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Boat Speed and Maneuvering
Boat speed is a critical factor in saltwater trolling success because it is the primary means by which the angler controls the speed, depth and action of the lure. Most artificial lures will only attract game fish when they are trolled within their proper range of speeds and move in their designed manner, which often replicates that of natural prey.
In most cases, the speed of the boat will need to be adjusted according to the lure selected. Every lure is designed to work within a certain range of speeds. If it is trolled too quickly or too slowly, the lure will not behave in the manner in which it was designed. It may not run deep enough, lack necessary movement or spin out of control. Therefore, if an angler trolls more than one lure at a time from the same boat, each should require about the same boat speed.
Learning which lures perform well at certain speeds is mostly a matter of experience. In part, this is due to the fact that boat speed and lure speed can be two different things. Current, drag, angle and turns can all affect the speed of the lure. Often this means boat speed must be slightly higher or lower than actual lure speed. Ultimately, proper lure speed is the speed at which the lure behaves as it was designed, because swimming action is what will finally entice the target fish to attack.
Determining Proper Boat, Lure Speed
Many expert saltwater trollers test the action of their lures at various speeds before they start fishing. This allows them to know precisely what speed to troll a given lure and which lures to use at a given speed. This can be accomplished by running lures off the side of the boat and observing the behavior of the lure at various speeds.
Unfortunately, at least for the inexperienced saltwater troller, the correct trolling speed can vary from species to species and season to season, even for the same lure. And, even if you are trolling a lure at the proper speed, the question remains whether that lure will attract the intended fish. Because of these factors, maneuvering of the boat becomes another important factor.
Many experienced saltwater trollers have found that altering boat speed and making occasional turns can be valuable in attracting fish because they alter lure speed just enough to make the difference between success and failure.

Inshore Lures
(Technically, most lures that are cast for inshore species can also be trolled; see the Artificial Lures section of the DTO.com Saltwater Fishing portal.)
Tube Lures – These are long, slender and hollow bodies made from soft plastic and are most often used to attract striped bass, barracuda and bluefish at various inshore depths. They are designed to resemble and behave like eels or sandworms. They include two hooks, one at the tail and one at the midpoint, and a lead head attached to the tubing. Tube lures are most often trolled by themselves in conjunction with a ball bearing swivel, though they are also used with a downrigger or umbrella rig.

Offshore Lures
Today, offshore lures are among the most sophisticated fishing products on the market and have been carefully engineered to attract large species such as billfish, dolphin (dorado), tuna, king mackerel (kingfish) and wahoo. In addition, they are durable enough to endure the high speeds at which they are trolled, as well as the savage strikes of big game fish.
Most offshore trolling lures are composed of a weighted head made of hard plastic and a tail or skirt made from softer plastic, feathers or nylon. The head section is often encased in soft plastic or similar material. Soft plastic more closely resembles the texture and feel of natural prey, which many anglers believe leads to more strikes, especially from fish that have been fooled before but manage to become unhooked.
Surface Runners – These trails across the surface causing water disturbance and bubble trails (often called “smoke”) that attracts billfish and other big game fish. The primary goal of a surface runner is to create as large a bubble stream as possible. They are trolled at relatively high speeds and often rise above the surface to “take in air.”
Underwater Runners – These lures run just under the surface in basically a straight pattern to attract tuna and other species. The main objective for underwater runners is to swim as fast as possible to make them appear like common baitfish. When trolled at proper speeds, these lures will swim just erratically enough to appear to be a fast swimming fish.
Most anglers categorize the different types of offshore lures by their head type, of which there are four basic styles: concave, cone, flat and slanted.
· Concave lures are designed to perform well in rougher water. The cupped face of a concave lure is able to cut through the water and minimizes “flying.” One advantage of concave head lures is that they can be trolled at a variety of speeds.
· Cone shaped lures are popularly known as “bullet” lures because their pointed head resembles a bullet. Often weighted, their shape encounters less water resistance, which aids them in running straight, though there are a few designs that allow them to move side to side. For the most part, these are trolled at lower speeds because of their tendency to fly and move erratically, and therefore are most often utilized with boats that lack the power to run at high speeds.
· Flat lures get their name from their flat facing on the head. This design causes them to produce the most water resistance of all head shapes. As a result, they produce large bubble trails, though they lack much of the flying or darting motion of other lures.
· Slanted lures offer a moderate amount of water resistance and run relatively straight, especially at high speeds. In addition to producing heavy “smoke,” they have the ability to move in erratic vertical motions, making repeated dives and surface runs.
A wide variety of such characteristics as length, hook arrangement, color, materials, face angle (particularly in slanted lures) and weight exist within each category.
Teasers – A teaser is a hook less lure used to attract fish into the area of other hooked lures. Although vibrations from the boat and its wake, alone, will create turbulence that attracts fish near the boat, more attraction is often required. Teasers are usually placed ahead of the hooked lures in a manner that makes it appear to be a natural prey fish or one being chased by another prey fish.
A number of things can be done to move the fish from the teaser to the lure. In some cases, the fish will do it on its own, choosing to check out all the interesting things in the area of the teaser. In other cases, removing the teaser from the area will cause the fish to seek other opportunities, namely the other lure or lures.
Although teasers encompass a broad category, there are three basic categories: single teasers, trolling birds and daisy chains.
· Single teasers are dragged in the wake close behind the boat and behave like a fish in trouble, which attracts other fish. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be quite simple in construction, usually construction from wood or plastic. Some have the ability to rise and fall and move side to side; others are very sophisticated in design and closely resemble traditional offshore lures, only without hooks.

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· Trolling birds are teasers made of wood or hard plastic shaped like a bird or airplane that ride across the top of the water. This movement of a group of birds across the surface creates maximum disturbance. It is believed that the behavior of the trolling bird resembles a baitfish trying to evade a predator (the lure). Like most teasers, birds come in a number of varieties. Soft versions with a larger keel tend to track better than others, but some move side to side by design. (Note: some bird rigs will actually have one of the lures rigged with a hook, usually the lure at the tail end of the group.)
· Daisy chains initially were nothing more than a string of dead bait strung along a line with a hook hidden in the last fish in the line. Dragging a line of fish in this fashion made the daisy chain resemble a school of fish, which attracted other fish. Today, many daisy chains are homemade devices composed of old, weathered artificial lures strung together and dragged behind the boat like a single teaser.
In some cases, anglers utilize a spreader bar in conjunction with a daisy chain. A spreader bar is usually just a metal bar to which the daisy chain is attached. Using this allows you to spread the daisy chain both side-to-side and front to back.

Salmon/Trout Lures
Trolling lures used for salmon and sea-run (anadromous) trout are trolled at relatively slow speeds compared to those used for offshore species like kingfish and billfish. However, they are usually trolled at much deeper depths, most often with the aid of a diving planer or downrigger. Popular salmon and trout trolling lures include:
Dodgers, Flashers – These are “attractor” lures often used in conjunction with squid lures and trolling flies (below). They are often a large piece of brightly finished or colored metal that reflects and amplifies light as it dodges from side to side through the water. Dodgers and flashers themselves do not entice strikes, and therefore do not have hooks attached. They are tied between the main line and leader so their action will draw fish to the main lure.
Trolls – These are also attractor lures trolled ahead of a primary lure or hooked bait. They consist of a strand of wire on which a series of metal blades are attached, which spin, vibrate and flash when pulled through the water. The flash and vibration resemble fleeing schools of baitfish.
Spoons – Trolling spoons are fashioned from hard metals with shiny finishes of chrome, nickel, brass, and also brightly colored fluorescents. Their curved shape causes them to wobble and flash when trolled, an action that can attract fish from great distances.
Squids – Squids are made from soft plastic or nylon and designed to mimic small squid. They feature cone-shaped heads, large eyes and tantalizing tail strands. Because they do not impart much action on their own, squid baits are almost always trolled behind a dodger or flasher.
Trolling Flies – Trolling flies resemble tinsel found on Christmas trees rather than actual insects, and are designed to imitate the flash produced by the scales of baitfish. The many strands are bound together in a skirt, through which line can pass, and a single treble hook is hidden inside.

Types of Trolling
There are five primary trolling techniques: Flat line, weighted, weighted line, diving planer and downrigger. With the exception of flat line trolling, each technique involves the use of a specific type of equipment or accessory designed to place the lure at the correct depth, with the desired action, and at the proper distance from the boat.
Flatline Trolling
Flat lining is the simplest, most basic and popular trolling method. It involves pulling a lure or baited hook(s) with conventional, unweighted fishing line (usually monofilament or braided nylon) with no additional terminal tackle between the main line, leader and lure. The only equipment necessary to flat line troll is a rod, reel, line and lure, making it accessible to any angler with access to a boat and salt water.
When flat line trolling, the depth the lure or bait can reach is entirely dependent upon its weight, shape and design, as well as the speed at which the boat is traveling. Due to these factors, trolled lures or bait may only reach a maximum of 30 feet deep, often much less. Yet flat lining is often used in very deep water to present lures at or just below the surface, where deeper dwelling game fish will come up to investigate. Due to its effectiveness in shallow depths, flat lining is also popular for inshore trolling.
Flat line trolling frequently requires a long line to reach areas that are revisited by fish after the boat passes. It may often be necessary to troll 200 to 300 feet of line or more behind the boat. In addition, because many of fish will be at each side of the boat, maneuvering in an s-shaped pattern may improve the odds of putting the lure within the strike zone of the fish.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of flat line trolling is ensuring that the bait or lure runs at the proper depth. Because there is no added weight to the line, lure or bait, each is more susceptible to wind, current or wave action. These factors can all affect lure depth, speed and performance. Knowing what depth the lure will attain at various boat speeds, line length, current and wind strengths is fundamental to trolling success. Much of this knowledge comes from experience and practice.
Weighted Trolling
Keeping a lure or baited hook(s) at the proper depth often requires attaching some sort of weight to the line, which allows a lure to sink faster and travel deeper than it could go with unweighted, flat line trolling. Weights and sinkers come in many shapes and sizes – egg, drail, split shot, keel, bell, barrel, bead chain, walking sinker and others – and most are made from lead or other heavy metal.
While the use of weights on a line definitely takes the lure or bait deeper, actual trolling depth is still influenced by boat speed, current and wind. Trolling with a weight attached to the line differs little from flatlining because there is a limit to how heavy a weight can actually be attached to a line and still have the line be manageable. This can limit the depth to which the line can be dropped and also hinder lure action. To troll in depths of 30 feet or more, most anglers employ weighted lines, diving planers or downriggers.
Weighted Line
Trolling with weighted fishing line is similar to flatline trolling or trolling with weights attached, but depth control is achieved through weight that is built directly into the line, causing the line itself to sink. Lead-core line, which consists of lead filament encased in a nylon shell, is one example. Wire line, either a single strand of metal wire or a combination of strands braided into one, is another popular weighted line. In both cases, depth can be controlled by how much line is let out.
The primary benefit of weighted line over line with weight attached is that the weight distribution is more even and the behavior of the line is more predictable. Also, many weighted lines are color-coded or marked at various lengths to indicate how much line is out, which helps the angler estimate the depth at which the bait or lure is running.
There are, however, some drawbacks to weighted lines. Despite their sinking ability, they too are susceptible to drag, wind, current and boat speed. They also demand heavier tackle than conventional fishing line. Wire line can develop kinks that may compromise line strength and manageability. And because of their density and lack of stretch, weighted lines can diminish the fight when a fish is hooked.

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Diving Planers
Diving planers allow anglers to troll deep water without attaching excessive weight or using weighted line. These disk-shaped devices can be attached directly to conventional fishing line, and their unique shape produces resistance when pulled through the water, causing a diving action that pulls the lure or bait behind it. Similar to using weighted lines, the depth that the lure will run behind the planer is determined by how much line is let out.
When a fish strikes a lure trolled behind a planer, the line will disengage from the planer, allowing line to pass through with little or no resistance. However, the planer remains attached to the line, which can hinder fish-fighting ability.
Most planers (often referred to as “planer boards”) can be adjusted to swim to the side of the boat, and many anglers employ multiple planers to cover different depths and distances from the boat. Moderately heavy tackle and line are required to handle the strong resistance produced by planers, even if the bait or lure is relatively light.
Down rigging
A downrigger is the most effective tool for precise, controlled-depth trolling at virtually any depth. A downrigger set-up consists of a strong base mounted to the boat transom (or other location nears the back of a boat), onto which a spool of heavy cable is attached. The cable is placed through the downrigger arm with a pulley system and descends straight down into the water below the boat. Heavy weights, often called “cannon balls,” are frequently attached to the cable to anchor it at a precise depth, determined by how much cable is released from the spool. Some downriggers can accommodate up to six individual lines, which gives anglers the ability to spread lures over a variety of depths, angles and distances.
To troll with a downrigger, the fishing line and lure are attached to the downrigger cable via a small clip (or “release”). Once attached to the cable, the line and lure are taken down to the desired depth for trolling. Once a fish strikes the lure, the line is jarred free from the clip, allowing the angler to fight the fish directly.
Most saltwater trollers consider sonar to be essential equipment when down rigging. Sonar helps determine the depth at which the lure should be presented by identifying the depth at which fish are located. Some also attach temperature or speed gauges to the downrigger cable to monitor these important factors to fishing success.

OLDEE

Thank you for lessons on trolling inshore and offshore. I have tried in shore trolling many times but so far I only managed to catch a 3kg barracuda. I only trolled on my way out to the sea or on my way back to the shore.Most of the time I got nothing. How far (in feet or meters) should I place the lure behind my boat?

OLDEE

I've been  trying to look for information on this subject. I found out the reason why I only caught a barracuda . The reason was the lure was placed too near to the boat. I found out that during trolling the lure should be about 20 to 40 meters behind the boat. Anyone having any information to share ? Thanks.

thomas8847

Maybe because of the lure doesn't go deep enough to catch other fish.

OLDEE

Thanks for your reply. May be, I think I may have to get lures that can dive deeper.I have very little experience in trolling. Any good lures for trolling snappers or barramundi ?

thomas8847

You better then me, at least you have practical on it but I only ask people and read from articles.

OLDEE

Thank you. I really hope that more members are willing to share their experiences in the English section.