| Trolling is the preferred angling method for those | | | | rockfish. |
| targeting striped bass (a.k.a. rockfish) during the spring | | | | PLANER BOARD MATH: At the onset of your fishing |
| and fall seasons on the Chesapeake Bay. The two | | | | day you need to stagger your distances and weights |
| primary areas that are the focus of this article are the | | | | as you need to find where in the water column the |
| recommended tackle and techniques required to catch | | | | rockfish are feeding and adjust your trolling depths |
| rockfish. | | | | appropriately. Be careful not to put your heaviest lures |
| TACKLE: Over the years we have experimented with | | | | to the far outside position on your planer boards |
| many different setups some that worked well and | | | | because this increases the likelihood of a tangle when |
| some that didn't. Below are my recommendations as | | | | the bait is struck. We typically work lightest to heaviest |
| to what works best. | | | | without significant weight variation on our board lines. I |
| RODS: For your planer board rods I recommend a 6 | | | | would not recommend deploying to the planer lines any |
| to 6 ½ foot 30 to 50 pound class rod. The rods | | | | tandem with a combined weight in excess of 14 |
| need to have a gimbal and a solid set of guides. Stay | | | | ounces. We recommend you leave the deeper running |
| away from guides with ceramic inserts. Roller guides | | | | heavier rigs for the boat rods not the planer boards. |
| are not required and a likely sign that you over spent. | | | | When deploying your planer rods be sure to adjust the |
| We use offshore angler's power sticks which are | | | | bait's distance behind the boat appropriately |
| available from bass pro shops and should last a | | | | remembering that the farthest bait out if struck and |
| lifetime. Cost is around $90 per rod. All of the required | | | | pulled from your clip will drop the farthest distance |
| characteristics for your boat rods are the same | | | | behind the boat. For instance, if your planer board is |
| except I recommend a 40 to 60 pound class rod | | | | tracking 100 feet a beam of your vessel and you drop |
| because your boat rods are going to typically be used | | | | a bait back 120 feet and then run it all the way out to |
| to troll relatively heavier baits including in line sinkers. | | | | the planer board when struck you will have the fish |
| REELS: For your planer board reels I recommend | | | | 220 feet behind the boat. Why is this important to |
| Shimano Tekoda 700's and for the boat reels I | | | | note? Because you must be careful to adjust each |
| recommend Shimano Tekoda 800's. When you get | | | | additional line you put out on your planer board line to |
| the reels you will want to adjust the reel handles out 1 | | | | ensure appropriate separation. If you fail to do so you'll |
| place to the farthest position as this will give the angler | | | | spend more time sorting through tangles than fishing. |
| more leverage on the fish when cranking the handle. | | | | For instance, given the example above you would not |
| LINE: For your planer board reels I recommend 50 | | | | want to put the next bait 140 feet behind the boat and |
| pound test mono either clear or dark green | | | | send it to a position 80 feet a beam of your vessel |
| camouflage. I tend to stay away from the high visibility | | | | because if both baits get struck at the same time the |
| lines when fishing the Chesapeake Bay. I also typically | | | | 2 fish will be right on top of one another exactly 220 |
| do not put braided line on my board reels because | | | | feet behind your boat. At that point the only distance |
| braided line has a higher propensity to slip out of the | | | | separating the 2 fish and the 220 feet line spans is the |
| scotty clip. If you prefer to use braided line on your | | | | horizontal distance between the respective rod |
| planer board reels, and many folks do, then I | | | | holders. |
| recommend at least 80 pound test to ensure the line | | | | BOAT HANDLING: At the onset of your fishing day |
| does not inadvertently slip out of the clip. For the boat | | | | we recommend a trolling speed between 3 and 3.5 |
| reels I recommend 65 pound test moss green power | | | | knots speed over ground. For some inboard vessels |
| pro. I also have no problem spooling a couple of the | | | | this means you may need to have a trolling valve |
| reels up with monel wire. I grew up using wire and we | | | | installed. As a short solution you can use a sea anchor |
| still catch plenty of rockfish on wire line each season. | | | | to slow your speed but this is not a good permanent |
| As for your leaders I recommend 60 pound test | | | | solution and represents another potential obstacle |
| fluorocarbon but given the cost any clear or low | | | | anglers must avoid when landing a fish. You want to |
| visibility monofilament will suffice. | | | | pay particular attention to your trolling speed and note |
| LURES: We use mostly chartreuse and white tandem | | | | at which speeds your having more success. On a |
| rigs with parachutes affixed. We also use umbrella rigs. | | | | slow day don't hesitate to adjust your speeds. Our |
| Our tandems are typically 2 to 4, 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 | | | | basic principle is the colder the water temperature the |
| ounce combos with 9 inch shads attached. We | | | | slower we troll. In the winter months we've trolled as |
| typically use products produced by local outfitters. For | | | | slow as 2 knots and caught fish. |
| more information as to the specific companies and | | | | FINDING FISH: Work the channel edges in a zig zag |
| brands we use please contact me via email at the | | | | pattern from one side of the channel to the other until |
| email address given below and I will provide you | | | | you locate the fish. Depths from 35 to 80 feet are |
| several folks who can meet your needs. I should point | | | | most appropriate. We often drop our boat rods back |
| out that we do adjust our trailing baits quite often and | | | | a little farther when we are in the middle of the |
| have found that green and chartreuse tomic plugs, | | | | channel and adjust them appropriately as we reach |
| made in France, work very well. Also don't be afraid to | | | | the channel edge. Your really not looking for fish but |
| use a crippled alewive or tony accetta spoon either. | | | | rather bait as where there is bait there is bound to be |
| THE SPREAD: We run 21 lines from a 35 foot | | | | fish. Pay attention to diving birds and large schools of |
| Carolina Classic express sportfisherman with a 14 foot | | | | menhaden you might see on your sounder. Mark the |
| beam. I know many a charter captains who run many | | | | larger schools and don't be afraid to circle back over |
| more lines than that. My philosophy is simple. Troll as | | | | those marks repeatedly from multiple directions. |
| many lines as you're comfortable with. Mitigating | | | | KNOW THE TIDES: If readers take one thing away |
| factors should include the number of accessible rod | | | | from this article it should be the importance of knowing |
| holders you have, your vessel's beam width, and your | | | | your tide information. Always have a tide chart on your |
| crew's experience level. The last thing you want to do | | | | boat and be sure to make note of the high, low and |
| is compete against a charter boat. Most charter boats | | | | slack tide times for your area before departing the |
| run 2 trips a day and deploy as many rods as possible | | | | dock. Rockfish always bite best on an ebb or flood |
| because it greatly increases the odds that they can | | | | tide and are much less likely to bite on a slack tide. If |
| return to the dock with happy customers in time to | | | | you don't have a full day to put into your fishing effort |
| pick up their next party. Your typical fisherman that is | | | | make sure you plan your departure time to avoid |
| out there for the love of the sport shouldn't need a 140 | | | | fishing in slack tide conditions. |
| feet span of planer line and 30 rods deployed to catch | | | | |