How to Troll in Saltwater

If you’ve ever fished by boat, chances are you’ve tried trolling. Trolling is a fishing technique in which 1 or more lines are slowly dragged behind the boat to entice fish to bite. The boat’s speed and direction play a large role in the action of the lure or bait. Different speeds are appropriate for different species. This article broadly goes over all of the considerations for trolling at a high level, with links to more detailed articles in each of the sub areas. 

Where to Troll

When learning to troll, one of the first questions is usually regarding the best place to troll. The pelagic species often targeted with trolling tend to hang out near structure because that’s where the food is. Baitfish will swim around reefs, wrecks and ledges because of the protection these places offer from predators. Mahi and tripletail will often hang around floating debris. My article Where to Troll? discusses more details about the best places to troll.

What Fish to Catch Trolling

Trolling is usually done with surface lines and lines and various depths in the water. Placing lures and bait at these water depths targets fish in these areas. The most common saltwater fish to target with trolling include mahi mahi, king mackerel, tuna, wahoo, marlin, and even swordfish. To learn about the habits of these fish and the seasonality of them, read my article Trolling Fish.

Trolling Speed

The boat speed when trolling is highly important, although the right speed depends on a multitude of factors. Slow speeds, around 3-5 knots, are best when using live bait. The slow speed of the boat should be just enough to guide the bait in a certain direction, while also giving the bait enough freedom to move naturally. Sometimes, boat captains recognize that they can slow troll without even powering the motors if the current or wind is strong enough to push the boat in the right direction.

Dead bait and trolling lures can be trolled at moderate speeds. Dead bait, especially if it’s draped with a protective skirt, can withstand the higher speeds better than live bait. Some trolling lures, such as soft plastic squids do well at a variety of speeds, while diving crankbaits and vibrating sinking lures tend to be designed to work within a narrow speed range.

High speed trolling, around 10 knots, is ideal when targeting species such as wahoo. High speed trolling can be fun, but it can be challenging to keep lures running true. Any misalignment in the eyelets can cause the lure to show a different action. My article on Optimal Trolling Speeds covers considerations about different speeds in detail.

Trolling Depth

Trolling is a fishing technique used to target fish at the top and middle of the water column. The lures or bait must be presented at the same depth, or close to it, as the target fish. Trolling at a certain depth is one of the major difficulties in mastering the trolling technique.

To achieve various depths, anglers can use lipped diving lures, weighted lures, planers, downriggers, and trolling weights. The depth achieved will also depend on the speed of the boat. Diving and weighted lures are designed within a certain speed and depth envelope which must be maintained for the lures to properly action. Surface lines are also affected by speed since baits and lures can skip across the surface if the boat is going too fast. Trolling depth and line length are related and covered in more detail in my article Trolling Depth and Line Length.

Trolling Line Length

There is no perfect answer for how much line to let out when trolling. Trolling is usually done with a spread of multiple lines at various distances and depths behind the boat. A good rule of thumb is to keep your shortest line about 50 feet from the boat to leverage the attracting commotion of the motor. The longest line should be around 200 feet away so it’s near the bubble pattern of the wake, but not so close that it scares some of the more skiddish species away.

Trolling Hooks

When embarking on learning to troll, be careful not to choose too weak of a hook. Large and strong pelagic fish will require a heavy gauge hook to prevent the fish from straightening it out. Lighter wire hooks can be used when targeting smaller fish, or trying to conceal the hook in a bait to target a leader shy species.

Both circle hooks and J hooks will work, however J hooks tend to be more popular for trolling. Circle hooks are best for catch and release fishing because they rarely result in a gut hook and help preserve the life of the fish.

The hooks size can vary from 1/0 for small fish with great eyesight, all the way up to 12/0 for big marlin. My article Trolling Hook Size & Style goes through the detailed considerations when choosing a hook for your trophy catch.

Trolling Spread

Because trolling usually involves several lines being pulled behind the boat at once, we call different configurations of lines, “trolling spreads”. Spreads can have any number of lines out. Although you should feel free to set out your lines however you want, there are a few things to keep in mind. The longest lines should be let out first so they are out of the way. If you did long lines last, they would have to move past the other lines and potentially tangle during setup.

I also recommend putting the shortest line in the center about 50 yards back from the motor. This is one of the lines that most frequently gets struck for me and I believe it’s because some fish are actually attracted to the prop wash bubbles and motor noise. When it comes to setting up a trolling spread, I encourage you to try different options to figure out something that will work for you.

Trolling Bait

Baits are often used for trolling. Similar to other fishing techniques, bait can be used live or dead. Live bait comes with many challenges that some anglers feel are not worth it. Getting live bait can be more difficult than it sounds. You can purchase it from bait shops, but it tends to get quite expensive depending on how much bait you buy and how frequently you buy it.

You can catch live bait in the early morning on your way out to a fishing spot using a cast net or sabiki rig. For anglers who know where to find bait, this is usually a great option. For anglers just starting out, catching live bait can add an unnecessary challenge and frustration to a day of fishing.

Once you have live bait, you’ll need to keep it alive in a live well. This part can be tricky. Anglers will need to be careful not to overfill the livewell. The temperature and oxygen levels also need to be maintained close to the exterior water conditions.

Live bait also requires a slow trolling, often drifting, technique that allows the fish to swim naturally while being lightly pulled in the direction of the boat. If the boat speed is too fast, you’ll likely kill the bait. The hooks used for live bait trolling to be light wire and small.

When using dead bait, many of these challenges disappear. Dead bait can be purchased frozen from a bait shop and thawed before use. These baits are often rigged with skirted teasers at the nose to protect the bait from deterioration at higher trolling speeds. They tend to last much longer that live bait.

The best baits for trolling, as discussed in my article Best Baits for Trolling, are live bonita, skipjack tuna, pilchards and ballyhoo. Dead ballyhoo and cut bonita strips are common options for trolling dead bait. The article also shares how to rig baits for trolling.

Trolling Lures

There are several types of lures that work great for trolling. Soft plastic squids and skirted bullet head lures are often bought together in a daisy chain or spreader bar formation. These are durable lures that are great for beginners as they are effective at a wide variety of speeds.

Hard lures such as sinking twitchbaits and diving crankbaits can achieve depth without additional tackle like weights or planers. Hard lures can be more challenging since they’re usually designed for a narrow speed range.

Spoons, such as the old fashioned Clarkspoons or Drone Spoons, are simple, lightweight, and effective. They have remained on the market for decades, proving their tried and true performance. To read more about where to use different lures in your trolling spread, read my article on Trolling Lures.

Don’t forget to learn how to rig them up properly so your lure doesn’t get bit off. My article Trolling Rigs goes through step by step instructions on how to rig several types of trolling lures.  

Trolling Rods

The ideal fishing rod changes based on different techniques. For trolling, a short rod with heavy power is best to stand up to the beating of dragging a lure behind a boat at various speeds and fighting large pelagic fish.

A 6 to 7 foot rod is best for trolling. The length provides enough reach to get over the motor or extend off the sides of the boat without being too long to store. In general, high strength line is used for trolling and requires a relatively heavy power rod. For smaller fish and shallower waters, anglers may start with 65 lb test line, which may equate to medium to heavy power rod. When targeting monster pelagics, you’ll see anglers use 100 lb test line or stronger, with extra heavy power rods.

When searching for a good trolling rod, you’ll want to also look for moderate to fast action. Fast action will help you to fight the big fish that trolling yields. When choosing a rod, you’ll want to pay close attention to the butt end of the rod. If you plan to use a fighting belt or keep the rod in a rod holder, an aluminum gimbal is a must have. The gimbal has notches that mate with crosspins in a belt or rod holder to prevent the rod from twisting when it’s sitting in either of those places.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having high quality guides on your rod. The best guide insert materials are zirconia and silicon nitride. The lowest quality insert materials are titanium oxide or stainless steel. Low quality guide inserts can get damaged with the sharp cutting power of braid. Damaged guide inserts can tear fishing line and cause the loss of a fish.

To learn about my recommended trolling rods, read my article The Best Trolling Rod.

Trolling Reels

When looking for a reel to do trolling, you’ll want to look at a conventional style reel. Conventional reels are far superior in line capacity from spinning reels. Because trolling requires letting line out for yards and yards, and then having a hooked fish pull line out against the drag, you’ll need to be prepared with an adequate amount of line.

Offshore trolling is a scenario in which two speed gearing can also be very helpful. The high gear ratio tends to have a faster retrieve rate, helping you to clear lines in the spread quickly wen another angler on the boat is fighting a hooked fish. When you need more power to crank down on a big fish, switching to low gear will make it much easier on you.

You’ll also want to consider the importance of a clicker. When trolling, the rod and reel is usually sitting in the rod holder with the line out waiting for a bite. If you’re setting up other lines or simply waiting for a bite, you’ll be thankful you have a clicker to alert you when a fish is hooked. This can be especially important with fast fish because your reaction time is more critical to prevent stripping the line off because you didn’t notice a bite. A screaming clicker is a good indicator for the angler to start fighting, another person to clear the other lines, and the captain to start driving the boat to keep the leverage in your favor.

When fighting big fish against heavy drag, fishing reels can get very hot. Lever drag is another important feature to consider in a trolling reel. Lever drag systems use large diameter drag washers which are much more efficient at releasing heat than star drag systems. If you’re in the market for a trolling reel, you must read my article The 2 Best Trolling Reels.

Main Line for Trolling

When it comes to choosing the main line for your trolling setup, monofilament or braid can both work. High visibility monofilament has traditionally been the go-to main line to fill up wide trolling reels. Mono is affordable when filling a reel with hundreds of yards of line and absorbs strikes from pelagic fish very well. The downside of monofilament is that it has memory and will likely only last one season.

Although monofilament is a great option, braid has many advantages. Braided fishing line can last many seasons with its incredible durability. Braid is also much smaller in diameter, which allows you to get much more line on the same size reel, or even buy a smaller reel. Standing up to fight a fish with a small reel packed with braided line can be a much more enjoyable experience than holding a bulky, wide reel packed with tons of mono. A topshot of mono is usually used with braid to help absorb the shock of a hard strike.

For an in-depth review of mono vs braid for trolling, read my article, here.

Topshots and Leaders for Trolling

A mono topshot is used in trolling when the main line is braid. Braided main line helps maximize your line capacity, but has the disadvantage of lacking stretch and abrasion resistance. A mono topshot is usually about 100 yards long and offers enough stretch for a solid hookset.

Leader lines vary when trolling. For example, when rigging a large vibrating lure to target toothy wahoo, you’ll use a short wire leader to prevent getting bit off. When rigging a lipped hard bait, the lip itself offers protection against toothy critters, but you may need a high strength mono leader for abrasion resistance.

Fluorocarbon leaders are often used when presenting natural baits with small hooks. Fluorocarbon is nearly invisible and contributes to giving live or dead bait the most natural look possible. In some cases, a topshot and a leader are used together, such as when a short fluorocarbon leader is needed in very clear water. My article Topshots and Leaders for Trolling talks through lengths and types of leaders in more detail.

I hope this article helps give you an overview of trolling. Each of the referenced articles will provide even more detail and sometimes even product recommendations. Tight lines, y’all!