Shallow/Clear Water Trolling

[Red Childress]

Has anyone had success trolling in clear and shallow water?? Depths of maybe 5-15 feet??

For me, it has been spotty (in the past) but more success on overcast or windy days.

[Chris Streich]

Red, I am sure you are referring to trolling for musky, but I will share my experiences trolling for walleye in clear water. I do prefer a little wind to create a bit of chop when trolling in shallow water less than 15fow or so. Last year i experimented a lot with how much line I had out. A couple times in crystal clear water in only 10fow I was catching fish on every pass, but only if i looonnnnngggggggg lined it. I tried less line out and even jigged under the boat but to no avail. I feel comfortable fishing in clear, shallow water if i keep a distance between boat and lure.

[Red Childress]

Yes, I was referring to muskies. I have done it and do it on a pretty regular basis but wanted to hear any other success of failures in clear/shallow water.

The walleye scenario you described is not surprising..........

Thanks for the info.

[allegheny river kid]

In shallow, not so much clear water this year i'm trying to run planer boards to avoid having to go up shallow and spook a fish or to keep from having to clean lines constantly from all the floating debris.

[esox31]

I haven't been out yet but have done well in years past early in the season running shortlines in shallow water with the small size muskellunches . I run four baits with the bait nearest to the shoreline at 5 feet of line out (so we can watch it ) and the longest being the outside rod at about 13 feet out . Normally running from 3 to 4.5 mph . Works for pike too !

Lance McFeely

[Larry Jones]

Besides Long Lines in gin clear shallow water I use 10' Downrigger Rods to get the baits further out from the boat. I like M&G Spinnerbaits in natural colors long lined over 6 to 12 feet of gin clear water at 4 to 4.5 mph,keeping the M&G just under the surface. Fish will move out to the side away from the boat crossing them in the clear water,the long rods bring the long lined M&G's into the strike zone.Large AC Sninners & Shallow Lip Pikie Minnows(black w/silver glitter belly) work well for this as well.

[muskie52]

I haven't had any luck here in PA, but had great success fishing with Marc Thorpe on the St. Larry doing this. The 3rd day with him, we short line trolled (with 8-12ft of line out) all morning in less than 8ft and caught 7. We could usually see the lures (Chubbies and Stalkers) behind the boat.

Later that afternoon, Pete Maina and John Gillespie arrived to film a DVD (I think the DVD is called "The Greatest 3 Days of Musky Fishing Ever"). They fished the same area and caught 19 muskies in 3 days using this technique. Talk about a concentration of fish!!!

Tony

[Ivan]

I usually don't troll as shallow as 5ft at St Clair, but that is some very clear water. Caught tons of fish in the 12'-17' range there. We catch fish on boards and boat rods. Run shallower running baits like wileys. Run more line if possible, but you want to keep your baits high up in the watercolumn. No need to put it right in their face. They can easily come up for it. Run natural colors. Run smaller baits so they don't get a real good look at it. Go fast so they don't have a whole lot of time to look at it.
Adam A.

[Red Childress]

Speeding up over the years has really helped increase my catches during the summer and early Fall. I used to run the big motor going into the current and then use the trolling motor with the current just to see if it made a difference........I probably catch as many fish with the outboard than with the trolling motor but nothing shallower than 5-6 feet, however.

[HBmusky]

Shallow water trolling was a must were I came from .Trolling bucktails and smaller shallow running crank is what you had to do to catch fish.My daughter caught her first musky trolling 4 foot of water . Clear water does not bother me in fact the fish shut off if it gets too cloudy the water that is . When the water is like glass and clear it seems to be good fishing all though when the weather comes in and musky music begin [thunder} it becomes better fishing . Trolling shallow water is tuff for some fok to do,disapline it takes some but it is effective .I personally semi long line it . Inthe rivers I think or in my casse semi long line has been a good choice .I am not to sure if I buy into the spoking fish to much ,I believe if there going to feed there going to feed.I also have caught fish that I so called spooked,they swam away then returned to the same spot miniutes later, only to fall victim to my rod. I have spooked fish and watched them swim away and made long casts to catch them on the swim awy.I have casted on a single fish in 3 fooot of water up to 9 times without him spoking to finally catch him on the 10th .The shallow water can be your friend a very good one to spend some time there will be very beficial to anyone because it is use for so many different things by the fish. The River Gods have alowed me to do very well in the shallows and I am sure everyone that spends a little time there will also.

Great forum,'Keep pullin teeth' HB