Trolling Rapalas at Otay!!!

Its almost that crappie time shhhhhhhhhh

 

I use to troll Rapalas at San V..it can be deadly, kind of boring...but deadly!

 

Nice, I have trolled 10xd cranks in the middle of Harvey’s after wearing my arm out cranking them and done well. Nothing wrong with trolling.

 

Trolling for bass is fun.
I do it all the time at El Cap
Troll two rods for different presentations & lure depths.
Many times you can pick up cats, crappie, bluegill, once upon a time even trout at some of the SD lakes.
Good way to fish & eat lunch at the same time

 

What a great day you had trolling rapalas! I've never tried trolling for bass...might have to add it to my techniques arsenal. Thanks for the report and pics!

 

Bill Murphy’s, in pursuit.... chapter, lead core

 

Trolling can work very well, sometimes much better than casting the same distance does. It keeps the bait in the right zone and it stays there. In normal casting, the angler throws the bait out, the bait dives down and stays down for a short period and then comes up to the boat. Fish have learned (or been evolutionarily selected) to avoid such baits. They might follow the bait for a while but turn around upon seeing the lure come up to the boat. With trolling, they will follow and eventually commit.

I mainly fish from a float tube. The version of trolling I use is called long lining or strolling where the bait is cast out and one kicks until most of the line is gone from the spool and then start retrieving, This works in the bay for spotties or at Barrett for largemouth bass, with swimbaits or crankbaits. On slow days when it seems you can't get bit, this will sometimes produce fish on about every cast (but it takes 10 minutes or more to empty the spool to setup using a float tube). I have my float tube set up with 45 degree rod holders on each side so I can spool out line on 2 setups at once (generally are free spooling one and retrieving the other though). When I have a long kick back to the launch point or to where I want to fish, I will usually be long lining on the way, have caught fish out in the middle of Barrett in the dark this way too.

Trolling is not just a technique for lazy people (especially not from a float tube), it often outperforms casting. Not my favorite way to fish but it sure beats not catching.

When Is Strolling Trolling? – BassBlaster
San Diego Bay "sand bass shuffle" basics

FYI, snags really suck when you have 100+ yards of line out and you just spent 15 minutes kicking to get there.

 

great day on the water thanks for the inspiration!

 

I've used a bubba rig set up with my crank baits on real windy days. let the wind blow the boat until the reel is spooled. Have a needle ready.

 

way to find the fish!! great day of fishing for you. Those are some nice looking bass and that crappie!!!!

 

Try a cedar plug!

 

Never know. I heard stories of bass on tuna feathers

 

Plenty have been taken on surface iron by guys practice casting

 

I’ve seen intentional surface iron bass catches never heard the practicing, that would be a great surprise.
I used to practice in the back field, only ever came up with tree pounder bycatches

 

Not me, another angler from this forum

 

Oh yes, they work on the right waters.

 

*****en....Iron fish

First pic I've seen to prove it woks...at night on top.of it!
Excellent job...how big was she?

Awesome...period

 

Right waters?

Closed waters??