85
    #1414122

    Quote:


    Our lake is really clear and at night this time of year I use the electric motor with about 100′ of line out to a floating orange and gold original rap with a few splitshots, deadly.



    When running this rig, how far in front of the rapala do you run the split shots? Also, are you trying to get the rapala to tick off the bottom (if weedless) or are you running a foot or 2 off the bottom?

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1414137

    Quote:


    Quote:


    Our lake is really clear and at night this time of year I use the electric motor with about 100′ of line out to a floating orange and gold original rap with a few splitshots, deadly.



    When running this rig, how far in front of the rapala do you run the split shots? Also, are you trying to get the rapala to tick off the bottom (if weedless) or are you running a foot or 2 off the bottom?


    About 20 – 24 inches. I add the splitshots until I it’s just hitting the tops of the weeds. 2-3 feet off the bottom I suppose, when the fish are active they’ll come up no problem. I forget the size of the splitshot but two usually does it.

    dbright
    Cambridge
    Posts: 1867
    #1414738

    Well trolling did not pan out for us but we were able to follow them in. 14 fow was the depth that kept us busy from 10-12:30. I found the weeds started at 16.5 feet. Until you got into 10-11 fow they only came off the bottom about a foot. It was the first time the Gf has been walleye fishing or used lighted bobbers. We still had a steady bite going at 12:30 when the lightning drove us off. It was my first time using my Si bird on a lake. The more I use it the more I like it.

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1414743

    Quote:


    Well trolling did not pan out for us but we were able to follow them in. 14 fow was the depth that kept us busy from 10-12:30. I found the weeds started at 16.5 feet. Until you got into 10-11 fow they only came off the bottom about a foot. It was the first time the Gf has been walleye fishing or used lighted bobbers. We still had a steady bite going at 12:30 when the lightning drove us off. It was my first time using my Si bird on a lake. The more I use it the more I like it.


    I was thinking the si would be great for that, how far does it read?

    DIRTBALL2
    WARROAD,MN.USA
    Posts: 99
    #1414956

    When I started trolling at night on Mille Lacs many year’s ago, we had our best luck using Rebel stickbait’s shallow runner’s! And we always trolled in about 5 feet of water! No one else had discovered how great night trolling could be yet! We rarely ever encountered another boat! 100 fish night’s were common. Now you can’t even fish there after dark! Wat hoppen? DIRTBALL2

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