Learning from the trollers

[Cutter]

This weekend I took some casual fishermen out for a trip. They don't fish much so I took them trolling. As I dragged baits for endless hours the screen often looked like this:

Chatter on the radio was about fish caught in shallow water off the planers where the boat had not stirred things up.

As I thought about it, there was no reason these fish could not be reached with lighter tackle. So today i finished work a little early and hit the water with a 9wt and a big yak hair bunker. Without all the weekend boats, I could get some nice drifts through water where the finder stayed lit up.

The gamble worked and I found some awesome fish on the fly in deep water. Clearly there is the potential to develop this thought some more. Anyone else ever try this during the spring season?

[flies only]

hey cuttter my thoughts are that it is kinda like whatever everyone else is doing thats what should be done to work.no one deviates but doesn't reaally try. i thought about a t 14 and a half and half. i have done the spoon deep and then cast flies to his schoolmates. gonna try that bay bridge area. i will probably be trying that area soon.

[goose70]

Mark, I've thought the same thing. You were in the Bay, I assume. When I had the smaller boat and was stealthier, I'd occassionally see big Rock lazily moving out of my way as I trolled. This was usually in over 100 ft. of water, too. It occured to me then to cast plugs to them, but for whatever reason I never got around to it.

[Brandon]

Hey Mark

I have tried the same thing. As you suggest the week is much better.
I usually try this around the mouth of the Choptank. I use a SA 500 or 600g sinking line. I have the Deep Lake line, but have not tried it for this, but can not imagine it would not work.
It is sort of the same thing we do at the CBBT in the Winter when they are not breaking. I fish down to about 50ft this way and have had success. I have found that here in the upper/middle/MD bay it is not as fast and furious as at the CBBT, but this technique definitly works if you have some patience.

Brandon

[Cutter]

These fish were all caught in the top 10'. I have seen the same thing Jeff. Big swirls as you troll through fish on top.

[bluto]

The scope is your friend....used this technique often on the bay all times during the year - see a pod of fish, stop and drift thru.

Fished with a capt out of Solomon's once - troller...he did the same thing - run, mark fish, troll thru...pick up and repeat.