How fast can I troll?

Tobe Hagge · Sep 8, 2022

I am fishing for bass out of a pedal kayak. I read that on the gear-fishing side, a number of lures are designed to work at 2-4 mph, but I'm not getting very many strikes at that speed. I have good luck, in the same waters and with several flies, trolling at around 1 mph. I'd like to get some exercise while I fish, and sometimes I need to get from point A to point B. Are there flies that offer a convincing presentation at 2-4 mph and what's required to make it convincing?

Josh · Sep 9, 2022

I'm no expert on trolling, but I'd always heard that 1-2mph is a good speed if you are specifically trying to troll. If you are trying to troll while getting from point A-B just in the hopes of running across something, you may have to either use heavier flies than normal or just accept the non-optimum presentation.

But as I said, I'm no expert on this. So let's see what some of the other more lake specific people have to say.

Stonedfish · Sep 9, 2022

2-4 mph seems a bit fast for bass. It would work well for coho though.
SF

Ceviche · Apr 24, 2023

From my experience, when trolling somewhat fast, doing a strip and release presentation with your fly and line can draw strikes from trout. Bass? They’re too sedentary and localized to find when moving from one place to another.

dirty dog · Apr 25, 2023

What I have found trolling flies is to very the speed and turning the boat/toon.
Sometime jigging the fly

Buzzy · Apr 25, 2023

Last fall @Old406Kid and I were fishing from his boat on large lake, we noticed another boat zipping around the lake almost as if they were running to a new location except they had lines out and were hooking fish. Eventually Dean kicked his boat up to over 3 mph (maybe 4? maybe 5?) and we started getting strikes while trolling at Mach4. I think this particular day was an exception to the rule? Maybe?

Years ago I launched my pram at the south end of Lenore. The Zorn to Largent game wasn't working so I went fishing. I tied on a big Doc Spratley and started pulling hard on the oars and caught a lot of fish with that intermediate line going at Mach5. Most of the strikes came when I'd let go of the oars and start stripping in line whle the boat glided along. Go figure. Sometimes they want it fast, sometimes they don't.

Northern · Apr 25, 2023

Buzzy said:
Last fall @Old406Kid and I were fishing from his boat on large lake, we noticed another boat zipping around the lake almost as if they were running to a new location except they had lines out and were hooking fish. Eventually Dean kicked his boat up to over 3 mph (maybe 4? maybe 5?) and we started getting strikes while trolling at Mach4. I think this particular day was an exception to the rule? Maybe?

Years ago I launched my pram at the south end of Lenore. The Zorn to Largent game wasn't working so I went fishing. I tied on a big Doc Spratley and started pulling hard on the oars and caught a lot of fish with that intermediate line going at Mach5. Most of the strikes came when I'd let go of the oars and start stripping in line whle the boat glided along. Go figure. Sometimes they want it fast, sometimes they don't.

I've had similar days, where I got the most strikes (trout) pedaling the Hobie backwards as fast as I can, while stripping in at the same time.
No idea why some days they want a chase. Too much coffee?

Can't say I've ever trolled for bass

Pink Nighty · Apr 25, 2023

I've trolled gear for bass with pretty decent success. Can confirm that every open water bass I've ever caught was trolled up. I cant go more than 3mph with my ghetto flagship so its been under 3mph, likely under 1.5. Just fast enough to make a chatter bait thump

Wanative · Apr 25, 2023

Buzzy said:
Last fall @Old406Kid and I were fishing from his boat on large lake, we noticed another boat zipping around the lake almost as if they were running to a new location except they had lines out and were hooking fish. Eventually Dean kicked his boat up to over 3 mph (maybe 4? maybe 5?) and we started getting strikes while trolling at Mach4. I think this particular day was an exception to the rule? Maybe?

Years ago I launched my pram at the south end of Lenore. The Zorn to Largent game wasn't working so I went fishing. I tied on a big Doc Spratley and started pulling hard on the oars and caught a lot of fish with that intermediate line going at Mach5. Most of the strikes came when I'd let go of the oars and start stripping in line whle the boat glided along. Go figure. Sometimes they want it fast, sometimes they don't.

You must have a @Starman77 speedometer on your pram.

Buzzy · Apr 26, 2023

Wanative said:
You must have a @Starman77 speedometer on your pram.

I was thinking about you and your fishing the big eddy-less eddy day before yesterday, hard on those sticks.

Tom Butler · Apr 26, 2023

I'm often surprised at how fast my son runs the boat when trolling/fishing for smallmouths, especially places like Umatilla. We mostly gear fish (# people on the boat), but I've had to adjust from slow presentations to reeling in much faster than I'm used to. Even with the spin rod. I got a lot to learn about bass though, hope to throw more flies this year.

GAT · Apr 26, 2023

Trolling for LMB is not ideal but can be done. I do it all the time with my Supercat pontoon boat. I have no idea how fast I'm trolling but certainly not very fast and usually close to some manner of above or below water foliage. Normally I catch the small LMB while trolling.

Smallmouth are a different story. I have trolled quite quickly and not necessarily around any foliage to catch some nice sized smallies.

I can't really compare trolling in my fin driven pontoon boat to a bass boat with a speedometer so I'm afraid I can't give you a MPH figure ... I just know I'm not causing any large wakes behind me.

Wanative · Apr 27, 2023

I found the last couple days in some Central Washington lakes that I couldn't row too fast in my pontoon boat to not catch fish.
In fact some of my best action came rowing as fast as I could row. Spectacular hard strikes were cool

Quite a workout too.
Thanks for the inspiration @Northern. That white fly with red glass eyes kicked some serious butt trolled fast.
My Garmin speed reading was about 1.7 to 2 mph. I was damn near throwing a roostertail up behind the pontoon boat.

Sorry for the lousy picture.

Buzzy · Apr 28, 2023

I can't help but drift the thread just a bit, isn't that what trolls do?

Chucker · Apr 28, 2023

Tobe Hagge said:
I am fishing for bass out of a pedal kayak. I read that on the gear-fishing side, a number of lures are designed to work at 2-4 mph, but I'm not getting very many strikes at that speed. I have good luck, in the same waters and with several flies, trolling at around 1 mph. I'd like to get some exercise while I fish, and sometimes I need to get from point A to point B. Are there flies that offer a convincing presentation at 2-4 mph and what's required to make it convincing?

I think that flies don’t work that well at those sort of speeds because they don’t have enough action, and run too shallow. Diving crankbaits are a better option. If you are just trolling, or moving a significant distance then you can just tie one onto the end of your leader. Or if you really need to fish a fly, then you can tie something like this, though making one that will work at 4mph is tricky.

Pink Nighty · Apr 28, 2023

For increased speeds I'd slip one of those wiggle disks on a couple feet in front of the fly. You're not casting anyways and theyll get your fly to cover a lot more water, horizontally and vertically.

kmudgn · Apr 29, 2023

If trolling is your best fly fishing technique its time to take some casting lessons

krusty · May 5, 2023

kmudgn said:
If trolling is your best fly fishing technique its time to take some casting lessons

Yesterday morning out fishing in my Hobie hookups were quite slow via the casting game. Remained very slow in the afternoon...until I took to trolling (in reverse) a rusty brown red bead leech around the lake with an intermediate line, at about 0.5 - 1.0 mph (measured with Garmin GPS).

The takes, LDRs and netting were constant....same line and leech I'd earlier been casting. Despite my deeply ingrained 60+ years of shitty casting technique, I usually manage to catch some of the more stupid fish. I think it's just a matter of a lot more fish seeing the fly on certain days of trolling that makes it more successful.

I felt guilty at the thought that this really isn't flyfishing....but I'll get over it.

Buzzy · May 5, 2023

krusty said:
Yesterday morning out fishing in my Hobie hookups were quite slow via the casting game. Remained very slow in the afternoon...until I took to trolling (in reverse) a purplish red bead leech around the lake with an intermediate line, at about 0.5 - 1.0 mph (measured with Garmin GPS).

The takes, LDRs and netting were constant....same line and leech I'd earlier been casting. Despite my deeply ingrained 60+ years of shitty casting technique, I usually manage to catch some of the more stupid fish. I think it's just a matter of a lot more fish seeing the fly on certain days of trolling that makes it more successful.

I felt guilty at the thought that this really isn't flyfishing....but I'll get over it.

Perhaps call it what the New Zelanders do: Harling. I'm told that strikes while harling are noteworthy (uka awesome).

krusty · May 5, 2023

Buzzy said:
Perhaps call it what the New Zelanders do: Harling. I'm told that strikes while harling are noteworthy (uka awesome).

Harling...I like it. Could have used the same term for the low speed crop-dusting I did through the office cubicles during my work life.

I'd been told that some of those were noteworthy as well.