What is back trolling?

[FishBear]

OK, I've heard about this before and had someone describe it to me once but not sure I "got it."

What's your description of back trolling and what benefit does it have compared to front trolling?

It stand to reason that this is done in relatively calm seas? Any chop would tend to increase risk of filling boat with water, yes?

Thanks for any interpretations.

 

[casper5280]

Back trolling is to hold your position in a spot. You would do this maybe say for halibut because the wind or current is moving you off a spot that you want to stay on top of.

 

[spring fever]

I call back trolling when I find my boat drifting unacceptably fast with either wind or tide, I put my trolling motor in reverse.Adjust the RPM to keep the jigging or spreader bar line straight up and down. Also if you have a boat with a large forward cabin which wants to go broadside to the wind, keeps the boat straight downwind,reducing tangles with rods on either side of the boat. Can you do it in all conditions-no!! depends on the size of the boat, how much sea is running and how much water you are getting up and around your kicker or main. Common sense must prevail-how much water is coming over the transom and through the scuppers and are you in danger of killing the motor you're doing it with. My 2 cents

 

[juandesooka]

When you are drifting too fast, back trolling can be used to reduce your drift rate, keeping you on the fishing grounds longer. Usually with your kicker in reverse (and for me, took a while to get my head around steering kicker in reverse.....the way the prop is pointed is the way you will go... ;-).

And yes, in not calm seas, it can be a little edgy ... especially in a boat with a low transom and motor well.

 

[adrianna3]

Lots of drift boaters in rivers back troll. They hold their positon in the river by rowing backwards to work a lure like a HotShot or Kwikfish.

Dave

 

[combover]

its also the one of best way to pop your engine. i've seen many motors come in hydrauliced from guys back trolling as waves force water up the exhaust directly into the cylinder.from 225's right down to 9.9's. guys with pods seem to fair the worst since the motor sits so much lower than the boat and they think because it running exhaust pressure is strong enough but if the motor continually gets dunked also the other motor isn't running.
just something to keep in mind

 

[bushwackin]

its also the one of best way to pop your engine. i've seen many motors come in hydrauliced from guys back trolling as waves force water up the exhaust directly into the cylinder.from 225's right down to 9.9's. guys with pods seem to fair the worst since the motor sits so much lower than the boat and they think because it running exhaust pressure is strong enough but if the motor continually gets dunked also the other motor isn't running.
just something to keep in mind

Wow that's something I'll keep in mind, I've wondered about that when conditions were a little rough. Sounds like something you don't want to risk unless it is fairly calm. Anyone know where you can buy those drift socks?

 

[Labman2]

On freshwater lakes, it is the most effective way to control your speed and boat position. Most Walleye tournament boats here, even have a set of splash guards mounted on the stern to knock down any waves before they enter the boat.
In big water/waves, it is not reccomended, for the reason Combover has already posted.
Calm waters it's the best method of trolling/boat control there is. IMHO

 

[Seafever]

O.k.....so lets say there's a ten-knot current......why would you want your boat "backing"into this current to slow it down?

Why not just turn the boat around and have it pointing 'into" the current? That way your lines will be hanging out the back instead of under the boat and your motors will be working normally with no waves over the transom.

If the current is 10Kn and you are are pointing into to it holding your own ....how could you go wrong?

I can't see an advantage backing into a current transom-first........

 

[Labman2]

Nor do I...........

 

[bushwackin]

It's usually wind pushing your bow downwind and the boat just wants to drift downwind bow first. All depends on how the current and wind are fighting each other and how much wind your bow catches

 

[Evenweight]

it is very difficult to control a bout that has it nose into a current or wind at very slow speeds.

O.k.....so lets say there's a ten-knot current......why would you want your boat "backing"into this current to slow it down?

Why not just turn the boat around and have it pointing 'into" the current? That way your lines will be hanging out the back instead of under the boat and your motors will be working normally with no waves over the transom.

If the current is 10Kn and you are are pointing into to it holding your own ....how could you go wrong?

I can't see an advantage backing into a current transom-first........

 

[juandesooka]

you'd do this when the boat naturally wants to drift down current ... all you are doing is slowing the rate of drift. I can't imagine you'd ever do this in a 10 knot current though, you'd probably sink your boat ... and speaking for hali fishing anyway, couldn't keep your gear on the bottom in 10kts even if you wanted to.

 

[bardfromedson]

you'd do this when the boat naturally wants to drift down current ... all you are doing is slowing the rate of drift. I can't imagine you'd ever do this in a 10 knot current though, you'd probably sink your boat ... and speaking for hali fishing anyway, couldn't keep your gear on the bottom in 10kts even if you wanted to.

this
its to slow a 2 or 3 knot drift down to 0-1. way easier to slow your drift down and have total control with your kicker pointed where you want to go compared to pointing your bow into the wind/current. use it tons walleye fishing to stay over tight structure when its too windy to have good control with the bow mount electric or main/kicker going forward.

 

[walleyes]

Back Trolling is a method of trolling we use quite extensively in walleye fishing. It is predominantly used for slowing down presentations for the slow and very finicky walleye. Most commonly used in boats that can not slow their troll speed down in order to keep your bait right on the bottom. As far as controlling your boat,, it actually makes it easier as the motor is pulling the boat in the desired direction rather than having to push the nose around in any given direction especially in the wind. I run a deep hulled 20" Lund and when you get anything over a 15km/hr winds blowing it makes it very difficult to troll in a forward gear at very slow speeds,, I am talking very slow like .5 to 1m/hr,, speeds required to troll certain baits for walleye. I back troll for walleye many many hrs a summer and in all sorts of wind conditions. I quite frequently troll in 2', 3' or 4' waves with no issues with water intake in the engine. Very common method of fishing in our neck of the woods.

 

[tortuga]

I backtroll to keep my lines straight down, or backwards.

 

[Derby]

It is what Louongo does in net oops I mean backstroke

YUP..... and he kicked Reimer out of his net as he swam bye I believe.......

 

[tortuga]

It is what Louongo does in net oops I mean backstroke

This thread is about back trolling.

Not trolling. Get back under your bridge while us Canuck fans savour another sweet victory.