Trolling advice for rookie

[jugboat]

Yep, rookie needing advice. I've kinda figured out what part of the lake I want to try, but I haven't done any trolling. I fixed up an old 14' aluminum johnboat and a 9.8 nissan motor came today. So, I have an electric trolling motor (motorguide, just the basic one) and the 9.8. For trolling, which motor do I use when? The 9.8 is a 4 stroke, so it should idle/troll well. Allatoona is close so I will probably head there. All advice is appreciated. Of other lakes nearby, which ones do you suggest? Thanks for All.

[FalconSmitty]

here is a great article on trolling. Adjust it for what works for you and get your lines wet. Good luck.
Trolling article

Everyone has a way to troll so find what works for you. Remember, sometimes just longlining a few out the back of the boat works better than anything.

[FalconSmitty]

trolling depth calculationsthis is a trolling article that gives me a headache. whew. Sometimes we can make it to complicated, but it is good to know. or try to know in my case.

below is an article from http://www.gameandfishmag.com/crappi.../gf_aa046702a/
it has links to other good info on its page.
THESE TROLLING TECHNIQUES WORK!
(Editor's Note: Trolling for crappie is not legal everywhere, and readers should check the regulation book for local game laws as they apply to trolling and the number of poles allowed for each angler. Where trolling under power is not allowed, often the same effect can be had by using the wind to drift over known crappie-holding waters and using jigs of various weights to fish different depths.)

Trolling or drifting jigs behind a boat is the most efficient method for locating crappie because you cover a lot of water and offer a variety of colored jigs at one time.

Use as many poles and hooks as is legal (or practical) for you and your partners to fish. Twelve-foot graphite poles (with spinning reels) will get your baits far enough away from your boat so they won't drift back into each other.

Fan out your poles in holders off the front of your boat. Set the depths of the jigs to cover the water column, and try a variety of colored jigs. These parameters will let you cover a wide swath horizontally and vertically, as well as determine which colors or color combinations the crappie prefer.

I recommend looking at an area with your sonar before you fish it. If you run into a snag you don't know is there, you can hang all your baits up at one time, and then you've got a mess.

Choices of grubs range from tube (hollow) to solid bodies. One angler uses solid jig bodies just for color. He slides them on his light wire hooks instead of a jighead and tips them with minnows. His technique includes using an 18-inch leader with long, cylindrical sinkers (with a slot down the middle and ears at each end that crimp on) 10 inches below a swivel and then adding a hook. He claims these sinkers don't snag as badly as egg sinkers do.

Slow-troll over crappie-holding structures, such as ledges, stumps and brushpiles. Judge by the time of year if there should be fish in the area.


FLAT-LINE TROLLING
Flat-line trolling (or drifting) is good for suspended fish. Line up various lengths of poles (12, 10, 8 and 6 feet long) fanned out the back of your boat. In the spring, the first move crappie make is vertical. Ideally, your baits will be moving at about 1 to 1 1/2 miles per hour.

There isn't an accurate speedometer for going that slow, but you should use the speed shown on your display. If you read 1.2 mph and you're catching fish, you know to stay at that speed, whether it's really 1.2 or 0.8 mph.

When it's windy and you're going with the wind and then you change directions, bumping up the trolling motor speed a little bit helps maintain the right speed.

[jugboat]

Wanted to say "thanks to ya" Falcon Smitty, I'm reading through the info you sent. Hope your team wins, and you catch a boatload of BigUns.

[FalconSmitty]

Wanted to say "thanks to ya" Falcon Smitty, I'm reading through the info you sent. Hope your team wins, and you catch a boatload of BigUns.

I didn't write the article. I don't have a team. I have never fished a profesional tourney. I am a learning crappie man. Good luck crappie are the best fish in any water. They change so much but they do the same thing over and over. They even fight different according to the season. right now they will jerk your rod out of your hand fighting. A few weeks ago they barely struggled. They even change colors. They are a great fish. Oh yeah they taste better than any fish that swims.

[jugboat]

I still hope the Falcons win for ya. I'm a Saints fan myself, I used to work offshore out of New Orleans, back when they were 2/13 for the season. I worked as a steel rigger, and we fished off the oil rigs at night, some fun fishing, mostly caught sharks like crazy. If we caught something good for the table, the cooks would cook it for us. I haven't fished much in a long time, just started back, and I'm having a great time. I've been going to a small lake, using the electric motor, but now have an option for some of the larger lakes, that are closer to where I live(30 minute drive instead of 1 1/2 hour), but didn't think the battery had enough juice to get out on them. You are right about the article on lure depth, I'm still dizzy from reading it. It looks like the weather is settling out, and I'm headed for the lake tomorrow, figure I can troll and start breaking the engine in at the same time. Thanks Again