Trolling Near
the Surface:
The Key to Spring Fishing On the Great Lakes
by Mark
Romanack
"You're fishing too deep," was the advice charter captain Dave Engel
blurted out over the radio. A nearby boat who had been watching us net fish after
fish, couldn't take it any longer. The frustrated angler put out a call for help
and Engel who runs Best Chance Charters in Saugatuck, Michigan, gladly offered
his assistance.
"The biggest
mistake most Great Lakes trollers are making is not concentrating
on the top 30 feet of water," Engel elaborated. "During
April, May, and much of June, most of my best catches
are taken near the surface. Sure, you can catch a few
fish deep, but the fast action is up top."
Engel and his
partner Bill Bale have proved this fact time and time
again. Last spring the boys from Best Chance Charters
averaged over 10 fish per half day on the water and 15-fish
days were common.
The day I spent
sharing their boat last May yielded 17 Great Lakes trout
and salmon. This day in particular was special because
we caught all five trout and salmon species completing
the Grand Slam of Great Lakes trolling--an angling milestone
I haven't been able to accomplish since the heydays of
salmon fishing. According to Engel, most days on the
water yield at least three different species.
"Brown trout,
steelhead, and lake trout are the fish we catch most
often," says Engel. "A fair number of king
salmon are also taken and a sprinkling of coho round
out the catch."
All five species
frequently show up in the Best Chance Charters harvest
records, yet these guys rarely fish deeper than 30 feet
when the water surface temperature is 55 degrees or less!
The trolling pattern these anglers have settled on leans
heavily towards in-line planer boards with as many as
five boards set per side. The remaining lines are divided
between Dipsy Divers and downriggers.
"If the
weather is flat and calm, 80-90 percent of our catch
comes on the boards," admits Engel. "On choppy
days the divers and downriggers hold their own, but more
than 50 percent of the fish still fall prey to the little
in-line boards."
"There are
lots of days when we actually see steelhead before we
catch them," says Bale. "If the water surface
is calm you'll often spot steelhead tailing at the surface.
When we steer our boards past a fish like this it's not
a matter of it biting or not biting, it's a matter of
which line it's going to unload on!"
Most anglers
could tap into this kind of action if they would only
modify their trolling tactics.
In-Line Boards
In-line boards
aren't exactly new items on the trolling scene. Anglers
have been using the Yellow Bird, Tru-Tracker, Wille Side-Liner,
and Off Shore Tackle Side-Planer for many years. The
secret is learning how to get the most from these mini-skis.
Many anglers
understand that in-line planer boards help spread out
the trolling coverage, but what most don't understand
is that these fishing tools can actually improve the
action of trailing baits. When an in-line board is trolled
it jerks and darts when pulled through the waves, momentarily
interrupting the movement of the lure.
How important
is this interruption of lure action? According to many
professional anglers, charter captains, and serious anglers,
the benefit to lure action in-line boards provide is
invaluable.
"Not only
does the lure experience changes in action, but when
the bait hesitates or slows down for a few seconds, it
provides fish with an irresistible opportunity to strike
at a floundering target," says Bale.
The captains
at Best Chance Charters prefer the Off Shore Tackle Side-Planer
board, but not the way the board comes in the package. "We
modify the board considerably to meet our needs," says
Bale "The first step is to remove the flag. Walleye
anglers need the flag to help determine strikes, but
when fishing for steelhead or other Great Lakes fish
the flag is just extra weight."
"Next we
remove the lead ballast weight and clip away about 1/3
of the lead weight with a pair of side cutters," adds
Engel. "Making the board a little lighter makes
it easier to reel in when changing lures."
"The next
step is to remove the release mounted at the back of
the board and replace it with a large snap swivel. "The
snap swivel is clipped over the line and allows us to
trip the board and let it slide down when fighting a
fish."
"The final
modification is to replace the model OR-14 (black) release
that comes with the board with a heavy tension (red)
OR-16 Snap Weight release," explains Bale. "The
heavier tension of this release allows us to troll at
high speeds or when making turns without the boards accidentally
tripping."
An angler might
ask why so many changes are necessary? These simple modifications
enable the Side-Planer boards to function flawlessly.
Because these boards are a little larger than other in-line
skis, they track to the side better, making it easier
to run several lines per side. Also the larger size handles
rough water better, a fact of fishing in Great Lakes
waters.
Rods used for
fishing in-line boards are loaded with 17- to 20-pound-test
quality monofilament. If spoons are to be used, a ball-bearing
swivel is attached to the terminal end. A simple snap
is adequate if body baits are used.
About six feet
ahead of the lure, a barrel swivel is tied in-line with
a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce egg sinker threaded onto the line
ahead of the swivel. This lead weight helps spoons run
a foot or two deeper and also stops the board from sliding
all the way down to the fish. When body baits are used,
a Speedo bead is threaded onto the line about six feet
in front of the lure to stop the board.
When it's time
to set lines the process goes smoothly. The desired lure
is set approximately 80 feet behind the boat and the
planer board attached to the line.
"The best
way we've found to attach an in-line board to monofilament
is to loop the line around your finger and twist it half
a dozen times, then position the twisted line in the
planer board release," explains Engel. "This
method insures that the board will hold securely on the
line until a fish strikes. Most fish pull the twisted
line free of the release instantly, but with smaller
fish we often have to trip the board by popping the rod
tip sharply."
Using this ingenious
trip and slide-down rigging method, you can fish up to
five or six boards per side. On a calm day the outside
lines are often set to run out 150 feet from the boat.
During rougher conditions the boards can be run effectively
much closer to the boat.
A handful of
trusted lures complete this deadly trolling system. Favorite
body baits include the Storm ThunderStick, Rattlin' Thin
Fin, Bomber 15A, Bagley Bang-O-Lure, and Rapala Husky
Jerk. The best colors are fluorescent red, firetiger,
chartreuse, and other bright shades.
The top producing
trolling spoons are the Wolverine Silver Streak, Pro
Spoon, Dreamweaver, and Stinger. Productive colors include
silver with orange, silver/orange/green, watermelon,
gold/orange, and gold/orange/green.
Dipsy Divers
A couple Dipsy
Divers rigged off each side are useful for covering a
little deeper water than the planer board lines. The
best way to fish two or more Dipsy Divers per side is
to stack one above the other by setting one diver on
the No. 3 setting and the other on the No. 1 or O setting.
The diver set on No. 3 will run further out to the side
and closer to the surface. The second diver fishes deeper
and closer to the boat.
This rigging
method helps to keep lines from tangling and it also
covers the water column more thoroughly. The leader from
the Dipsy to the lure should be 6-10 feet long. A shorter
leader gives a crisper action to spoons. Crankbaits seem
to produce better with a little longer leader.
In all cases
the leader must not exceed the length of the rod. If
too long a leader is used, getting fish close enough
to reach with the landing net can become cumbersome.
The same lures
used on planer boards are also effective when fished
with a Dipsy Diver. More important than the type of lure
used is knowing the exact length of your trolling leads.
Then it's easy to duplicate this lead and return the
diver to the exact depth range.
Most serious
diver fishermen use line-counter reels to keep track
of diver leads. The Daiwa 47LC is the standard choice
among most anglers, but in recent years other line-counter
reels have hit the market.
Downriggers
Riggers can also
an effective way to fish the top 30. While most anglers
associate downriggers with deep-water fishing, there's
no reason these angling tools can't be used to fish a
wide variety of spoons and body baits are specific depths.
Most larger Great
Lakes boats have five electric downriggers mounted. One
rigger is mounted off each side and positioned to point
perpendicular from the hull. Another set are rigged to
fish straight out the back or angling out over each corner.
A fifth rigger guards the middle of the transom and fishes
straight out the back.
Generally, the
line that runs straight out the back is set to fish the
deepest. Corner and outside riggers reach out away from
the boat and are often set to fish a closer to the surface.
When it comes
to rigger fishing few anglers have logged the number
of hours Dave Engel has spent on the Great Lakes. Dave's
advice on rigger fishing holds true on all the Great
Lakes waters and when fishing for each of the trout and
salmon species.
"Spoons
are the most commonly used lures with downriggers," says
Engel. "If you're fishing a spoon it's a must to
use a quality ball-bearing swivel that allows the spoon
maximum freedom of movement."
According to
Engel anglers often make simple mistakes that prevent
them from catching maximum numbers of fish on riggers. "Lead
lengths are important when fishing riggers. If you're
fishing a lightweight flutter spoon it needs to be fished
tight to the downrigger weight. Set your leads from 10-15
feet and you'll experience more action from your spoons."
Engel adds, "Heavy
casting-style spoons can also be deadly when fished off
riggers." "These heavier spoons have excellent
action when fished on longer leads. The extra lead length
helps get these baits away from the boat a little and
can pay off big on some days."
A quality release
also makes a downrigger function smoothly. "The
release must have enough tension to provide a good hook
set, yet trip easily when necessary," says Engel. "I've
been using the Off Shore Tackle OR-1 medium tension release
for years with flawless success. Rubber bands, alligator
clips, and other home-made releases simply don't cut
it."
Summing It
Up
The Great Lakes
offer a wealth of trolling opportunities. When most anglers
think of these deep, clear-water lakes, they conjure
up images of downriggers and fish taken 50, 60, 70, or
80 feet below the surface.
The fastest fishing
action, however, often takes place in the top 30 feet.
Once you've made a commitment to fish the surface, the
rest is easy. After all, catching fish isn't hard, it's
finding them that most anglers struggle with.
For charter information,
contact Best Chance Charters at 616-857-4762
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