Center Console for Long Line Trolling

[bulldog1]

Gonna get a center console and longline troll on Lake Talquin. Looking for suggestions on set up. Fish from very front? Fish from middle in front of console? Blessed to move to Talquin last year and about time I get with it. Been several years since I fished it.

Thanks everyone. Looking forward to any suggestions!

Hey Lightwirehooker, I hope your doing great out there!

[sinkermaker]

Any boat just about can be used to crappie fish out of. I saw some people crappie fishing out of a 27 ft offshore center console with twins a couple years ago. The bigger the boat the more the wind will effect it.

[huntinslabs]

I have a Sportsman 18 Island Bay. I longline off the back pulling with 12 rods. I hve 3 sets of 4 rod Driftmasters. Each side and center in back.
I dont have any pics on this with it set up for longlining. But I dont have a leaning post either which seems to be the norm know on bay boats. I have the flip flop seat over livewell.

[catchncrisco]

Search on the Kentucky board for mrdux post's.....he has a center console and guides out of it... does a lot of long lining and is very knowledgeable and willing to share information....great guy !!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Javelin 180]

I second talking to mrdux he has a great looking center console boat.

[J.M.]

I fish out of a CC and love it. Depending on your trolling motor I set behind console and fish out of the back.

[dhaire]

Love my Texas made FreedomBoats 18’ Patriot. I cast or straightline but it would work well with long lining or Spyder rigging.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[M R Dux]

I longline and run planer boards a lot out of my Excel Bay Pro 203 center console. Granted, there is a big difference when fishing with clients and fun fishing with buddies/family. If there are 2-3 of us fun fishing, I'll get up front and have the others on the back deck. I run slightly heavier weights on the front so the baits run BELOW those on the back. The major issue with setting up like this is you have to be very aware of line separation, especially in turns. I typically run 2 feet of line separation when longling jigs or roadrunners, 4 feet when pulling cranks.

If I have 3 clients, I have 2 on the back deck and one up front with me behind the console manning the electronics and net. The person up front may be pushing jigs/roadrunners or running a couple of small planer boards, one off each side. I rarely run more than 2 lines per client unless there are only 2 on the back deck, then I'll run 3-4 lines per fisherman. Longlining is much harder to teach to clients than cranks because they tend to not pay attention to trash on baits or tangled lines.

If you are running a remote steer trolling motor (I run a Rip Tide or Terrova, both I-pilot), just put yourself in one of the client positions I mentioned.

Personally, I rarely fish unless I'm manning a dropper rig right off the side of the console on either side when with buddies. My wife doesn't like to longline. She'd run cranks 12 months of the year. I'm at the console 95% of the time and rarely sit down at all during a fishing day.

[bulldog1]

Guys. Thank you for your insight! Just got my new used boat yesterday. G3 CC DXL. 18 feet. Ordering an IPilot now. Just can't decide if I want to sit on the front deck or on the livewell in front of console.

Last time I trolled happens to be o Kentucky Lake. Had a blast about 7 years ago. Gonna have to get up there again!


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[footballcoach]

I have a 21 foot Nautic Star bay boat. I have two four holder spider lock rod holders in front and two in back. My home lake has a 3 pole limit per angler. With myself and one other, I run two rods off the front, one on each side. I run four off back, two off each side. I run basically the same set up with three in the boat especially if they are not experienced long liners. With experienced guys I add another rod to each side on the back. Mrdux is giving you some good info. Follow his advice and you will do well.