Does anyone have any advice on doing this? I just recently bought my first walleye boat and now I am slowly adding to my already expansive amount of gear but trolling combos are gonna have to wait a little while. My question is how do you guys recommend I troll without line counters? I have plenty of bait cast and spinning rods. Is there anything special I need to do? Thanks.
Braid is available in colored segments to help with this. I often use the rod length as a measuring device and let a rod length out at a time. Sometimes the full sweep method too. Just put the lure in the water and count the number of full, back to front rod sweeps it takes to start ticking the bottom then reel up a bit. Not real accurate but works in a pinch.
If you use a bait caster, count the number of times the level wind goes back and forth as you’re letting out line. You won’t have an exact number, but at least you can get back to the same place.
SR
Rapala has a clamp on line counter that might help duplicate your
number. Or get it close.
Or just let out a lot of line until your crank starts bouncing on the bottom. It’s not like a repeatable method, but if you know your crank goes 12 feet and you are in 10 feet of water, eventually that thing should start bouncing. If it’s digging too hard then reel up a bit until it’s only occasionally bouncing.
The level wind idea is the best way though, I would first try to measure how much line goes out with one pass of the level wind. You can probably estimate it within a couple feet, which will get you close enough to what you want. If one pass of the level wind gives you 30 feet of line, then just do some simple math :).
Just as JD said…Long line trolling is all I do right now and when the trolling bite is on I do as he said.. Using the right depth lure in the for depth water your targeting fish in is a must !let out enough line to click bottom and reel in 3-4 cranks and troll away !
Learn how deep the cranks can run down to helps too.
JMHO Jeff
Or just let out a lot of line until your crank starts bouncing on the bottom. It’s not like a repeatable method, but if you know your crank goes 12 feet and you are in 10 feet of water, eventually that thing should start bouncing. If it’s digging too hard then reel up a bit until it’s only occasionally bouncing.
This is what I do. Just make sure you have a lure on that will get to the strike zone and let it go until you are hitting bottom then reel up a couple times.
tracer line from berkley. fireline that is segmented. to be honest, counter reels can trip you up at times. open water trolling, that number of feet back is biblical. when you are trolling most anywhere else, you want the lure ticking the bottom. keep letting out line until thathappens
Do what Root does: count the number of times the level wind thingy goes back and forth. You can know an exact number if you first figure out how many feet of line come out on each pass. It’s about 8 feet with my AG5500. It’s really no different than a line counter as long as you are not drinking and therefore forgetting where you are at.
With a spinning rod I cast and approximate.
Jeff, that is how I started out on Lake MI. Key is just consistency. If you have 9′ rods and count a sweep of the rod, you could be letting out 20+ feet. Like stated, counting the passes of a level wind. Again, what ever you do, just be consistent in your method.
I have always told myself I was going to figure out 100 feet and add a mark with a sharpie or white out to give myself a ballpark idea but I have never found the need to. I dont like trolling with line counters they are too slow. Nice to be able to make a cast and give it a couple rips and im in the zone. Get weeded up or get onto a hot bite and it seems like it takes an entire pass to let 100 feet out on a bait caster without casting it. plus most of the time im fishing in the dark so I cant see my mark or the number on the line counter anyways.
I measure out 100′ in the back yard and thread on a slip bobber knot.
I troll with spinning gear all the time. What makes a great crank casting is the same that will make it a good trolling rod. Pay attention to how far you are casting the crank out while trolling. Pay attention to howfmuch line is left on the spool to. It should get you close.
All great tips biggest thing is WRITE IT DOWN which ever way you do it for different lures for future reference. Eventually you will have your own trollers bible.
This:
Power-Pro.png
I measure out 100′ in the back yard and thread on a slip bobber knot.
This.
No counting involved which helps us guys and gals who are easily distracted.
Use what you have now and find crankbaits that will dive to your desired depth. Find bottom and reel up. In the meantime, save your money and buy some line counters in the future.
You know the length of your rods so pull off the 1 rod length at a time and you’ll know exactly how far back your lure is.
Just get three way swivels. put a 2 feet of line on one run a weight then have your lure off another 3 feet back and have the wight bouncing off the bottom. The size of weight will depend on calm water and how deep and fast you are running. I like buying weights that clamp or snap on so I can change them easy. or you can put a snap swivel at the end so you can snap your weights onto it.
Start at the stern (back) of your boat and measure a spot 10′ up on your side rail. Mark this spot with a sharpie or if you don’t want to mark the side rail, put a small piece of duct tape.
Put the bait in the water with your rod tip touching the stern. Open your bail as you move your rod tip to touch the 10′ mark. You now have 10′ of line out. Stop the line from coming out and move your rod tip back to the stern and repeat as necessary until you have the desired amount of line out.
This is a simple thing to do in practice, maybe not as easy to type out. Hopefully this makes sense!! I do this all the time when we go to Canada and need to limit the number of rods and reels making the trip.
Jeff, I forgot to tell you my SUPER DUPER secret method for accurately measuring line length without line counters:
Since I know my Dong is 12 inches in circumference, I just wrap the line around it as many feet as I think I will need to get to the bottom. I know this sounds bad but check out the image below and you can see my Dong.
fishermans-dong.png
This advertisement was brought to you by the good people at In-TooDeep Outdoors.
I’ve actually been using my Dong for a good number of years now. I like that I always have it with me.
Yeah Bob, my only complaint is that sometimes, after you coil a number of feet of line around it, when you go to release it, it can bind and start cutting into the shaft a little. I can usually just vigorously shake it around and the line will finally let go. But I often get strange looks from other nearby boaters.
Carry a fine point sharpie in your tackle box and write the depth on the belly of the crank bait.
Since I know my Dong is 12 inches in circumference, I just wrap the line around it as many feet as I think I will need to get to the bottom. I know this sounds bad but check out the image below and you can see my Dong.
The early bird may get the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.Attachments:fishermans-dong.png
JD and Bob, you guys are hilarious and nasty. Love it! Too bad you are both way to old but I adore the humor. More please!
Too bad you are both way to old but
It was a good run James!! 
It was a good run James!!
Quite possibly the funniest line in the history of IDO
I measure out 100′ in the back yard and thread on a slip bobber knot.
X2
LOL this thread cracked me up…X2 on the PowerPro Depth hunter…I have a casting rod with that on it that I use along with my trolling combo when I can run two lines.
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