Hey guys I won't be at Ovid next weekend. I'm going camping with my dad up at Budd lake [smilie=applause.gif] . Anyway I like to cast and my dad likes to troll so I was hoping I could get some advice for trolling a small lake like Budd [smilie=attention.gif] . I don't have any planer boards or down riggers just a long rod, down rod and 2 wash rods. I've got no idea what baits to try this time of year, how fast to go or how far to put the baits back. I'm hoping to get my dad hooked so we can do an annual getaway like we used to when we fished pike. Thanks
Whatever speed works best for the lure you are running. I usually troll 2-3 mph, but I know some guys fly by me. Some lures can't run fast without blowing out of the water. Change it up and let the fish tell you what they want. If you can find a speed that triggers a "wandering" effect on your bait, that is usually where I would run.
What the fellas are trying to say is the length behind the boat has no bearing on catching muskies. The only thing you need to think about is what depth your baits are at. They couldn't care less about the boat, and yes sometimes putting baits right in/next to the propwash is an excellent tactic for getting even more hits. The higher the activity level of the fish, generally the higher you can get away with running your baits. Deeper is of course tougher because of hitting weeds more often. But you will have to try different depths to figure out where the fish are (depth) and how far they will move up to strike. A good starting point/average for depth to run your baits right now would be, say, 4 feet maybe.
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