Since When ?

[Fishin Hodge]

You guys are killing me.

If you are fishing a jig, carolina rig, or any bottom bait my guess is you can't fish a complete day without moving your bait with your trolling motor at least somewhat. You are walking a fine line and talking about splitting hairs if you are talking about moving a bait with a trolling motor. You think you don't move a float and fly with your trolling motor?

I remember when Derek Remitz won an Elite tournament flat out dragging a jig on Lake Amistad. If tournament rules state no dragging then I agree with you 100%, but if they say no trolling I have been under the impression they are talking about use of a gas powered motor.

[dtrs5kprs]

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.

They were throwing deep cranks as far as possible, then with the reel in freespool, running the TM to peel off additional line. As in lots of line. Then starting the retrieve in order to get the bait deeper for a longer amount of the retrieve. On the BASS site an article said it was legal as long as you had not moved the bait with the motor. That would be tough to do. Definitely seems like a fringe deal for competition.

In my example, I am normally keeping a bait deep and running the TM into the wind with the tip down. Usually not running the TM constantly. Blowing with the wind amounts to about the same thing with less control. Sometimes about the only way to vertical fish.

Think TFish, Bill, and Hodge are all correct under various circumstances. It is hard not to end up strolling/drifting at times with the winds we get if you are fishing the open water areas. Guarantee there have been a ton or two of bass weighed at TR by dragging something behind the boat. That is why I don't believe I could ever protest anyone for it, unless it was clearly trolling in the white bass/walleye sense, big motor or electric. Maybe if I was the backseater and felt it put me at a disadvantage.

[riverfish]

trolling an a-rig or crank bait or any other bait with the trolling motor is against the rules. these instances would be where one is pulling the bait with the TM or big motor . throwing your bait out leaving your reel in free spool for 200 yards then clicking to begin your retrieve is NOT illegal as long as the boat has stopped and you never moved your bait. like hodge said your kinda splitting hairs with the not moving your bait in the slightest thing. the reason they were doing it this way is unbelievable i would have never thought one could get the depth out of strike king xd6 or dd22 like these guys did by using this technique i mean they were getting these baits to consistently bounce off the bottom EASILY up to 35 to 40 feet deep. IF you have never tried this or not seen it done i don't really think you understand what your whining about. trust me cranking a cinder block for 200 yard at a time over and over again all day long is NO EASY FEAT. even with a 7 11 rod and the revo winch series reel YOU WILL WORK YOUR BUTT OFF using this technique. it is to be commended in my opinion

[Sprint21fter]

If you have a 100-70lb thrust trolling motor and set that thing on high you are moving just as fast as you would with a kicker motor or idling. Same function as trolling if a person has thrown a bait behind the boat and is holding it over the side with their foot on the trolling motor. However, using the wind is different, guys up north use a controlled drift to fish they will either motor over a spot drop the trolling motor and let the wind blow them across the spot they then use the trolling motor to try and stay on the spot as long as they can to stay in position controlling their drift, otherwise known as dragging. Sometimes that is the only way to fish if the conditions are extreame and you don't have protected pockets to fish in.

[Fishin Hodge]

I think we have all cast a football jig in a tournament to the bank and drug it off the bank really slowly and at some points i have it back to the boat and I let it sit out deep for minutes at time with the boat drifting in 30 foot of water. I hope you guys are saying you think that is not right.

I understand and agree don't put the trolling motor half or full speed and pull a crankbait or a a-rig for 10 minutes in a tournament, but I feel completely comfortable fishing a flat with a jig with the wind or against it for that matter, come on now, unless the rules state no dragging.

The BassCat Owners tournament states no dragging and it drives me crazy. It is in May and a Carolina rig is often in play. Where exactly is that line? You are moving that bait at least somewhat with the trolling motor. It gets to the point of being behind the boat. At what point in that cast did it go from fishing to dragging. I have lost sleep over this honestly and I think the rule is completely stupid. No trolling makes sense to me.

I guess that is what this thread is about, where exactly is that narrow line and what each person thinks the rule means.

[Sprint21fter]

Hodge, I agree with you. The Bass Cat rules doesn't make any since since a majority of the anglers at that time of year will be on those long flats and the tourney is more that likely won because of it. A majority of anglers fish C-rigs and F-ball jigs this way and nothing is said about because it is still making a cast and slowling working it back to the boat and making another cast.

[Grappling Coach]

I have asked this question for several years and have gotten different answers. The shallow more target oriented fishermen say that it is illegal, while the deep guys who want to cover massive flats and points say that it is ok. I have heard some say that you are supposed to move your bait with your rod and reel, not your boat. If you cast to a bank or point, the wind or your forward progress will create an angle that causes the bait to be dragged a little while you work it back to the boat for the next cast, but this is different than casting the bait behind the boat and never intending to turn the reel while you cover hundreds of yards with your trolling motor. Also, dragging a jig or carolina rig behind the boat for hundreds of yards without turning the reel is different than letting out line and actually reeling a crankbait in.

I wish that there was more clarity and cosistancy in the rules. Either way is fine with me as long as it is called consistantly. The few tournaments that I have fished had specific sections of the rules dealing with the outboard motor, but never mentioned the trolling motor, which left a lot of grey areas.

[Feathers and Fins]

I have been thinking about this today and here is my opinion, If you are moving the lure with an artificial power then it is trolling.

There are many types of trolling and controlled drifting. But for the limited discussion of this specific topic (tournaments) then it is my opinion that for tournaments any type of mechanical aid in moving lures along is trolling.

[GNSfishing]

I have been thinking about this today and here is my opinion, If you are moving the lure with an artificial power then it is trolling.

There are many types of trolling and controlled drifting. But for the limited discussion of this specific topic (tournaments) then it is my opinion that for tournaments any type of mechanical aid in moving lures along is trolling.

I agree with you........

[Tfsh4bass]

I have a buddy I take who doesn't fish real serious and you wouldn't believe the amount of fish he catches dragging a hula grub around. I will burn down a bank and he just lets that thing bounce away then all of sudden I hear "got one"...just cracks me up because I couldn't do it if I tried but he catches fish all the time and some good ones. He has however invested a small fortune in heads because he doesn't want me to go back and get it so he just breaks them off.