| The fact that fish will strike at moving objects has | | | | wahoo, the hook-up can be achieved when the fish |
| been known to man since the dawn of time. Evidence | | | | returns for a second strike on the mutilated head. |
| of this has been found throughout the world. | | | | The advantage of trolling with lures is that they can be |
| Polynesians troll pearl shell jigs with tortoise-shell hooks | | | | trolled at high speeds and cover more ground and do |
| from paddle canoes. Other races trolled from a variety | | | | not break up or disintegrate as do the live or dead |
| of sail and oar propelled vessels, long before the | | | | baits. Lure trolling is to troll instantly. Bait trolling can be |
| advent of the motor. Now anglers can troll at various | | | | time consuming to setup and needs ideal conditions. If |
| speeds and to depths of up to 60 fathoms with long | | | | fish are following but not striking at lures, it would be |
| lines and metal traces or downriggers. | | | | best to vary the speed of the boat or to draw the line |
| Trolling is equally productive in salt or freshwater. It is | | | | in at fast then slow speeds to give the impression of |
| synonymous with game-fishing but can capture a | | | | fleeing bait from the fish. Lure trolling should be |
| variety of fish of all sizes and in all depths of water. | | | | conducted with a V or W pattern to reduce the |
| Technological advances in boating equipment, | | | | chance of tangles. The outside baits or lures are |
| navigational aids, depth sounders, water temperature | | | | further out, with the inner lines moving back in closer to |
| gauges, as well as in the tackle used by the angler has | | | | the boat. It is also advisable to have the heavier lures in |
| fuelled an explosion in the number of trolling offshore | | | | the centre so that the lighter, surface lures will skip |
| anglers who head out every day to feeding grounds | | | | over the others during turns. |
| miles from the coast. | | | | Drags should be set to firm and the boat gunned or |
| Trolling can be done with dead or live baits and lures. | | | | accelerated upon the strike to counteract the action of |
| The bait/lure combination has been developed over | | | | the fish and to eliminate stretch. Lures should be rigged |
| the years whereby a skirt or plume of feathers can | | | | on heavy monofilament nylon or wire traces to avoid |
| adorn the head of the bait. This can serve two | | | | cut-offs. An advantage of wire leaders is that the wire |
| purposes, it attracts the attention of the fish and | | | | sits well in the water and does not detract from the |
| prolongs the life of the bait. As the bait is dragged | | | | movement of the lure. All trolled lures should remain |
| through the water the skirt breaks the water ahead of | | | | within 70 metres of the rear of the boat because the |
| the baitfish and reduces the amount of drag and | | | | propeller wash has brought the fish in to the back of |
| friction on the bait, providing a streamlined, faster trolling | | | | the boat already. |
| action. This action excites the fish and encourages a | | | | Many inland fish live and feed close to the bottom. |
| strike at the moving bait. | | | | Lures must be able to go to lower levels. Trolling |
| Recreational and commercial fishermen both take | | | | distances vary but where there are underwater |
| advantage of the combination of live and bait trolling. | | | | obstacles, having too much line out can be disastrous. |
| Live bait trolling can be particularly successful where | | | | If the lure doesn't get caught up by an obstacle, a |
| baits such as skipjack, slimy mackerel or yellowtail are | | | | hooked fish with enough line can dart behind an |
| trolled near drop-offs, peaks and troughs or near bait | | | | obstacle and cut off. Of course, fish usually prefer this |
| schools. Usually carried out at speeds of less than 3 | | | | type of environment with lots of dead tress and snags |
| knots, it is best that the angler hold his line clear of the | | | | for hook-ups. |
| rod to enable awareness of the panicked movements | | | | Surface and shallow-diving lures do not work so well in |
| of the bait as a predator approaches. | | | | inland areas as with other freshwater species. Inland |
| Live baiting is best done with a high drag or free spool | | | | fishing requires sub-surface lures, floating-diving lures |
| and a long period allowed between the fish taking the | | | | which go way down and can work through a variety |
| bait and the strike back, unless the fish hooks itself | | | | of depths. |
| straight away and runs. Trolling with dead baits is the | | | | Anglers who are skilled in both techniques tend to use |
| most-used method when fishing for billed fish. Many | | | | trolling to investigate depth, type of water and location |
| anglers troll with a combination of live and dead baits | | | | then resort to casting and retrieving. Some of the best |
| and usually at speeds between 3 and 6 knots. | | | | lure-fishing waters in New South Wales Australia, are |
| One method to rig up dead baits is to hook the bait to | | | | the clear, upper reaches of the western rivers near |
| the top of the head and from the throat or belly. Upon | | | | the tableland regions. Native fish thrive in fast flowing |
| the strike, if the fish is not hooked, the line can be | | | | waters with high oxygen content rather than on the |
| retrieved along the surface to tease the fish into a | | | | flat country where the water flows at a slower pace. |
| second strike. If the bait is sliced by a mackerel or a | | | | |