Trolling Setup

[Krazo]

Ive not done a lot of trolling but I'm interested in getting started. I fish stockton & would like to target crappie, walleye &/or white bass. What rod/reel combo do you use or would you recommend for trolling when targeting these species & why do you like it? what line (ie, mono, fluoro, braided) do you use & why?

[J-Doc]

Put on a pot of coffee and absorb. Different lake but same techniques and gear will work on other lakes. I know, I've tried it. I've been trolling since last summer.

You only need 2 decent rods between a medium to medium heavy action rods (I prefer graphite), a reel with a built in counter (Okuma makes a good one at reasonable price and so does Cabelas), 10lb fluorocarbon line, lots and lots and lots of Berkley Flicker Shads. When I say lots......I mean like 10-20 just to start out with. They perform, great for multi-species, and not too terrible on cost. There are other choices and believe me, I've looked for cheaper but these flat out work.

[Krazo]

Thanks for the insights. looks like i'll be getting a new setup, dont have a reel with a counter on it. how many rods can one person legally put out?

[J-Doc]

Check Missouri game and fish online. I have no idea. I never troll more than 2. That's enough for one person to keep up with between snagging baits, catching fish, etc. You'll be busy watching the sonar and positioning the boat to worry about more than 2 with one person. If two people , 2 per side is ok I guess.

[J-Doc]

I tried the line cou terd that you can add on to any rod. Not very accurate and do mot last long. For $20, might as well spend another $30 and be done with it.

Check eBay. Good deals on the Okuma Depthmaster I believe. I think it's the Depthmaster. You can buy two for around $100.

[nomolites]

I use 10# braid; the smaller diameter = less drag and the ability to fish a bit deeper although any good line will work; a lot depends on how deep you intend to fish. I use line counters on all my rods but you can also get braids that are "colored" with 30 ft. sections a different color allowing a quick and easy way to meter line out. More than two lines in MO is OK as long as the rods are labeled with your personal info, etc. like jugs or trot lines but with 4 rods out it gets tricky and you can get fouled up fairly easy. I usually run 2 braid and two lead core but when the fish are shallow I run all four braid with just two "long" lines and two "short" lines with lures that have a much deeper dive curve to keep things separated.

As stated above, a shad crank bait is hard to beat. I have a "couple" flicker shads and many other shad imitating baits....I would advise that you be forewarned, trolling can be habit forming once you get the hang of it.

[Krazo]

i throw a light, medium light, & medium action spinning gear now and for what little ive trolled, i find it difficult to closely monitor my depth. ive been reluctant to buy a reel with a counter. thought about getting the add on, but now im not so sure about it & i'll prob suck it up and get a reel with a counter.

[J-Doc]

Braid floats. Flouro is a better choice because it allows the bait to get deeper. Plus in clear water, it's not as noticable. Lead core is a good alternative I'm told for deeper water because it sinks and it's marked.

[rps]

Hope this helps:

http://www.ozarkanglers.com/table-rock/trolling-for-walleye/

[mjk86]

I have 8ft 6in, med power, moderate action Okuma rods. Only like 30$ a piece. Reels....I use an old ambassador and an old pro qualifier. The reel doesnt matter much in my opinion as long as it has good drag. My line is power pro depth hunter with a 6ft fluorocarbon leader. It is metered so you dont need a line counter. Lots of guys use leadcore, but I can get down to 30ft with depth hunter, I dont need to go any deeper than that. Never used downriggers or anything like that...seems like a huge mess to deal with cuz stockton has lots of structure. Also get dive curves or precision trolling (or just use flicker shads...). Trolling with braid is advantageous to me because it doesnt stretch, however if using braid you need a rod with a softer tip....Ive trolled with fast tip rods before and i think i pulled bites free because there was no give. On stockton lake flicker shads will catch them all. Sizes 5,6,7, and 9. Bandits are popular for crappie, although ive never trolled them. Ive narrowed my trolling baits to flicker shads, shad raps, and reef runners. Good luck!! Stockton is my personal fav lake in missouri, and trolling will absolutely kill em in the summer and early fall.