Lure Fishing - Problem Busting

What is trolling and what do you catch doing it?

Basically, trolling simply involves trailing one, two or three lures behind a boat as yon motor or row along. The method is principally suited to large lochs or reservoirs where there is a lot of water to cover. This method is generally seen as fairly unadventurous and not very difficult. But there are complexities. For example, you've got to know your lures, how deep they work and at what speed they work best, it's probable nowadays that the modern angler will have an echo sounder on board and will be working his lures along specific contours of the lake's bed. Also, it can be hard, gruelling, even dangerous work managing the boat and three rods on a huge exposed water in the teeth of a force 6 gale. This is fishing at the cutting edge. All predatory fish can be caught trolling - pike, bass, perch, big trout, even Nile perch down in Egypt.

What’s the best way to transport lures, because mine always get into one big tangle?

You can't simply lump all your lures into a bag and hope to retrieve them when you get to the waterside! One good tip is to buy plastic hook bonnets and fit those to your trebles. These mask all the points and cut out a great number of tangles. Alternatively, you can invest in one of the many types of lure wallet on the market. These have different polystyrene pages, as it were, and you hook your lures to them so you can carry them in an organized, tangle-free fashion. Also, it's sometimes a good idea to take the hooks off your lures and carry them separately. Hookless lures won't tangle and it means that you can select the right hooks when you get to the venue and see how snaggy it is and how big the fish are. Remember that the hooks that come with your lure aren't always strong enough for every job in hand.

I keep getting my lures stuck and losing them. This is expensive.

Losing too many lures can be bankrupting! You're always going to lose some; that is the nature of the beast, especially as the good lure fisherman spends a lot of his time casting very close to snags and obstructions. Sometimes a cast will go awry and sometimes you just won't know that the sunken tree has an extra branch beneath the surface. However, a lot of losses can be avoided. For example, if you keep hilling bottom and losing lures in rocks, chances are your lure is too heavy, so go for a lighter one. Perhaps you are working your lure too slowly, so it's sinking to the- bottom and gelling caught up that way. Perhaps you're simply overcasting and getting tangled up in branches on the far bank. Take a bit of time out and practise your casting in a field, where you can gauge safely how much power to put into casts. Perhaps your line- isn't strong enough. If it breaks too easily as you pull against weed, then you need to step up in strength.