Using markers for trolling

[HOOKED]

Wanted to get some opinions on this.

Suppose you have a new creek or slough you would like to troll. What would be your game plan? I'm thinking slowly search the area and try to mark any fish along the creek ledge looking for bends, cover, etc. with markers. Would you mark specific cover/structure along a ledge with markers, or throw several markers along a ledge and just cruise it regardless? I will be spider rigging off the bow, so my fish finder will not pick up cover/structure before my bait goes over it. Therefore, seems some sort of recon. is in order.

Thanks

[HOTSPOT]

When I am out "scouting," I normally am not fishing. Once I find something I like, I mark it on my chart plotter.

When I go fishing, I go to these spots and make notes of which ones were the most productive. These are the spots that ended up being deemed, "HONEY HOLES."

[deep-v]

I do the same thing as Hotspot. I mark spots that interest me with my GPS. IMO, marker buoys only draw unnecessary attention to the areas you are fishing from other anglers.

If you don't have a GPS and must use marker bouys, paint them black so that they cannot be seen from a distance.

[whizkids]

I use a Gamin gps, but before that I used palmolive dish detergent bottles so they couldn't be seen like the neon ones. Half fill them with water, so they just barely float and seal the lid tight. Some twine and sinkers and you are in business. They are hard to spot in a chop so it tkes some getting used too.

[TAE73]

Also if you do use buoys spray them with flat green or black they dont show up to well either.

[Darryl Morris]

My Arkie-bouys are flo-green and can be seen from space. If you ever come to Hot Springs, I'll leave some out for ya to fish around. Bring your GPS and we'll lock in some waypoints to get you on the fish.

Yes, I would use markers when slow trolling. Troll and if you get into a mess of fish throw a marker for a reference (not in the honey hole), so that if you get off the spot you can come back to the area. I've even used two or three to mark and area and trolled inside that area till I was ready to go. When done, pick up the marker and keep trolling. Use a gps if you want to return to a specific brushpile or structure. Certainly, other anglers see your markers, but that doesn't mean anything. They will learn the general area, but they don't know what your seeing or fishing and if they figure it out, more power to'em. Make friends on the water. We'll all need them one day sooner or later.

[HOOKED]

Thanks guys for the replies. I haven't thought about my GPS. Have a Garmin Legend. I guess there is a way to mark spots along a ledge as waypoints and then use that info. to make a trail from spot to spot. I'll have to get my book out on this one. May have to mark a waypoint as a beginning spot and ending spot, use markers in between along the way. Then, do a trip using the GPS from beginning waypoint along markers and to the ending waypoint. Then I can pick up the markers, and use my recorded trip to troll.

I'm going to a new lake and I don't have the luxury of scouting one day and then returning the next to fish. Need an efficient way to troll without being completely blind.

[Eager Beaver]

I agree with Darryl- I use markers and don't worry if someone see's them or not. If anyone asks I will tell them where to fish and where the tree piles are. I have several good spots, because I shared a few spots with people that returned the favor. I always try to assist anyone with fishing if I can. No better friend than a friend in need, and we all have been in need at one time or other. I always have a marker bouy on the gunnel wither I am at the helm or on the front running the trolling motor. If I see something that looks good I drop a bouy to mark the spot. Then I turn around and check it out.

[stumpbumpers]

I do the same in open water, then troll from one bouy to another. Some cases I use GPS, but normally just to get there. Once I'm there I use bouys. Most of the water I fish it is small enough to triangulate. I have run right up on a 4' shallow hump with logs laying accross each other. The water was clear and I could see the fish, so I dropped a bouy, backed off and used a slip cork, slayed'm.

[whizkids]

Thanks guys for the replies. I haven't thought about my GPS. Have a Garmin Legend. I guess there is a way to mark spots along a ledge as waypoints and then use that info. to make a trail from spot to spot. I'll have to get my book out on this one. May have to mark a waypoint as a beginning spot and ending spot, use markers in between along the way. Then, do a trip using the GPS from beginning waypoint along markers and to the ending waypoint. Then I can pick up the markers, and use my recorded trip to troll.

I'm going to a new lake and I don't have the luxury of scouting one day and then returning the next to fish. Need an efficient way to troll without being completely blind.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark the beginning and every spot and then the end. Move them to a track or create one and store them there to begin with. Bring the track up on the screen and take your boat right accross them using the screen showiing your boat movement. If you want to show various topo features differently use the icons for houses = trees, ect. ect. You can edit that track and rearrange the order to set the direction you want to troll. If you have to make three passes with the gas motor to get exactly where you want, mark it three times and delete the two you don't want. Whatever works for you is of course best, but rewinding those markers in cold windy weather is hard on fingers. I have track stored now I fished 2 years ago on lakes in other states.