Favorite trolling lure

[qwapaw]

How about all you lure and spinner showing us your favorite lure or spinner. Also tell us your favorite color. Mine is a large blade spinner with chartreuse blade, maybe even a rainbow type blade. 2MPH and hand on. Did well last year on these home made. I will try to post a photo is there is enough interest. Tight lines Qwapaw.

 

[JonT]

Not sure about here, but my home FL waters this is the key to 30+ pound redfish in the fall/winter - Mann's Stretch 25 - http://assets.academy.com/mgen/83/10074983.jpg?is=500,500

 

[qwapaw]

Interesting lure. Lip is pointed up. Not familiar with that. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JonT]

Just a big crankbait. Trolled at 3 knots it hits bottom in 30' of water. I'm sure it would work for Pacific chinook.

 

[halibuthitman]

Lure Jensen wobble rite spoon, tarnished brass.. And wee dick nites are my go to's , I'm a spoon guy-

 

[DrTheopolis]

If trolling the bay for salmon, I'm a Kwikfish/Maglip fan. Anything to keep me from having to deal with bait.

 

[troutdude]

Wedding rings for trout (green & black, is my favorite). Another "go to", is original Little Cleo spoons.

 

[Chromatose]

Lil Cleo

 

[C_Run]

Here is what I have ready for the upcoming salmon season.



I think I only used one pack of herring last fall. I used mostly spinners and did ok. I am going to try targeting coho with some of the all pink ones again although I have caught coho on the Toman spinners and also caught Chinook on those pink Aglias. The mag lips is something new to try this year. I am looking forward to dragging some of these behind the kayak in the bays pretty soon. I also plan to go back to herring this season.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I also plan to go back to herring this season.

Herring are such a PITA. I've been told the Herring Helmet makes them last much longer. While trolling cut-plug Sunday, we didn't get into any salmon in the bay, but had an absolutely ENORMOUS sea run cutthroat take a herring. Was a serious bleeder too, so didn't have the pleasure of releasing it. Sucker was probably about 24", and it's the first time I've seen a SRC with sea lice on it.

Maglips are nice, in that you can flatline them in most places in the bay (especially the 4.5). Any time I can get away with not dragging a million ounces of weight around, I'm happy about it. I've been wondering if they could be trolled in the ocean for coho... seems like it should work, but I'm such a novice at ocean trolling (have one friend with a suitable boat), I figure it's not quite time to reinvent the wheel just yet (as I'm wont to do usually).

 

[C_Run]

I also prefer the sanitary nature of hardware compared to bait. It's just that I am still such a novice at this that I feel that I should at least know how to do it (troll plug cut herring). I have caught a few on it before but it is a mess and so is the terminal setup in a kayak.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I would think plug-cutting and baiting herring in a kayak would pretty much suck. Maybe the Herring Helmet would be better? I dunno.

With the Blue Fox and Mepps spinners, are you just casting those, or do you run them with a dropper on the troll, like say the Toman spinners? I'd love to wean my bay-fishing buddies OFF of bait (plus it doesn't seem to matter how much you buy, you run out before the end of the day).

Years ago, I caught coho just casting spinners out the back of the boat (maybe 80') and trolling them slowly on 10#. Now there's an easy way to fish, but I don't think it gets quite deep enough to get into the prime Chinook zone.

 

[C_Run]

Yep, casting if I see the fish. I have been doing both dropper and inline banana weight for trolling spinners. The places I've been fishing are not that deep so usually about 1 oz. max. or half ounce banana weight to get down a bit. I guess I have not trolled a blue fox yet. That Flying C is more for casting since it is weighted and the Flash and Glow (I think that's what they are called) are pretty light weight and good for trolling.

I have not tried the helmets yet either. Yeah, either you run out or have a big hand full to feed the seagulls.

I have two friends who use spinners for salmon fishing almost exclusively and they catch an awful lot of fish. That tells me something.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I pretty much use spinners exclusively for bank fishing salmon, so I can't see a problem with it.

Went out by the jaws of Nehalem Bay last weekend -- we were using 16oz to try and get down on the huge incoming. Switched back to 8's, since the rods were bent over into the water. I don't much care for that game. Maybe I'll try a diver next time (with a Kwik behind it, preferably). Getting the terminal tackle under a half-pound would be nice.

 

[C_Run]

So, Dr. T., when you are trolling a maglips of kwikfish, do you use a flasher or just the lure off a swivel and some weight or diver? I've only used those things out of a drift boat a couple of times.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I'm just learning to troll plugs, but no flasher with a plug (probably mess up the action. In fact, a guide friend recommended against a flasher for Nehalem Bay with herring, but I think he was talking the Wheeler area, since at the jaws everyone was using them). I've used both a jet diver on about an 8" dropper, which is clipped on as a slider above the bead chain above the leader (about 5'). I've also used about 0.5-1oz of lead on a bit longer dropper.

The Maglip 4.5 dives deep enough, I've been told they can be flatlined (no weight or diver). With 70-80 feet of line out, they'll supposedly go down over 20', depending on current/troll speed/etc. Which seems deep enough for the places I fish (except near the jaws, where it's slightly deeper). I think K15's get down pretty good, too.

 

[qwapaw]

I think I am going to long line some of my spinners this year. I know we did that 30 years ago with great success. Maybe 2-3 oz weight 100 ft back or so. Did Weill last year with 6-8 oz and 30-35' back. I love catching fish with spinners I made myself. I may make some and put them up for sale 3 for $10.00. I use good stuff to make then and my cost is between $1.75 and $2.25 each. I hope somebody posts when the fish hit the Siuslaw river this year. I get too busy to pay close enough attention. Thanks, Tight Lines Ol' Qwapaw. (Dan Uchytil)