One more crankbait trolling ?

[Mrmerck]

I appreciate each and every one of you on this forum and your willingness to help other anglers.

Here is my setup..

14' Lowe Jon boat
2.2 Mercury Outboard
Minn Kota Endurance 55 lb Thrust trolling motor
Walmart Everlast 29DC Battery
3 Scotty rod holders

My question involves trolling and the proper speed..At this point I do not have GPS on board, so I do not know the speed by which I am trolling.GPS may come later but my wife may take a frying pan to my noggin if I spend any more $$ on fishin stuff. So, how can I gauge what speed setting to use on my Minn Kota when pulling crankbaits? I`ve read that some fishermen play with speed settings depending upon how finicky the bite is each outing.

Any suggestions?

[Birdbander]

I used a handheld GPS before my recent sonor unit that has it built in. If you don't have one, they are cheap on Facebook marketplace.

Without any GPS I would start slow and add speed until you "feel" the crankbait. From there the fish will tell you. It's difficult to say which setting because its constantly changing depending on the wind, waves, more or less weight in the boat, etc.

You'll get 'em!

[StantheMan2567]

Luhr Jensen Trolling Speed Indicator

Had a former neighbor use one of these, or it was something similar and it was way before GPS was available on depth finders. He was an excellent fisherman who trolled cranks, jigs, and a combination of both at times. You might look into a homemade one, sure it is based on weight and speed and length of rope to the down weight.

[USMA65]

I would put the crank in the water near the boat and where you could see it. Turn the trolling motor on and look at the action and the bend in your rods. Speed up and little and look at the difference in the two. Make mental notes, go fishing and do not be afraid to be flexible. And....have fun doing it!!!

[strmwalker]

if you have a smartphone you can download a free app called Speedview !!!

[Mrmerck]

I do have a smartphone..thanks!

[cevans]

Set your trolling motor on a setting of medium speed... if it has 5 settings,,set it at 3...if it has 10 speeds,,set it at 5..average speed for crankbait is 1.4 to 2.0 so you should be about in the middle. I used to use a 14 ft jon with a 55 lb trolling motor but,,had it loaded heavier with a 9.9 Merc,,6 gal of gas,,vs. what you have and I built a front deck on mine. When you can,,get a hand held gps or even better a depth finder that has a gps. Depth finder will show depth of fish to run the cranks at..depth,,structure,,speed (gps) and water temp. Good luck.

[Mrmerck]

You guys are great!..Thanks to all

[silverside]

I am similar as you set up wise. I have single pole trolled crankbaits the same way for 20 years. As I troll I must feel the rod tip vibrate. If I don't feel it I speed up until I do and stop there. You can't really have a permanent trolling motor setting because wind direction and speed will vary the setting to achieve the vibration. An example would be if you troll along a bank heading south then want to go back heading north. Wind will change the speed necessary to feel the rod vibration. I have checked my routine several times with a gps and it comes out to 1.3 or 1.4 mph.

[Dutch552]

Find a used Garmin GPSMap handheld unit on Ebay. I used one in conjunction with my black and white Lowrance unit for several years prior to buying my first unit with mapping and GPS capabilities. You can find them in good used condition on eBay anywhere from $50-100, most run on AA batteries and will last many days of fishing on a single set of batteries. Best of luck to you!