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| Trolling for Trout |
by Bob Waldhaus
Now that spring has come the trout fishing is starting to pick up and I have managed to get out these past few weekends to enjoy some of our local lakes. The fishing has been very productive and the lakes have been very busy. One of the best ways to access and fish our local lakes is with a Pontoon boat. Many fishermen prefer to anchor and cast dry flies, cast chironomid patterns or cast a sinking line with a leach pattern. My preference is to troll. I usually run a full sink on one side to get to the bottom and an intermediate sink or floating line on the other side depending on what depth the fish are at. Trolling can be very a productive and very enjoyable.
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| This past weekend I headed out to a local lake, as the fishing there this past month has been very good. The lake was recently stocked and the fish have been very active. I have my 8” pontoon boot fully rigged out ready to go. For trolling, I have set up Scotty fly rod holders on my boat which work extremely well and allow you to quickly grab and remove the rod when a trout strikes your fly. This is very important as many fish can be lost while trying to get a rod out of a poorly designed rod holder. I hit the water around 10am and selected a few of my favorite flies. I attached an (#8) olive leach with an orange bead head to my sinking line on a 5wt 9’ rod, and a (#10) black leach with a red bead head to my intermediate line on my other 5wt 9’rod. I began trolling at a quick pace to get to my favorite part of the lake which also allowed me to see if the fish where willing to take a fast moving leach. As I approached my honey hole I notice that the fish where bubbling all over the surface. After trolling for 30 minutes and only having one light touch on the intermediate line I decided to switch it for my floating line. I put on the same leach pattern and attached two small split shots to get the leach 10-12 inches below the surface. I continued to run my sinking line on the other side about 5 feet off bottom. I began trolling again through the active area. I would increase my trolling speed with two — three good pulls of the oars then would coast to let the flies sink. I would also lightly alternate oar pulls as I glided through the water to give the flies some great action. Making quick sudden turns also will entice a trout to strike. These techniques worked very well this day as my top rod went crazy. Over the next 45 minutes I landed 4 trout, all about the 1 pound size and lost 3 more and had at least a half dozen more strikes. The top rod was doing well but my bottom rod was not getting any action. |
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At this point I decided to focus on the bottom rod in hopes of catching a big one. I began trolling much slower in order to keep the leach right on bottom. I would allow my pontoon boat to come to a stop before I began moving again. A light breeze also aided me in keeping the boat moving very slowly without the use of my oars. Although my top rod was not having much success at these lower speeds the bottom rod started to get all the action. I managed to boat 3 more trout which were at least half pound bigger than the fish caught on the top rod. Now having caught and released 7 trout on the day and another dozen or so strikes, the day was great. I was still determined to seek out one of the big lunkers. There have been fish caught in this lake up to 5 pounds, so the big ones where out there. There was a deeper part of the lake that I decided to target before ending my day and as I approach the area I ensured I kept my speed to a minimum to allow my olive leach to drag the bottom. Using a slight breeze and my oars to keep me at the lowest speed possible, I trolled through the deepest part of the lake waiting for that big strike. As the bottom came up and the shore got close I had to make a sharp turn away from shore, just then my bottom rod went off, the reel screaming out line. I grabbed the rod first thinking at first I may have bottom but soon realized I had a big trout on. The battle lasted for 5 minutes with the fish making 3 big runs before finally getting this 2.5 – 3lb beauty to the boat and in the net. This was a great way to end the day. As I trolled back to shore I managed to land 2 more beautiful trout on the top rod again. It ended what was another tremendous day trolling on one of my favorite local lakes.
More about Bob here
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Article |
Topics |
Date |
| 1. |
Fishing the Tyee Pool in Campbell River |
Salmon |
Aug 2013 |
| 2. |
Jigging for Coho |
Salmon, Tackle |
Aug 2013 |
| 3. |
TKO ing Big Springs |
Salmon |
Jun 2013 |
| 4. |
Spring Fishery Updates 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Mar 2013 |
| 5. |
Fly Epoxy Chum Fry |
Flys |
Feb 2013 |
| 6. |
Best Fishing Story of 2012 |
|
Feb 2013 |
| 7. |
Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon |
Jan 2013 |
| 8. |
Fly Tadpoles |
Flys |
Jan 2013 |
| 9. |
Fishing Outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon |
Dec 2012 |
| 10. |
Fly Steelhead Muddler |
Flys, Steelhead |
Dec 2012 |
| 11. |
Fly Bacon n eggers |
Flyfishing, Salmon |
Dec 2012 |
| 12. |
Keeping a journal |
Technique |
Dec 2012 |
| 13. |
Fly Egg-sukin leech |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 14. |
Fly Steelhead Madness |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 15. |
White Lake |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Aug 2012 |
| 16. |
Fly Orangesicle |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 17. |
Fly Blue Morrison baitfish |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 18. |
Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) |
Flyfishing, Tackle |
Jul 2012 |
| 19. |
Sockeye Strategies |
Salmon |
Jul 2012 |
| 20. |
Ultimate Squid TUBE |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 21. |
Roche Lake |
Flyfishing |
Jun 2012 |
| 22. |
Fly Coho Blue-zer |
Flys, Salmon |
Jun 2012 |
| 23. |
Flies Webflyzers |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 24. |
Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet |
Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island |
May 2012 |
| 25. |
Fly Purple Peril |
Flys |
May 2012 |
| 26. |
Trolling for trout |
Trolling, Trout |
Apr 2012 |
| 27. |
Fly Blue Note |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 28. |
Fly Kalumlow |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 29. |
Fly Skeena Scar |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 30. |
Fly Polar Express |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 31. |
Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 32. |
Strategies for Catching Sturgeon |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 33. |
Fly Copper Gammarus |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 34. |
Fly Alley Alevin |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 35. |
Fly Hilton Boss |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 36. |
A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 37. |
Fly Polar UV shrimp |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 38. |
Egg-sukin Beaver Leech |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 39. |
Fly Chardolas Bait |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 40. |
Don't be afraid to try anything |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 41. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier |
|
Feb 2012 |
| 42. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 43. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist |
Kids, Salmon |
Feb 2012 |
| 44. |
Fly Reeds Spey |
Flyfishing |
Feb 2012 |
| 45. |
Jet Boat Maintenance |
Boats |
Dec 2011 |
| 46. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey |
Recipes, Salmon |
Dec 2011 |
| 47. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Dec 2011 |
| 48. |
Fly Blue Charmer |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 49. |
Fly Muddy Waters |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 50. |
Fly - The Excursion Leech |
Flyfishing |
Nov 2011 |
| 51. |
Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille |
Halibut, Recipes |
Oct 2011 |
| 52. |
The Banner Season |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Jun 2011 |
| 53. |
voteforsalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 54. |
Votesalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 55. |
Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 56. |
Mayday for Wild Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Mar 2011 |
| 57. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist |
Flyfishing, Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 58. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson |
|
Feb 2011 |
| 59. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 60. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong |
Salmon |
Feb 2011 |
| 61. |
Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 62. |
Mediterranean Fish Fillets |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 63. |
Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye |
Conservaton, Fish, Salmon |
Jan 2011 |
| 64. |
Halibut Fishery |
Conservaton, Hallibut |
Dec 2010 |
| 65. |
Salmon Virus watch |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2010 |
| 66. |
Disease Information |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 67. |
Sea lice kept secret |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 68. |
Catch the Dream |
Halibut, Salmon, Trolling |
May 2010 |
| 69. |
Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter |
Salmon |
Mar 2010 |
| 70. |
Quesnel Lake |
Trout |
Jan 2010 |
| 71. |
Art of Curing and Smoking Fish |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 72. |
Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 73. |
Salmon fishery action suit |
Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 74. |
Save B.C. Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 75. |
Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter |
Fish |
Sep 2009 |
| 76. |
Oven bbq salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 77. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Aug 2009 |
| 78. |
Salmon Creole |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 79. |
Australia Fishing |
Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 80. |
Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 81. |
Navigating a boat purchase |
Boats |
Jul 2009 |
| 82. |
Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 83. |
Halibut with Fennel Broth |
Halibut, Recipes |
Jul 2009 |
| 84. |
Cedar Plank Salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jun 2009 |
| 85. |
Islander Winner 2009 |
Tackle |
Jun 2009 |
| 86. |
Just Get In the Water |
Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 87. |
Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon |
Salmon, Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 88. |
Steelhead & Salmon Warfare |
Salmon, Steelhead |
Jun 2009 |
| 89. |
Deep Running Giant Salmon |
Salmon |
May 2009 |
| 90. |
Salmon Scampi |
Recipes |
Apr 2009 |
| 91. |
Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout |
Recipes, Trout |
Apr 2009 |
| 92. |
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island |
Conservaton |
Apr 2009 |
| 93. |
Salmon steak recipe |
Recipes, Salmon |
Mar 2009 |
| 94. |
Chaunigan Trout Recipe |
Recipes, Trout |
Mar 2009 |
| 95. |
Best catch of 2008 |
Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout |
Feb 2009 |
| 96. |
The Great Chilko Bear Adventure |
Bears |
Feb 2009 |
| 97. |
Seasonal Outlook for 2010 |
Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout |
Jan 2009 |
| 98. |
A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. |
Salmon, Trolling |
Jan 2009 |
| 99. |
Carp fishing from a different angle |
Carp |
Sep 2008 |
| 100. |
Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare |
Accommodation |
Apr 2008 |
| 101. |
Hurt by aquaculture industry |
Salmon |
Nov 2007 |
| 102. |
BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms |
Conservaton |
Sep 2007 |
| 103. |
Go Fish |
|
Aug 2007 |
| 104. |
Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon |
Salmon |
Aug 2007 |
| 105. |
Lynn's Fishing Adventure |
Sturgeon, Trout |
Jul 2007 |
| 106. |
Chilliwack River Action Committee |
Conservaton |
Apr 2007 |
| 107. |
Indian Candy Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Mar 2007 |
| 108. |
Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts |
|
Mar 2007 |
| 109. |
Curing Eggs |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 110. |
Fishing for Chum Salmon |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 111. |
Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 112. |
A guides Perspective - The Fraser River |
Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout |
Aug 2005 |
| 113. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Dec 2004 |
| 114. |
Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs |
|
Aug 2004 |
| 115. |
Jet vs. Outboard |
Boats |
Aug 2004 |
| 116. |
Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
Tackle |
Mar 2004 |
| 117. |
Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend |
|
Dec 2003 |
| 118. |
Cow Paddy Pond |
Trout |
Oct 2003 |
| 119. |
12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat |
Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout |
Apr 2003 |
| 120. |
Sara, Guardian of the Lake |
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Jul 2002 |
| 121. |
Portrait of a Mountain Man |
|
May 2002 |
| 122. |
Carving the Salmon Pie |
Salmon |
May 2001 |
| 123. |
Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank |
Tackle, Trout |
Mar 2001 |
| 124. |
Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” |
Salmon, Seasons |
Mar 2001 |
| 125. |
Slippery Spotted Owls |
Salmon |
Jul 1998 |
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