Advanced Power Trolling with Les Smith by Brad Wiegmann

Les Smith has been called the Godfather of power trolling. Power trolling is a technique where multiple rods and lures force a crappie to strike a lure or run from it. It’s also done at high speeds around 1.7 and higher.


Like the Godfather Smith likes to get close to them and badda-bing, you got them; however, it’s the perfect summertime technique for covering water and searching for bigger crappie. The history of power trolling begins with Smith’s father and mother that were fishing in Crappie USA tournaments around the country using the technique. “It’s interesting to see how the technique has evolved from how Dad taught me to power troll,” said Smith.



The technique actually started with Smith’s Dad whom was good friends with Wilson Buck Simmons owner of B’n’M Poles. “He started out with 20 foot cane poles that he cut the ends off and put a handle on one end then attached some eyelets on the pole,” Smith continued, “He would use a 20 ounce bell sinker weight on the bottom of the line. Back then there was no limit of lures you could use where today it’s two lures; he would have on 5 fishing lures that were 2 foot apart. That allowed him to fish a 10 foot fishing column. It was crazy, he had those big cane poles out there with big bell weights and Mom would be right out there with him. I would be out there with them pulling up crappie sometimes 2 or 3 at a time. It became my favorite way to fish.”


“If you had to describe power trolling,” Smith went on, “It’s an adrenaline rush. Everything happens fast. So we like to call it fast and furious.”



During the summer months, Smith noted that it’s all about reaction strikes and crappie willing to travel a distance to strike a lure. “You get any lure close to a fish they are going to take off and hit it. We are covering a lot of deep summer habitat fast at 1.7mph right now,” said Smith.


Of course it takes a special rod to handle trolling a heavy weight and 2 lures at 1.7mph. Smith uses 18 foot B’n’M Poles Pow-R-Troller because it can handle the heavier weights up to 3 ounces without excessive bending at the rod tip. The high density graphite rod has an EVA handle with rear mount rod collar along with stainless steel guides.


“Over the years one thing that Live Scope has taught us about crappie is the farther out away from the boat the better,” Smith continued, “What live scope has taught us is that 20 foot out is the magic number. At 20 foot you are either going to catch them or spook them off. On my 23 foot bay boat with its big deck with 18 foot rods out you are covering a large area.”


Typically, Smith runs 8 rods out with 2 people in the boat. He will put out more rods with additional anglers in the boat. For lures Smith is using a lead 3-ounce egg weight tied 5 feet from the bottom lure. A second jig is attached with a tag line from a loop knot he cut in two and removing one line then tying on a jig to the other that’s 2 or more feet away from the bottom line where the second jig is tied on.


“The reason why I put the weight on the top of the rig is when a crappie hits the bottom jig the weight will ride up the line and it won’t feel any resistance,” Smith went on, “If you rig the weight to the bottom the crappie will feel the weight of the sinker and let go. We call these bites drive bys since you rarely catch them.”


For the main line going down to the trolling rig he uses 15-pound test monofilament that’s a bright orange color. His leader starts with a crane swivel on the top then comes down 2 foot and tie a 3-loop overhand knot and cuts it in the center which gives him a 6 inch leader. He will cut the other line off since it’s not needed. Then he ties a jig to the bottom of the leader line 3 foot away from the second jig.


Smith uses a 1/8-ounce Trout Magnet Fin Spin and attached a Trout Magnet Slab Curly for the top jig. For the bottom jig he fishes a 1/4-ounce Fin Spin Pro that has a shad dart head and hand-tied body of five layers of rubber, flashabou, tinsel and thread. On the Fin Spin Pro he will attach a Slab Curly for a larger profile especially during the summer months.


Power trolling is good from May till in the fall in the Mississippi reservoirs he is fishing noted Smith. “We have 6 months of great power trolling,” Smith continued, “I like to say put her in the wind and let her go. With the rig gear and set up you are going to catch them.”