Trolling

[Dubble Trubble]

I run a stretch 25 out about 150 ft in 25-30 ft of water. BUT the one I catch the most with is a stretch 30 right behind the boat about 40 ft. I have had some Big grouper come up and hit it hard.

With both lures out, they are right about not stopping if you get a hit. I have had them hit the 30 at the boat, and a few seconds later, another one will hit the 25 back further....

4-6 mph depending on the current. Remember, if the current is against you at 2 mph, and your GPS says 5, the lure is running at 7mph in the water.

If you wanna catch Kings, run about 8 mph

Dubble

[KarstRanger]

4-6 mph depending on the current. Remember, if the current is against you at 2 mph, and your GPS says 5, the lure is running at 7mph in the water.

This past Monday, we trolled a lot of miles in 30 ft. of water (about 20 mi. East out of Steinhatchee), but didn't get the first hit while trolling. We were going 5 to 6 mph based on the GPS. But in reading Dubble Trubble's and other recent threads on trolling, I see that I have a lot to learn about this particular type of fishing.

I didn't really think about the current where I was and my direction in it. Nor did I take into account the wind-drift if any. This may be a dumbo question, but how do you determine how fast you are actually trolling in a current? Is it as simple as stopping dead in the water to measure the speed and direction on the GPS for a few minutes and then adding or subtracting that (as appropriate) from your GPS speed?

And, beginner question #2: I was using a Mann's Stretch 25+ -- what determines how deep it runs? Length of line out? Speed? Both?

ps - (We did however, end up a fine day of almost no wind or waves with a cooler full of nice black bass and pink mouth grunts to help make it another great day on the water )

[Jumptrout51]

5 mph should be 5 mph. It is surface speed. If you are traveling with current you use less throttle to maintain 5 mph. If you travel against current you use more throttle to maintain 5 mph.
5 mph is 5 mph regardless of the resistance of the water.

[KarstRanger]

5 mph should be 5 mph. It is surface speed. If you are traveling with current you use less throttle to maintain 5 mph. If you travel against current you use more throttle to maintain 5 mph.
5 mph is 5 mph regardless of the resistance of the water.

I guess I don't understand . Isn't my concern in trolling that the lure is presented to the grouper moving at 5 mph relative to him in his column of water - who cares how fast my actual speed is relative to the earth via GPS reading?

For example, I would think that if me and the grouper are in (just for example) a 20 mph current, moving with the current, then I would troll at 25 knots relative to the earth on my GPS - right? I.e., so that the fish would see the lure as traveling at 5 mph.

I know I am probably making this too darn complicated, but just think of the grouper I may be eating some day if you help me understand this .

[Eerman]

Current would effect the amount of energy the boat or the fish would have to exert to move; but, moving at 5 MPH is still 5MPH with or against current...but yeah, I would say you're thinkin' too much.

[Dubble Trubble]

Sorry JT51 and Eerman, but you are wrong.

We are talking the speed of the lure relative to the water, not the boat relative to the earth.

BIG difference. Sit and think about it for a while....

Dubble

[Eerman]

DT,
Wouldn't the GPS be reading the speed I'm moving in the current, therefore inadvertently making the correction for me? Just askin', word problems are not my forte.

[Jumptrout51]

Sorry JT51 and Eerman, but you are wrong.

We are talking the speed of the lure relative to the water, not the boat relative to the earth.

BIG difference. Sit and think about it for a while....

Dubble

5 mph is 5 mph. By your calculation ; if current is 25 mph, then the boat would have to be moving 30 mph to present the lure at 5 mph relative to the current. That is if the boat were going with the current.
Going against the current the boat would only have to go 5 mph.
Coming or going: 5 mph is 5 mph.
5 mph Uphill or downhill in your vehicle is 5 mph. Brakes or throttle is only relevant to direction.
The earth beneath the water is constant. Your speed is constant. How fast a liquid between the two is moving is irrelevant, except to the force necessary to maintain speed.

[grim reeler]

Water speed is what you want to use.

[Dubble Trubble]

Sorry JT51, you are wrong.

Lets say you are in a 10 mph current, and the boat is moving the same direction as the current. Now if you put a lure in the water, and you want the gps to read 5 mph, you would actually have to run the props in reverse, and the lure would pass you.....


Just draw it out, and you will see what I am saying. It is the speed the lure moves relative to the WATER, not the earth. The GPS measures the speed relative to the earth.....

Remember, we are talking about trolling speed of the lure in the water column, not the speed of the boat on the gps.

DT

[Dubble Trubble]

I also found this little chart that would account for the actual speed of the lure in the water....



Will have to try it...

[yukondon]

double post

[yukondon]

[/quote]This past Monday, we trolled a lot of miles in 30 ft. of water (about 20 mi. East out of Steinhatchee), but didn't get the first hit while trolling. We were going 5 to 6 mph based on the GPS. But in reading Dubble Trubble's and other recent threads on trolling, I see that I have a lot to learn about this particular type of fishing[quote]


This being the case, I`d say you was not fishing on hard bottom or around rocks, 30ft isnt a magic number, you need good bottom to find them groopa`s

[RodBow]

What's wrong with using your spinner knot-ometer hooked into your depthfinder. That would be more consistent a measure for boat/lure to water "speed"...?

[Just Fish]

Yall are killin me with this speed/depth calculation. Wakulla Co. residents and southern GA. residents must have the same education is all I can say.

Consider this, I am Mr. Grouper siting on the bottom in a hole, regardless of the 10 mph current flowing above me I am sitting completely still. So JT you are correct 5mph is 5mph, but Dubble is also correct. If you need 5mph to get a lure down to the bottom in 10 mph current, then you will have to travel 15mph.

So the best advice is get out on the water and experiment until you figure out what works the best in whatever environment you are in.

Dubble and JT, take both your existing "theories" and calculate in the rotation of the earth, the gravitational pull on the lure and the salinity of the water for proper depth calculations. Add in the Moon location for positive or negative effect on the earths gravity and you might be able to narrow the depth down to a few millimeters. Oh and I forgot to mention water temperature, lures travel faster in colder water. And you may have to consider the thermocline but we would need Einstine to figure that into the mix.

Jsuber how fast would you have to go in a Yak?