I'm new to crappie fishing and was looking for some advice on longline trolling. Anyone got any tips on knowing the depth your jigs are running while trolling? Any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated ;)
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I'm new to crappie fishing and was looking for some advice on longline trolling. Anyone got any tips on knowing the depth your jigs are running while trolling? Any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated ;)
Many variables affect depth while longliniing. Jig weight, line weight and bouyancy, line length, and boat speed are the most important. I mainly adjust my jig weight, boat speed, and line length. Its not a precise method as each rod will vary some what in depth even with all these variables the same. You are trying to cover water and looking for aggressive feeders, so you are mostly targeting a depth zone that may vary up to four feet. Say you are keeping baits from 6-8 foot deep in 15 foot of water. Best thing to do is get out there and practice and find your way. There is not a chart or cheat sheet to go by. Hope this helps.
Run a search on Kelly Matthews old post, he has some info on this.
I can only tell you what I have done over the last 30+ years of this. I mostly long line in spring and fall. Spring mostly its will be water 6' to 10', but early and late spring it may also include some in 11' to 15'. Then fall a lot of 12' to 17' around Hydrilla especially on drop offs and around lay downs on steep banks. Places like that. Fall you may also find them when they go in the back of creeks and can be fairly shallow. I almost always use a 1/32 Oz. Roadrunner, but when deeper I have used some 1/16. Now also if I am in some of that water 12' and deeper with the wind blowing hard I will actually take a 1/8 Oz jig and pull it right next to me without letting it back far at all.
Good Luck,
Skip
thanks everyone for all the advice. I appreciate it. there is alot of stuff out there to learn for a beginner.
do a search for LL, longlining, trolling, and see what comes up. Should get some good reading material for you. Have seen several threads on longlining as well.
Hi rw,
Here's a chart that might help you. But it's more relevant for trolling with an additional weight (I use 3/8 oz.) in front of the bait (I'm not sure, but I think that's called tight-lining...I'm still new to the lingo).
Attachment 76376
If you're long-lining (no additional weight) your line's angle at the waterline is going to be much greater and hard to estimate.
Rig up a rod with your preferred line and preferred jig...
Set your boat speed to a constant speed...running parallel with the bank...
Make a normal cast out the back of the boat...
Using the TM... Ease the boat shallower until the jig bumps bottom...
Note depth on depth finder....
Retest at different speeds with all other variables the same...
Note depth jig bumps bottom on depth finder at each different speed...
Write these boat speeds vs depths down in a handy place....maybe the top of a tackle box....
Rickie
Actually, it's still called "longline trolling" or "longlining". "Tightlining" is generally considered as another name for "still fishing" ... or being tied off/anchored & fishing straight down. This is also seperate from "drifting/drift fishing", where the boat is not tied off or anchored ... even though the lines are/can be straight down.
In reality, most all methods (with the exception of "free lining") employ a "tight line" aspect (since the weight of the bait, or added weight, causes the line to stay tight/taught) ... which is why the concept of "tightline fishing/tightlining" is intertwined with many other named methods.
(* free lining is using only a hook on the end of the line, with no other weight added, and live bait on the hook ... which allows the bait to swim "free" of any restraining weight, other than the weight of the hook itself)
... cp :cool:
here is a site thats worth looking at if you are really interested into longlining!!!good luck to you hope this helps!!!
http://www.magnoliacrappieclub.com/a...LongLining.pdf