Back-Trolling

[walleyes]

In high current situations you run your kicker motor using the electric as a bow thruster or using spot lock saving battery and giving you ultimate boat control especially in windy conditions

Have you tried it to any extent yourself. Like I say we’ve been using these for quite a few years on fresh water and I have quite extensive experience with them.

I know what you are saying but what do you do when the wind spins your bow around and your kicker is pushing you with the current the wind is not always with the current or straight against it, it’s just as often a cross wind shoving your bow around. At times it’s hard to control the bow with your mains when trolling in wind never mind an electric. These units have limited power and thrust especially mounted on the front of a 5000lb glass boat with the bow sticking up 5’ and a 10’ cabin or a canopy up another 8’ with radar and antennas and lights on it all in the air catching wind, lots of sail there. Maybe on a smaller boat it would work decent but again, not on most west coast boats. And again yes it may hold but that little unit will be working flat out full bore and constant on the turn and move going to use up battery life in a hurry.

 

[Mako 22]

It's way easier to manage back trolling. Bow stays pointed in one direction for longer once you figure it out. That's why people do it.

I admit I have used the little motor to hover, stern first into the current, but I don't think this is back trolling. Depends on where I am fishing, what the current is doing, and how the bottom structure is.

Two more pics of the "Mooching Station". Very easy to fish and operate the little motor when sitting on the fish box lid. Everything within reach.

The gearshift on the tiller is very handy.

 

[Tugcapitan]

I admit I have used the little motor to hover, stern first into the current, but I don't think this is back trolling.

Pretty sure that is the very definition of back trolling? It’s not like you are actually trolling backwards, but just barely holding your position in current and wind to hold a spot as long as possible, or at least cover ground at a much slower rate. Similar to mooching, but with lines attempting to hold very near the bottom, a bit different, in my opinion anyways.
Nice mooching setup you have though!

 

[Mako 22]

Pretty sure that is the very definition of back trolling? It’s not like you are actually trolling backwards, but just barely holding your position in current and wind to hold a spot as long as possible, or at least cover ground at a much slower rate. Similar to mooching, but with lines attempting to hold very near the bottom, a bit different, in my opinion anyways.
Nice mooching setup you have though!

Yep often done here when mooching. I was thinking the back trolling was when you bucked the boat stern first into waves and got wet!

Port Angeles style mooching is a little different from most areas. We often fish deep (I have caught kings 300 ft deep on the ledges north of the Humps west of Port Angeles). Yo-yoing the bait up and down near the bottom. A reel that you can back up is important: I like the old Penn 109, you can turn the handle backward and feed the herring to the fish. Sort of similar to a Peetz and the other single action reels. I modify the 109 by removing the clicker, installing a 209 handle, and a aluminum spool.

I also run downriggers and jig, but I enjoy mooching.

109 second from front. Rod is a one piece Lamiglass MB1143F, 9-1/2 feet long, that I build in the late 1970's. Old school rig!

Another MB1143F receiving a fresh coat of Epoxy on the wraps a few weeks ago. This rod also built in the late 1970's. The MB1143F blanks made great mooching rods.