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Thread: method for trolling hook ups??

  1. #1

    method for trolling hook ups??

    Gedday ausfisher's! As someone that is relatively new to trolling lures for pelagics, I would like to hear any opinions in regard to the accepted or best method when you do hook up. The reason I ask this is last mack season we hooked up to a couple of solid fish and my immediate reaction as skipper was to de-power and stop the boat thinking it would make the fight easier. Only trouble was the couple of times I did do this we lost the fish. Just wondering if anyone can advise what they have learnt through experience( no doubt greater than mine!) if they think it better to stop ,slow down or maintain trolling speed? Cheers in advance for your input
    Terry....

  2. #2

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    I guess it depends how your trolling.

    If your slowly trolling live and dead baits i would give the boat a litttle squirt of speed after hook up and then keep the boat moving foward while you clear the other rods. Then once the only rod out is the one with the fish on it stop and work the boat back to the fish, keeping the ine taught at all times.

    If your pulling lures at 6-9 knots i would just keep the boat going at the same speed until the other rods are cleared then again work the boat to the fish

    If trolling high speed lures ( hex heads etc) ease the boat back abit , clear the other rods and again work the boat to the fish.

    The fisherman on the rod should be behind the driver so the driver can see the line at all times and work the boat back to the fish at a 45 degree angle keeping the line tight but be ready to react and move the boat away from the fish quickly is it starts to come towards you.

    Ian
    Alcohol doesn't agree with me, but i sure do enjoy the argument!!!

  3. #3

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    my personal method (and a lot will disagree) is to just maintain trolling speed for a couple of seconds after hookup, I find that is heaps to ensure a solid hookup, a lot will say gun the motor for a long time and keep moving forward, I just find that all that does is make it seem like the fish is twice as big because you are still driving along, if trolling a good 'spread" sometimes when a smallish fish is hooked you can just idle slowly ahead and keep all the lines left out, but f just doing a 2 line troll for mackeral and so on, you can get one fish on, wait for a jiffy and wind the other in fast and will sometimes get a double hookup doing this.

  4. #4

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    Noelm has it right!
    Maintain speed until you can set the hook by hand, unless you need the fighting room leave the other lures working and you will get multiple hook ups on occassion. Don't forget to check your gear before you go, many hookups are missed simply because the hooks haven't been sharpened recently.

    Stubbie!

  5. #5

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    A big part of the equation is the measure of drag set , I used to set the drag at just enough to pull the lure without losing line , this is not sufficient for a better solid hookup rate , go a couple of clicks further equals setting the hook way more solidly at the outset , now if its pulling line its hooked.

    Re when to stop , depending on your boat how many and what fish you are into , tackle you are using, spread , who is on strike , but the answer lies in common sense and risk management etc

    If there are wahoo running and there are 2 or 3 anglers or you are going through big schools of kings or spaniards or a hot patch of anything , its worth while motoring at least another 10 20 seconds for a 2nd hookup in my opinion . But maybe the experience of who is on board and the shape of the spread its better to stop , pull slack lines in and support 1 guy 1 fish ..

    cheers
    bring it on ..

  6. #6

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    Thanks for the advice fella's. Hopefully will be able to test some of these theories this weekend. I do appreciate the feedback and hope to get plenty of hook up's this mack season and hopefully will get around the front of moreton and try for my maiden wahoo and dolphin fish. Thanks again and hopefully you will see some successful reports from myself in the not too distant future!
    Cheers Terry...

  7. #7

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    I have the habit of either choping throttle to neutral or hooking the boat straight out to sea at idle in gear (comes from often trolling very close to rocky shores).
    I agree the drag should be just tight enough do the job of setting a hook without the extra drag from the boat. I am sure I have lost fish by not just waiting for the solid hookup and draging them along a bit, but I also think I have rehooked some also. I dunno whatever works best on any particular species I guess.

    cheers fnq



  8. #8

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    I was always taught to gun the boat for 15 sec to give a good hookup so they couldn't spit the lure or bait.
    Tim

  9. #9

    Re: method for trolling hook ups??

    also good ball bearing swivels are needed, otherwise after a couple hours of trolling you will get line twist, this can mean the line wraps around the rod tip when it gets slack and when you hook up....snap. That is a hot tip.

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