| The fact that fish will strike at moving objects has | | | | the bait is sliced by a mackerel or a wahoo, the |
| been known to man since the dawn of time. | | | | hook-up can be achieved when the fish returns for a |
| Evidence of this has been found throughout the | | | | second strike on the mutilated head.The advantage |
| world. Polynesians troll pearl shell jigs with | | | | of trolling with lures is that they can be trolled at high |
| tortoise-shell hooks from paddle canoes. Other races | | | | speeds and cover more ground and do not break up |
| trolled from a variety of sail and oar propelled | | | | or disintegrate as do the live or dead baits. Lure |
| vessels, long before the advent of the motor. Now | | | | trolling is to troll instantly. Bait trolling can be time |
| anglers can troll at various speeds and to depths of | | | | consuming to setup and needs ideal conditions. If fish |
| up to 60 fathoms with long lines and metal traces or | | | | are following but not striking at lures, it would be |
| downriggers.Trolling is equally productive in salt or | | | | best to vary the speed of the boat or to draw the |
| freshwater. It is synonymous with game-fishing but | | | | line in at fast then slow speeds to give the |
| can capture a variety of fish of all sizes and in all | | | | impression of fleeing bait from the fish. Lure trolling |
| depths of water. Technological advances in boating | | | | should be conducted with a V or W pattern to |
| equipment, navigational aids, depth sounders, water | | | | reduce the chance of tangles. The outside baits or |
| temperature gauges, as well as in the tackle used by | | | | lures are further out, with the inner lines moving back |
| the angler has fuelled an explosion in the number of | | | | in closer to the boat. It is also advisable to have the |
| trolling offshore anglers who head out every day to | | | | heavier lures in the centre so that the lighter, surface |
| feeding grounds miles from the coast.Trolling can be | | | | lures will skip over the others during turns.Drags |
| done with dead or live baits and lures. The bait/lure | | | | should be set to firm and the boat gunned or |
| combination has been developed over the years | | | | accelerated upon the strike to counteract the action |
| whereby a skirt or plume of feathers can adorn the | | | | of the fish and to eliminate stretch. Lures should be |
| head of the bait. This can serve two purposes, it | | | | rigged on heavy monofilament nylon or wire traces |
| attracts the attention of the fish and prolongs the life | | | | to avoid cut-offs. An advantage of wire leaders is |
| of the bait. As the bait is dragged through the water | | | | that the wire sits well in the water and does not |
| the skirt breaks the water ahead of the baitfish and | | | | detract from the movement of the lure. All trolled |
| reduces the amount of drag and friction on the bait, | | | | lures should remain within 70 metres of the rear of |
| providing a streamlined, faster trolling action. This | | | | the boat because the propeller wash has brought the |
| action excites the fish and encourages a strike at the | | | | fish in to the back of the boat already.Many inland |
| moving bait.Recreational and commercial fishermen | | | | fish live and feed close to the bottom. Lures must be |
| both take advantage of the combination of live and | | | | able to go to lower levels. Trolling distances vary but |
| bait trolling. Live bait trolling can be particularly | | | | where there are underwater obstacles, having too |
| successful where baits such as skipjack, slimy | | | | much line out can be disastrous. If the lure doesn't |
| mackerel or yellowtail are trolled near drop-offs, | | | | get caught up by an obstacle, a hooked fish with |
| peaks and troughs or near bait schools. Usually carried | | | | enough line can dart behind an obstacle and cut off. |
| out at speeds of less than 3 knots, it is best that the | | | | Of course, fish usually prefer this type of |
| angler hold his line clear of the rod to enable | | | | environment with lots of dead tress and snags for |
| awareness of the panicked movements of the bait | | | | hook-ups.Surface and shallow-diving lures do not |
| as a predator approaches.Live baiting is best done | | | | work so well in inland areas as with other freshwater |
| with a high drag or free spool and a long period | | | | species. Inland fishing requires sub-surface lures, |
| allowed between the fish taking the bait and the | | | | floating-diving lures which go way down and can |
| strike back, unless the fish hooks itself straight away | | | | work through a variety of depths.Anglers who are |
| and runs. Trolling with dead baits is the most-used | | | | skilled in both techniques tend to use trolling to |
| method when fishing for billed fish. Many anglers troll | | | | investigate depth, type of water and location then |
| with a combination of live and dead baits and usually | | | | resort to casting and retrieving. Some of the best |
| at speeds between 3 and 6 knots.One method to rig | | | | lure-fishing waters in New South Wales Australia, are |
| up dead baits is to hook the bait to the top of the | | | | the clear, upper reaches of the western rivers near |
| head and from the throat or belly. Upon the strike, if | | | | the tableland regions. Native fish thrive in fast flowing |
| the fish is not hooked, the line can be retrieved along | | | | waters with high oxygen content rather than on the |
| the surface to tease the fish into a second strike. If | | | | flat country where the water flows at a slower pace. |