Fishing Techniques:
A Trolling Primer - Part I
A Trolling Primer - Part I
This is Part I of a two-part series covering basic offshore trolling techniques. In this part, we cover gear for you and the boat. In Part II, we cover how to use all of the stuff you just bought...
Conventional Tackle
Lever-drag conventional reels have long been the standard for trolling offshore. But for the fish we are targeting, in the size ranges typical for Southern California, good star-drag conventional reels will work well, too. And in recent years, heavy spinning reels have evolved to the point where they are also a viable alternative. The main requirement for any reel is the ability to handle 300 yards or more of 30lb test or heavier line, with a drag setting of approximately 33%.
But don't get me wrong - there are advantages to using lever-drag reels when trolling: they tend to have larger, more robust drags, it is easier to control letting line out with a lever-drag, and it is much easier to change drag settings in a controlled fashion while fighting a fish. The usefulness of this latter point is most obvious when bringing a big fish to boat-side. In these situations, you sometimes need to add a considerable amount of drag to move the fish the last few feet towards the boat, but you need to be able to back off the drag quickly if the fish makes a last-ditch run. This is very difficult to do in a controlled manner with a star drag. With a lever drag reel, it is easy to move the drag lever back and forth to known positions.
Examples of popular mid-range lever-drag reels include the Shimano Tyrnos and TLDs, the Avet SX, JX, MX and LX series, the Okuma Titus and Titus Silver series, the Daiwa Sealine LDs, and the Penn Graf-Lites. Of course, if you have the bucks, high-end reels like the Accurate Boss and ATD series, Penn Internationals, Okuma Titus Golds, Shimano Tiagras, Diawa Sealine Tournament Series, Duels, Avet HX and Pro series, Tiburons and Fin-Nors are also options.
Popular star drag reels in the mid-price range include the Shimano Toriums, the Daiwa Sealines and Saltists, the Penn Senators, and the Okuma Catalina series. At the high end, the Shimano Torsas and Trinidads, Daiwa Saltigas and Sealine-Xs, and the Penn International Torques are good choices.
If you want to try spinning reels, your choices are more limited. The Shimano Stella, Saragosa, Spheros and Thunnus reels have the right capacity and drag muscle, as do the Diawa Saltiga SA-Zs and Accurate Twin-Spins. Some spinning reels have a free-spool mechanism which allows their spools to turn without the handle turning, much like a conventional reel in free-spool. These reels are easier to use while trolling because it is possible to let line out in a controlled fashion without having to flip the bail over.
Rods specifically designed for offshore trolling tend to be short (5.5 – 6.5 feet), and feature a gimbal butt. Roller guides, or at least a roller stripper and tip guide are common. These types of rods usually have more of a parabolic bend, since a rod with a light tip can flex too much to provide consistent lure action.
The reason for the short length is simple – shorter rods are more efficient fish-fighting tools. Since you don’t need extra length for casting, why handicap yourself? That said, it is not unusual for people to use slightly longer rods for trolling, if the rods will also be used to handle teasers or occasionally cast a bait.
Roller guides used to be required to prevent line wear. Since these types of rods were not used for casting, roller guides were not considered a problem. However, today’s ceramic or high-quality chromed guides are very good at protecting your fishing line, so roller guides are not as critical as they once were. If you pick a rod that will be used for both casting and trolling, go ahead and pick a rod with high-quality ceramic or chromed ring guides and don’t worry about it.
Whether you choose roller or ring guides, a sturdy guide frame is mandatory. And guides should be wrapped with double- or triple-layers of thread, and coated with a good polymer rod finish.
It should be noted that AFTCo manufactures a series of lightweight roller guides which are designed for casting as well as trolling. From all reports, these work very well, but it is hard to find a rod built with this style of guides.
And what about the gimbal butt? When a conventional reel is used with heavy line and a lot of drag, it generates a lot of torque that tries to turn the rod and reel over in the fisherman’s hands. The gimbal butt was developed to counteract this problem.
When placed in a fighting belt with a crossbar (or "gimbal pin") in the cup, the horizontal nock in the gimbal butt seats on the pin, and keeps the rod from turning turtle. Since the crossbar is horizontal, it is still possible for the fisherman to move the rod up and down to pump the fish. A fighting chair has a similar setup in the base of the seat.
If you are using light trolling tackle (30lb class or less), gimbal butts can be useful, but are not required. However, if you use heavier gear, you will probably find it much easier to fight fish using a rod with a gimbal butt and a matching rod belt..
If you purchase a rod with a gimbal butt, make sure it comes with a plastic or heavy rubber cap to cover the gimbal when not in use. This will prevent scratching any surface you stand the rod on, keep the rod butt from sliding when you lean the rod against a rail, and will protect the gimbal. It will also allow you to use the rod without a fighting belt (or in a fighting belt without a crossbar) in a pinch. If the rod does not come with a butt cap, you can buy one from your local tackle shop.
Trolling rods need to be able to endure heavy stress, and potentially deep rod bends. Glass is the most common material – it is tough, relatively low cost, and weight is not a problem while trolling. However, more and more graphite or graphite/glass hybrid rods are showing up, and unlike fly rods, seem to be able to withstand the heavy stress and deep bends often seen in offshore fishing. If you chose a rod specifically designed for trolling from a reputable manufacturer, you can go with either material.
All trolling rods need very sturdy reel seats. The standard used to be chromed brass, but the Fuji composite reel seats do a good job, and now seem to dominate the market. It is also a good idea to use a reel clamp to back up the reel seat when attaching a reel with heavy line (say 50lb test or more).
Make sure the reel seat is a comfortable distance from the butt. Too far up, and it will be difficult to pump and reel when fighting a fish. A good test is to pretend you are fighting a fish (placing the rod butt where it seems most comfortable, or in your rod belt), and lower the rod to horizontal. Fully extend the arm that will be holding the foregrip, and see if it falls naturally in place on the foregrip. You should not be grasping the blank, and your arm should comfortably clear the reel. Now place your reeling hand where the reel will be. It should be comfortable and relaxed, and you should not be reaching out or up to grasp the reel handle.
In summary, for a starter outfit, I would go with a 6 - 6.5’ rod, rated for 40 - 60lb test line, outfitted with heavy-duty ceramic ring guides (or rollers, if you can afford it), held down with double or triple wraps, and a heavy Fuji composite reel seat. It should have a gimbal butt with a plastic butt cap to cover it. Do not get a rod labeled as "Live Bait", or "extra fast action", as the tip will probably be too light. A "moderate" or "fast" action rod is more what you are looking for, but since there are no standard definitions for rod actions, proceed with caution. There are lots of rod makers that make rods like this, including Calstar, Seeker, Shimano, G.Loomis, and St. Croix.
Monofilament, braided dacron and Spectra are all commonly used offshore. Regardless of which type of line you choose, make sure all of the trolling rods use the same type. Monofilaments and braids have different trolling characteristics, and mixing them in the spread can result in tangles when you make a turn.
Dacron and Spectra have a number of advantages over monofilament when used for trolling, including: better resistance to aging from sunlight, extremely low stretch, and a smaller diameter for a given test. Dacron and hollow-core Spectra fishing line can also be easily spliced into loops and to repair worn spots with 100% knot strength.
On the other hand, many people like the cushioning effect of monofilament when fighting fish that jump, and monofilament is cheaper to replace when worn.
As a result, an increasingly popular setup is to use Dacron or Spectra as a backing, and add a relatively short (30 – 50 yard) “topshot” of monofilament. By doing so, the fisherman can retain most of the advantages of both – the capacity and low stretch characteristics of braided line when there is a lot of line out, and the cushioning effect and low replacement costs of monofilament. Unfortunately, constructing a topshot is outside the scope of this article. There are several ways of putting them together, and a number of resources are available when you are ready to try it on your own (do an Internet search on "fishing line top shot").
Despite the benefits of a topshot setup, our recommendation is to start simple, and fill the reel with a high quality monofilament fishing line. Shift to a topshot arrangement once you get a bit more experience. Popular choices for monofilament include Berkeley Big Game, Ande Tournament, Soft Steel, Izorline, P-Line and Maxima. If the rod will be used mostly for trolling, go ahead and use a high visibility line. Line visibility is not a problem when trolliing, and a highly visible line can help you position the lures more accurately behind the boat. It is also a help when maneuvering the boat while fighting a fish.
Lines between 40lb test – 60lb test are recommended. These are heavy enough to get the target fish to the boat quickly, but are still manageable by most anglers. As you will see in Part II, getting a fish hooked on the troll to the boat quickly is an important part of your fly-fishing strategy. But line much heavier than 60lb test can be difficult to handle safely without some specialized gear and a lot of experience.
Rod Belts - If you intend to exert maximum drag pressure on a fish, a rod belt is almost a necessity with this class of tackle. Without a rod belt, heavy line and lots of drag can cause that rod butt to dig into your gut (or other areas of your body), and as mentioned earlier, will try to turn the rod over in your hands. A good rod belt, in conjunction with a gimbal butt, will prevent bad things from happening.
While almost any rod belt will provide some sort of relief, higher-end rod belts will provide more comfort, be easier to put on and adjust, and will be easier to seat the rod. If you use a rod with a gimbal butt, the fighting belt will need a crossbar at the bottom of the cup. If your rod does not have a gimbal butt, be sure the fighting belt does not have a crossbar in the cup, or the crossbar is removable. For this class of tackle, a rod belt using a waist belt is sufficient. The Braid Stealth Limited or Pro Manta belts, and the Smitty Small Day Belt are good examples of rod belts in this category.
Rod Harnesses - Another common offshore accessory is a rod harness. A rod harness is a specialized set of belts and straps that allows the angler to use his shoulders, lower back, or hips to help support the rod and pump the fish. A harness is connected to the rod using clips that snap into lugs mounted to the top of the reel frame.
Harnesses should be approached with caution by inexperienced fishermen. With heavy tackle, it is very easy to be pulled over the side of the boat while clipped in, and once you’re overboard and being pulled down by a fish, it is very difficult to free yourself. If you use a harness with heavy tackle, consider Game Face's AnglrSaver harness for some extra protection.
My recommendation is that you do not use a harness without assistance from someone experienced their setup and use.
Another option for trolling is something called a “meat line”. Meat lines have one purpose – to put fish on the deck. They consist of a length of parachute cord with a rubber shock cord snubber and a leader of 200 or 300lb test monofilament. The meat line is attached to a stern rail or eye, and trailed behind the boat. Once the fish is hooked, it is simply hand-lined in.
Some people troll with fly rods. This will work, but is not ideal. If the fly spins at all, that’s a major problem. If you don’t have specialized fly rod holders designed for trolling, you might have to hold the rod for hours at a stretch. The length of fly rods can be a handicap while fighting fish, since it makes it harder to get the fish close to the boat. And who wants to use a fly rod with 30lb or 40lb test tippets, anyway (even if the rod can handle it)?
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