Trolling - i know it's been covered before... but

[Local_Guy]

ok. i wouldn't have a clue if i'm doing this right. so i'll describe what boat i'm in, power of the engine. line weight, lure type, lure depth etc.

hopefully you guys can help me out and point me in the right direction.

now maybe were we are trolling there are just no fish and thats why we haven't had a hit. but just incase i'd like things to be clerared up.

boat. 4m - 20hp
line - 35lb mono
trace - 40lb mono
lure - red/white Halco 2.5m+ diver
speed. guestimating 4 - 10knots.
line behind boat 15 - 20m
trolling about 20 - 30m off mainland rocks
trolling about 30 - 100m off islands.

ok. now. m i doing anything wrong. or r the fish just not there.

what should i do.
thanks guys.

[Jeremy]

So you are up North somewhere - Rocky, Yeppoon?

What are you targeting - mackerel, tuna, trevally?

I reckon 35 lb is a bit heavy and why bother with a 40 lb leader? Cut it back to 6 - 8 kg mainline and 40 lb leader. Tie leader directly to mainline using a double (no swivel) and you can use a swivel at the end of the leader to clip the lure on.

Halcos are good lures but make sure you use a variety of lures to cover some options. Skirted lures like christmas trees can be effective, bibbed and bibbless minnows and spoons. You need to be careful about what lures you use together as you need to do the best speed for the lure.

You might need to go a bit closer in to the rocks for the trevally. Do you have a sounder? Look for schools of bait and troll a pattern around the bait. Ask for some local advice on areas and lures and try to find someone more experienced than you to follow out there.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[gunna]

Like Jeremy says - run three or four lines - and add an Uzi into the spread. Get a GPS & know exactly how fast you troll.

[Local_Guy]

yeah. we are out around Yeppoon, Emu Park.

can really only have 2 lines in the water as the boat doesn't have rod holders.... yet.

and we are targeting mackeral

[basserman]

depending on what your chaseing it will depend on your speed
at 10knots i would say your going to fast for anything but a nice fast tuna
if your after reefies i woulding go over idle as a speed and for you macs no faster than 5 knots ;D
really most times it pays to slow your speed down or even to knock it in nuertrul and let the lures rise slowly to intice a bite ;D

[Tony_N]

Hey Gunna

Just looked up those Uzi's you suggested. They look like the bees knees. Is 5 knots OK for them ?

Tony

[Mortalkombat]

Around 6.5 Knots is ideal for most skirted lure you can catch anything on an Uzi small billys love them so do tuna and most things that swim ::) ::) ::)

[Mortalkombat]

Do a search on the Marlin Bar for more info heaps on there ,leaders, hooks and so on you will be on there for hours :o :o
Also http://www.pakula.com.au/10lurestiny.htm
http://www.pakula.com/marlin/

[Tony_N]

Thanks B&B

Its a funny thing about me and marlin. I just don't want to catch one. There's no logic to it (other than the lion of the sea type logic) and I am all for catch and release sportfishing and don't have anything negative about other people catching them - just don't want to myself. Go figure? However, very happy to give the skirts a go for mackeral and tuna :D

Tony

[Jeremy]

Uzis would be a pretty expensive way of targetting mackerel! I have found trolling a pilchard rigged on gang hooks with a wire trace at dead slow speed as effective as anything else for mackerel. There is heaps of info on the net and in books on how to rig pilchards to troll and you can buy ganged hooks with a lead weight on the first hook to rig them on. Run one close to the prop wash (10 m back) and another well out the back, or run a pilchard on one line and a livie on the other. Hand on and don't set your drag too tight as the mackerel hit hard!

Jeremy

[gunna]

Hey Gunna

Just looked up those Uzi's you suggested. They look like the bees knees. #Is 5 knots OK for them ?

Tony

As B&B says - around 6k is better. You will need to use bigger CD's at that speed. We use CD14. The smaller ones will blow out of the water. Run your more aggressive lures (minnows) closer to the boat & the less aggressive further back. We also put a white feather as the furthest one. No pesky mackeral down here so we don't get chewed off.

[Tony_N]

#No pesky mackeral down here so we don't get chewed off.


Hey Gunna, roll on summer - bring those peskies on!!

[Payneful]

Spanish Mackerel ... Troll Dead Gar at 5 knots
Spotties and School ... troll spoons and lures at 7-8 knots

Mackerel can swim pretty fast.
Worked for me in Cairns

Sam

[Mortalkombat]

Hey Tony Untill you hooked a billy #::) ::)mate it is the ultimate buzz and so adictive they are the most awesome fish in the ocean AWESOME :o :o :o :o :o :o we had a hooked a Blue in march around 110 kg then Craig was bringing in the shotgun and it got nailed by a monster 10metres from the transom, double hookup both going berko on the top well in the air :o :o :o :o, Tiagra 50ws being unloaded, at a million miles an hour we lost both of them >:( >:( >:( hooked 7 that day caught 3 110kg each 2.350m long. yOU WANT THE MOST AWSOME ADRENILINE RUSH CATCH A BILL ::) ::) ::)
Nick

[Hagar]

Tony
Everyone has their preferences . It's whatever works for you in your area . My preference for mack lures is red/white or gold Halco laser pro in 160 for spotties and 190 for spaniards . I have caught both at speeds up to 10 knots - they can easily do this . Slow towing a live slimey , tailor or yakka is always preferable if you can get them . 200 - 300 mm of wire is good insurance for your costly lures .

Chris

[Tony_N]

I just love this site!

Payneful - speaking of trolling dead gar at 5 knots, I bought a great jig in Townsville in March I think at Tackle World. It was a shaped lump of lead with two (50mm)spikes sticking up about 50mm apart along its length for spiking the gar down straight and (from memory)with gangs off the back. Heavy enough to stay down in the water and run straight at 5 or 6 knots. I left it there with my son, unused because we were using lures. I'd like to get a couple more of those. On another thread some time back Agnes Jack also talked about TT jig heads (with a triple stinger) for stopping gars/pilchards from spinning.

B&B

Yeah I've been told that before. Went out on a charter from the Whitsundays a couple of years ago. Told the skipper tha i'd rather catch a tuna than a billie - said i was crazy and must never have caught one. True, and we didn't that day either. Did get some nice trout early in the day though

Hagar yep we can usually jig up slimies or yakkas - I have fished for pelagics with live bait a fair bit. Just fairly new to trolling with lures and there is something attractive about it. Trying to find out what I can. Also like the sound of jigging with those newish Snapback plastics