Deep-Water Fishing

When fishing deeper water, objects or cover become less of a concern, and depth levels in turn assert themselves as areas in which to concentrate. Drop-offs and breaks now become congregating areas. Once you've determined location and depth, decide upon an exact and efficient manner of lure or bait delivery that will follow a contour area precisely and maintain contact with the bottom. This is where the backtrolling system is used to present some type of live or artificial bait. It's a system where the boat and motor are used in presentation. The boat movement, in effect, does the retrieving instead of the reel and keeps the offering within the predetermined strike zone. (Figure 3-9.)

Why troll backwards? First, the motor will act as a pivot point, making the method a more precise way of moving a boat and, in turn, a bait, along a certain break line or area. Second, when trolling in reverse, you can maintain a very slow crawling movement, thereby retaining as short a line as possible between rod and bottom. The more vertical the line, the less it stretches, the better the feel, and the more accurate your presentation. During this procedure your eyes will be glued to your depth finder at all times to ascertain the location and movement of your bait. Most of the time you'll be able to get away with your electric trolling motor mounted on the transom, but when wind starts to roll some waves use the big engine to maintain slow movement. A tiller-operated outboard is an absolute must for this deadly precision method.

If you're right-handed, your left hand will be on the tiller and your right hand holding the rod. The manner in which you hold your rod is important in backtrolling. Once you've let out just enough line to keep contact with the bottom, do not close the bail; instead, pick up the line with the forefinger and hold it against the rod handle. This will allow not only an increased measure of feel but also the ability to instantly release the line when a fish takes the bait, allowing it to run without resistance. No motion need be applied to the live bait rig; at the most, a simple lift and drop will suffice. If you're backtrolling with a jig and live bait combination, or a spinner rig and worm, you can keep your bail closed for a quick hook set, but remember to still pick up that line with the forefinger for increased sensitivity.

Backtrolling is a little-used, fine-tuned approach to deep-water. fishing. Once you've backtrolled for a while, you'll learn the real intricacies involved. Wind changes and gusts demand adjustments in engine speed and direction, but once the technique is mastered, many moves can be accomplished. Sometimes you will be able to use a controlled drift where the motor is just used to stay on a predetermined path. Other times you may use backtrolling to hover in place, or to slip back with the wind when a particular area or a group of fish warrants more immediate work.