LIP GRIPPER [ TACTICS ] TOW THE LINE TROLLING RIGS FOR TARPON, CHINOOK,
PIKE AND MUSKY AND MORE BY BEN DUCHESNEY
T
he lures are dragging through the water, pulsing with each paddle stroke. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the rod tip dip and the rod shakes in the rodholder. Stop paddling and start reeling. Fish on!
Slowly trolling lures or baits can be a quick way to locate fish and identify what they are eating. But pulling several lines and paddling the kayak at the same time can quickly turn into a big mess without some careful planning. Texas kayak angler, Ty Southerland (
www.30milesout.com) trolls
around offshore oil rigs for king mackerel, cobia, tarpon and even sharks. He fishes two rods, dragging a strip of ribbonfish with one and pulling a Rat-L-Trap on the other. “The ribbonfish strip swims across the surface while the Rat-L-Trap dives down 10 feet.” South- erland adds that his kayak moves slowly and quietly, giving him an advantage over noisy boats.
His trolling setup is a stout, seven-and-a-half-foot All Pro bass rod, and Abu Garcia Ambassador 6000 reel spooled with 30-pound braid. Southerland says this combo is perfect because it’s light enough to cast lures and heavy enough to take a big hit on the troll. “I can’t take too many rods with me,” he explains, “so I have to get double duty out of one outfit.” By using Hobie Kayak’s MirageDrive, Southerland can troll hands- free. “I can pump the rod to rip the Rat-L-Trap forward then let it drift back, always keeping the line tight.” The added action calls in the fish and has resulted in some of his best catches. “It’s awesome when the fish tries to rip the rod from my hand.”
SLOWLY DRAGGING AROUND LURES OR BAITS CAN BE A QUICK WAY TO LOCATE FISH AND IDENTIFY WHAT THEY ARE EATING.
Michigan fishing guide Lucian Gizel (
www.greatlakeskayakfishing. com) finds Chinook salmon by following a systematic search pattern. He uses his GPS to track his course so he doesn’t cover the same area twice. He can also monitor his speed in order to keep the baits moving between two and three miles per hour. Then, by watching the depth displayed on his fishfinder, he can set a course that zig-zags over drop offs and ledges. Jamie Pistilli, star of the television show Big City Fishing on the
World Fishing Network, is an expert at trolling spinnerbaits for pike and musky. When picking out a trolling outfit, he looks for an eight- foot rod with plenty of backbone. “A longer rod spreads the baits out when I’m trolling two rods and gives me more clearance to get the line around the bow and stern during the fight,” he explains. When a fish hits on the troll, the forward movement of the boat sets the hook, Pistilli adds, so a sturdy rod will drive the hook into the fish. There’s no simple answer about the best place on the kayak to
install rodholders for trolling. Some anglers vote for keeping rods be- hind them and others prefer to keep their rods out front. Both meth- ods work, but be sure your rods and line are clear of your paddle stroke. And keep the rodholders within arm’s reach for a quick strike. Pistilli advises anglers, “Go fishing before you start drilling.”
34 …KAYAK ANGLER WINTER 2013
DIGITAL EXTRA: Check out Ty Southerland’s trolling moves at
Rapidmedia.com/0110
TO DRAW MORE STRIKES, WORK THE LURE BY PUMPING THE ROD FORWARD AND THEN LETTING IT DROP BACK.
WHEN A FISH BITES ON THE TROLL, THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE BOAT SETS THE HOOK. A STIFF ROD AND HEAVY LINE HELP DRIVE THE POINT HOME.
PHOTOS: TY SOUTHERLAND
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68