Is it trolling?

Question for you guys…………

There’s a good number of WI lakes that do not permit motor trolling. Does this mean you can drag a line in a rowboat?

Also, if you’re using the trolling motor to move along a shoreline or breakline, but cast and retrieving a presentation, what about the part that ends up behind the boat and you slow your retrieve to a crawl? At that moment, are you trolling or “repositioning your boat with your line in the water”? Which is, by the way, legal to do.

Just wondering what you all might think of these little gray areas.

I believe that “row-trolling” is legal on most Northern Wisconsin waters. Several large Muskie are taken every year using this tactic in the Hayward area. Very deadly in the Fall.
“Gray” area is exactly right on your other inquiry. I guess it would depend on how polite you were to the warden that stopped you.

I’ve been told that if you are observed casting with enough frequency that you’re okay……………but what dictates enough frequency?

I think of it like this – If you question whether your trolling or not someone watching you may also question it.

WHy is it illegal to motor troll? If that happened here in Minnesota I would be outraged!

Not sure what the history is on motor trolling. i know its legal in douglas county in NW Wisconsin. Growing up in the Wausau area never knew any different. Trolling was a great lakes thing. Moved to MN a few years ago to find out I can troll,but, oh by the way, I can only have one line in the water. So much for soaking a night crawler or crappie minnow while casting…

Later fellas

If I had to give up my 3 lines in order to troll, I would choose my 3 lines.

StillaKid:

Most waters, but not all in the southern part of the state allow trolling. Row trolling has been an art form for muskie and walleye for years here in the Vilas/Oneida counties and is legal on all WI waters far as I know. They actually make a row trolling boat (Looks like a flat stern canoe)!!! Only on the flowages is motor trolling allowed here in Vilas/Oneida. My heaviest muskie (44″, 28#) came while row trolling planer boards and four lines (another fishing with me). One of the intriguing things about fishing the NW WI lakes is the opportunity to motor troll. While there has been great arguement about the 50″ muskie size limit up here on several lakes and it was voted down by the local counties, I would really only go to those lakes in the NW part of the state to be able to troll. I feel comfortable that a 50″ fish resides here in many of waters that I fish.

As for casting frequency, just keep casting or slow the boat down or drift. Many muskie fisherman feel that by casting a plug during the fall season, it allows them to trail a sucker behind the boat. If drifting, in my mind, this is an allowable situation. If the bowmount is in, you’re casting and trailing a sucker, be careful!!! If you’re vertical jig fishing, use the trolling motor to slow yourself down on your drift. Going into the wind while vertical jigging could get you in trouble.

If you slow your boat to a crawl, you could be trolling if you continue to move your boat in a direction that keeps the line at an angle rather than vertical. Hopefully they would view your move of the boat back toward your line an effort to keep your line vertical and thus legal.

Good luck and keep a VERTICAL line!!!

Mark

Thanks for the responses guys!

mbenson, way cool to think of those other scenarios too! I hadn’t given much thought to multiple lines in regard to the law in restricted waters.

Would anyone view it beneficial to contact an official and see the “trolling laws” more clearly defined?

stillakid:

They have been trying to do that here in the Northwoods since I moved up here in ’94. Greg Bohn challenged the position law and to much surprise did not lose his case. You just really need to think about how you are going to be positioning the boat.

While walleye fishing in this manner, I still believe I will get fined for not having my license or keeping a gill hooked 14 incher after having thrown several over 15″ back in healthy.

Mark