Lanier Trolling Report 3 October

[LittleDrummerBoy]

Bite was OK. Boated 3 spotted bass and a channel catfish. All the bass were on Michigan Stinger spoons, catfish was on an Xrap. Most bites were lures trolled 30 feet deep.

Surface temp was 82 degrees F. Thermocline at 37 feet deep. Most fish marked on my Lowrance were below the thermocline, but I kept the lures closer to 30 feet deep to reduce snags and because fish will rise a bit to take them. Most fish were caught in the upper end of Flat Creek, in the open area above marker FC9, but still in 50-70 feet of water. There were lots of big bait balls also marked in this area. I probably would have caught more fish had I gotten to this area earlier, but I was puttering around Balus Creek getting sunrise pics for a contest and watching deer play on the N bank as the sun rose.

Stopped at Oakwood Bait and Tackle on the way home and bought a couple Cpt Macks umbrella rigs. My hope is to troll these 15-20 feet deep and excite the fish below the thermocline to come up and get them. The trick is catching those deeper fish without snagging lures in the timber. It will get easier as the water cools and the thermocline rises to 20-30 feet deep.

 

[Cmp1]

Nice,,,,

 

[Limitless]

That is some neat fishing I'd like to try. Especially since my other ways of fishing Lanier arent working very well. Where can you buy the spoons around the lake? Thanks for the video!

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

That is some neat fishing I'd like to try. Especially since my other ways of fishing Lanier arent working very well. Where can you buy the spoons around the lake? Thanks for the video!

I have not found them locally. fish307.com is the internet source with the widest selection. But you're welcome to jump in my boat tomorrow or sometime next week. I enjoy showing lots of folks how to troll on Lanier. Then you'll be able to see first hand if trolling is something you want to gear up for. If you've got rod holders that can hold rods pulling diving planers, I can bring the gear and we can use your boat if you are more comfortable in yours. You'd also need a depth finder and the ability to go 2 mph for several hours.

See:
http://forum.gon.com/threads/christian-ministry-offers-free-fishing-trips-on-lanier.947682/

 

[hopper]

What motor are you trolling with?

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

What motor are you trolling with?

Nissan 9.8 HP and/or Nissan 20 HP outboards.

 

[hopper]

Nissan 9.8 HP and/or Nissan 20 HP outboards.

Nice. I have a 20hp Tohatsu and haven't tried 2mph for any extended time. I also have a 2.5 honda that may do the trick. Looks like it will finally cool down soon.

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

Nice. I have a 20hp Tohatsu and haven't tried 2mph for any extended time. I also have a 2.5 honda that may do the trick. Looks like it will finally cool down soon.

If I recall correctly, the Nissans I have are actually made by Tohatsu. My 20 HP actually has more throttle control at the low end, so fine adjustments between 1.5 MPH and 2.5 MPH are easier. But the 20 HP is a bit more finicky about idling for 5 hours at a time. It usually needs to be restarted a couple times - and it does better idling the next time if I run it wide open for a few minutes at the end of the day. Fresh gas also helps it idle for several hours without quitting.

It would be interesting to see how the 2.5 Honda does. I'm sure it will hit the target speed range, but when running for hours on end I'm not sure how the noise and vibrations of the higher RPMs will be.

 

[Browning Slayer]

If I recall correctly, the Nissans I have are actually made by Tohatsu. My 20 HP actually has more throttle control at the low end, so fine adjustments between 1.5 MPH and 2.5 MPH are easier. But the 20 HP is a bit more finicky about idling for 5 hours at a time. It usually needs to be restarted a couple times - and it does better idling the next time if I run it wide open for a few minutes at the end of the day. Fresh gas also helps it idle for several hours without quitting.

It would be interesting to see how the 2.5 Honda does. I'm sure it will hit the target speed range, but when running for hours on end I'm not sure how the noise and vibrations of the higher RPMs will be.

What do your plugs look like?

If you are trolling that much you are building up a ton of carbon. Try decarbing your motor with Seafoam. It will make a world of difference in that motor. I use to troll a ton (still do) and I would decard my motor at the beginning of each fishing season (right after deer season).

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

What do your plugs look like?

If you are trolling that much you are building up a ton of carbon. Try decarbing your motor with Seafoam. It will make a world of difference in that motor. I use to troll a ton (still do) and I would decard my motor at the beginning of each fishing season (right after deer season).

Thanks for the tip. I'll attend to this.