READING THE WATER might even include watching how the trollers fare...
Hey, the tournament rules don’t allow it, so pretty much since the Bassmasters made their California debut around 1970, I’ve been like everybody else–I don’t troll–much, anyway.
It’s never been that I didn’t respect the skill involved. I know a lot of guys, though, who think trolling is for people who don’t fish, and that anything they catch is arbitrary–even lucky. But remember, Buck Perry, the “Father of Structure Fishing,” was also a troller.
Still, as a practical application, whether it’s by dumb luck or polished skill, whether they are just haphazardly dragging lures through the water column, or they if they are keying in on a specific contour or layer, what they “uncover” can still be very helpful to the conventional bass guy.
The idea first came to me some 20 years ago but keeps repeating itself–especially during summer. While using sonar and fishing select high spots and ledges down in San Diego, a couple of guys in an aluminum boat would troll by me about 50 yards away paralleling the point–and when they did, they kept catching fish. In fact, they were getting bit a lot more often than I was.
Over the years that situation has repeated itself on lots of different lakes. Sometimes it’s a pro with the downriggers or leadcore, and sometimes it’s just some guys and kids in a pontoon boat driving and yakking–until someone hollars, “Hey!” as a rod doubles over.
I confess, in the beginning it used to bug me, but now I let those casual guys tip me off to what else may be going on besides what I see on sonar. In fact, if those recreational guys make too many stops, shouting and reeling, I know the fish aren’t maybe just suspended–they’re biting.
There is even an added benefit: those guys never quickly turn away and hide the baits they are using, so you can pretty quick figure out the type, color and depth they are fishing. From that, thank you very much, you pick out some conventional method or bait that you can immediately put to use.
It’s funny, when we talk about reading the water, we never fail to include the shoreline topography, variations in cover or water clarity or bait and bird activity. But it would be plain silly to turn your back on some additional, useful information that is being provided in full view–without even having to ask for it.
Anyway, if I were you, I’d keep an eye on those trollers.
Just like fishing on the party boats. If the guy next to you is catching them and you’re not; you might want to do what he’s doing.