When to Troll, When to Jig
Most of you that know us at www.MatrixShad.com know that we mostly jig soft plastics along the bridges of lake Pontchartrain but this time of year it may be a little different. This is a time you may want to try a different technique called trolling. Trolling lures behind the boat is hard to beat along the bridges until water temps get up into the 70’s. There are many different methods to trolling. Some use the lead core line and short rods when trolling. This method allows the lures to get down to the correct depths immediately and you do not need to let a lot of line out behind the boat. Most people who use this method have small boats with small engines and troll for trout along the bridges exclusively. Another way to do it is to simply use a regular rod and reel with regular line. Wether it is braid or mono or even flouro. When using conventional tackle you are going to need your boat to go slow. 1.5-2.0 mph is the magic speed and most boats simply can not slow down that much and that is where the trolling motor comes into play. This is the way we usually troll as we only have our regular jigging poles with us. When we are jigging the bridge like always and see the trollers catching way more than us we will change it up. The slight change from a vigorous jig to a steady troll can make all the difference in the world. We let out 30-60 yards of line or so depending on the tide and set the trolling motor at 1.7 mph and begin our troll down the bridge. Playing the tide is key. You have to vary your distance of the amount of line let out constantly until you find that magic distance which equals that magic depth. It’s a very effective way to catch trout anywhere you fish when water temps are from 55-65 degrees so make sure to keep this technique in your arsenal during the month of march.
