Kayak Trolling Tips

There’s something more intimate about trolling from a kayak than trolling from a boat. The rods are just inches away. When a fish strikes, the entire watercraft reacts and you can feel it every bit as much as you see or hear it. With a fish on one line, you may have to clear others or risk entanglement. Aboard a boat, on the other hand, the rod bends over, you pick it up, and start reeling. It’s a very different experience. All of this is of course academic, if you don’t get a hit in the first place. Here are three critical kayak trolling tips that will help trigger that intimate feeling.

1. Don’t set it and forget it; constantly adjust your lines as depth changes. When you pass over a drop-off, grab a rod and start letting out additional line to get it deeper. If possible, hold a rod and jig it as you go. If you’re pulling a floater, swing the rod tip back from time to time and let it rise up. Sure, you can set the lines then peddle around until you get a strike, but if you work those lines you’ll catch more fish.
2. Vary your speed, constantly. Going faster will cause those lures to rise up, and slowing down will get them down deeper. Just as important, varying speed will help you figure out just how fast or just how slow a presentation the fish want. When you get bit, continue varying the speed somewhat but err on the side of what the fish want. Slow down less and speed up more, or do the opposite, as the results dictate.
3. When the bite is subtle or you’re trolling slowly, troll backwards. This will let you keep a constant eye on the lines, so you’ll see it when a fish starts nipping. Just how effective this technique is depends somewhat on where you rodholders are but even if they’re mounted behind you, staring at the lines can help you detect those light bites. This is particularly effective when slow-trolling with a popping cork or bobber, and you can start at your floats.

Trolling from a boat can be incredibly effective, but when it comes to getting intimate with the fish, trolling from a kayak delivers far more. Try these tips, hook up with a fish or two, and we’d bet you agree.