Trolling lines of the boat ....

[Refueler]

OK - I have a couple of the trolling boards that dive while fishing ... then pop-up to surface when fish gets hooked.

Interested if anyone else uses them ... and what speed they tow at ... length of line before trolling vane and length after ?

 

[Boathook]

I've towed at 5 knots but don't catch much. 2 to 4 knots seem ok for mackerel though I have caught bass and sea bream on lures over the years. Length of line varies as to depth of water and amount of other boats around. Overall I do seem to be catching less, persumably due to overfishing?

 

[Refueler]

Seems online quotes of 2 - 4kts .... then another site says 9kts !!

 

[Laminar Flow]

Caught tuna at 8kts, but then they are waterskiing. Dorado at 5-6, salmon at 2kts and mackerel at 3kts.
There is only so much tuna (bonito) you can eat on passage.

 

[greeny]

The faster you go, the deeper they dive so it also depends on what fish you're after and at what depth they are. I tow for mackerel at 2 to 3 knots. That keeps it mid water (8 to 10 metres down ) for me. I set up with 3 metres of mono after the diver, then use feathers followed by another 3 metres of mono with a short wire trace to a red gill sandeel. I pickup the odd sea bass that way.
My devices have 3 different holes to attach the main line to, thus changing the dive angle and therefore the depth they run at. Like others, the length of troll depends on how many other boats and pots are around but normally I would be at about 30 to 40 metres. I run two lines, one short and one long sometimes and see which one gets the best results.

 

[pcatterall]

Never fished off the boat but would like to start ( Spanish Med.) would these be in my starter kit? If we are bobbing along at 3 knots it could be a diversion?

 

[Refueler]

Worth a try ....