wire line trolling

[Narragansett]

Anybody have any info on the use of wire line for trolling? Type of equipment, pros, cons, technique, etc.etc.I have been reading a little about this as a way to get deeper. I was wondering if it is worth trying a setup using this type of equipment. I just don't know anything about it or anyone who uses it. Thanks

[Bob ECT]

Used to troll wire all the time. Definitely effective. But not a fun way to fish. Cranking 300ft of dead weight not much fun.

Now fish with thin braid instead. Much lighter set up, more fun to fish with. Not quite as effective but almost. Makes it easier to stop and jig with the same rods.

[Brian E. Mullaney]

Alot of guys troll spoons in the Raritan and catch big fish. Personally - I thinks its boring and the only time I would choose to do it if it was up to me would be a slack tide.

You need a nice slow action rod to work the spoons correctly. You can easily tell when the spoons arent swimming right by the rod action. They rods pulsate when the spoon is swimming correctly.

Here's Pgoins with a spoon caught fish.

[Narragansett]

Thanks for the info. Nice picture. I would appreciate any more comments if anybody has got some

[Flatsman]

Originally Posted by Bob ECT

Definitely effective. But not a fun way to fish. Cranking 300ft of dead weight not much fun.

Agreed. Plus, if you use real lead line (not lead core) you can lose fish if you get a kink in line and it breaks.
I like using a downrigger - you can get your line to the exact level you want at any speed.

[Rockfish1]

the boats I fish on out in the Chesapeake have all switched from wire to heavy braid... cheaper, easier to work with, no problems with kinking, and just as effective...

[Vitalsigns]

Check Fishermans Headquarters site they had a good article on wire line trolling. I tried it this spring up by Sandy Hook and it was very effective but it's not how I would fish on my boat. There's no fight just winch them in.

[paul708]

i think it is a very good way to fish, we did it for years out of pt pleasant..not fun but it works great..Lamiglas has a "newer" blank and guides made just for this..feel free to give me a call i will let you know what i can make.

[Re-Bait]

I fish leadcore line, much easier to deal with than true wire.

You'll need a 4/0 reel if you plan to use wire, a 3/0 will handle braid. Wire line rods tend to be 8-9 foot or longer so you get the rod action. Braid is an excelent compromise for striper trollers

You need these rod holders too.

[Mullica Bob]

Braided works just as well in my opinion. You need to experiment a little with things like how much line out, the weight of the drail, leader lengths and boat speeds.

Keep the wire for bailing the hay.

[blackfinjerry]

Wire line was the norm on the west coast for salmon and in the north for lake trout, once they went deep. But with downrigger improvement and know how, you see very little of it.
I troll alot in the Nov./Dec. timeframe for stripers along the beach and use downriggers. Sometimes 20 ft out to 50 ft deep. Knowing how short or long to fish the lure, type of release, how to load the rod when it is set in downrigger and type of lure, ie floater, sinker, how fast until it skits sideways or rolls over are all important and make the fishing relaxing and productive. I seldom fish downriggers in the bay or the back channels as there is alot of weeds and stuff in the water, so you are constantly taking off stuff from your lures. If I do troll on inside, I like the incoming as opposed to outgoing, due to less stuff in the water.
I personally like to troll mostly floaters, small diving bill, looking for 6 ft dive below rigger, plus the slight diver keeps tension on the line so a belly of line does not pull lure back towards boat.
You jump on with me in the fall and I can show you all the stuff I learned by doing it wrong, as it is hard to explain the fine pts. in e-mail. I like floaters because if you stop the boat or slow down, they float up and not down to get fouled up or snagged as an example.
Jerry