Since When ?

[Guest Bry]

Since when is it legal to drag football jigs and pull A-rigs with the trolling motor during a tournament?

I'm pretty sure it's not allowed. A bunch of guys have been doing this with the football jigs in tournaments for several years and now more recently w/ the A-rigs too. Isn't this trolling if your using your "trolling motor" to pull/drag your lure around?

WDYT?

[Feathers and Fins]

Last I heard it was trolling and wasnt legal for tourneys, I have seen it myself in several of the last ones on Beaver. I just dont care about tourneys enough to say anything plus you have to prove they were doing it and were in the tourney.

[motoman]

I think you're exactly right!......that's trolling to me, and is prohibited in most tourneys.

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In this day and age of smart phones; or just phones with cameras; it's very easy to video these infractions and turn them into a tournament director.....not sure why fools would still risk this behavior?!?!?!??!!!.......if I was fishing a tourney and paid my entry fee, I would sure as heck video this behavior and watch out for them at weigh-in, then talk to the tourney director. Tournaments are tough enough to compete in without competing against guys breaking thè rules.:-(

[Jason Essary]

Think the term is "strolling". Dont know if its allowed or not but if it isnt, then for sure video and send it in.

[Tfsh4bass]

Think the term is "strolling". Dont know if its allowed or not but if it isnt, then for sure video and send it in.

Guys have been doing it for years and I used to see them drag with the wind because it wasn't considered "trolling" if you didn't move your bait with the trolling motor. Strolling, the A-rig and the guys who flip docks with the fish cameras make tournament fishing a tough sell for me...just stick to fishing for fun.

[jeb]

I've only ever fished one tournament, and that was this spring at the CMN FLW event on Beaver. So I read the rules carefully. They say:

No trolling with big motor. http://www.flwoutdoo...iracle-network/

So it appears at least some tourneys are okay with electric motor trolling. If it is cheating in some contests, they usually have a clause about taking lie detector tests, too.

[Quillback]

Here's an article on "strolling", legal in the Elite series, not really trolling, but darn close to it. Seems it would be a good walleye tactic also when the wallies are hitting cranks.

http://www.bassmaster.com/news/long-lining-crankbait

[dtrs5kprs]

Not a tmt guy, so I guess it does not matter, but we have done that for years (strolling) on the deep fish. Using electronics and a grub to fish along a contour or in the winter along a creek edge. Always had the difference between that and true trolling explained by "so long as you occasionally cast and retrieve, or reposition the bait with the rod and reel". Sure it will raise some new eyebrows when it is done with the bass whisk.

The deal that came up at Douglas in the BASS is not what I have ever heard called strolling. It was creative, but really pushes the edge of what is and is not trolling. Also a potential disaster for a non-boater, and really needs to be addressed due to the potential competitive disadvantage. In the same way as rod length, float and fly, fly fish, etc., have all been addressed at one time or another.

I don't think I would ever report anyone over it unless they were blatantly pulling baits, without signs of casting. Pretty hard to distinguish a controlled drift and drag from trolling. Am sure I have used a combo of wind and TM to pull a jig or c-rig around at times.

[Tfsh4bass]

Back when I fished the Heartland Pro Am at one of the meetings the tournament director made a point about strolling...he said if you move your bait with the trolling motor or big motor in any way it is against tournament rules. Someone asked about dragging with the wind and he said I would prefer you move your bait with your reel...thought it was funny but still a loophole.

[Bill Babler]

Tfish is right Ralph was completely against it and said it was a complete NO NO. the two culprits were dragging a carolina rig and dragging a jig. The football jig was just gettting started then.

If you are just fishing, dragging a FB jig is more than a deadly tenique. Especially in the fall on the flat rolloffs. It is just a fantastic way to catch lots of fish.

I caught a glimpse yesterday, were they dragging cranks? Was making breakfast for guests and did not see the entire deal.