Speed for trolling trout ~ SMALL-Jointed ShadRap Rapalas

I have put in over 30+ miles of trolling for trout and NADA!(my NewB voyage I got a 25"THUNDER-freak-TROUT)
I studied the "Paddling for Trout" article written by Mooch before attempting and it paid BIG.
Now I need a tip on these small lures(gauranteed to get a trout from Chabot)
How fast do I go?  the box says "produces at minimum retreive"
Any info is GOOD INFO.
Adam~FisHuntin Fool

adam,  I have had luck with non jointed shadrap and a set of willow blade seps mini flashers 3 feet ahead of them with a 3/8 oz bullet weight in front of the flashers. the flashers will sink, but the lure since it floats generally won't get hung up, it floats off the bottom.

if you do get hung up, you can ditch the flashers.

you don't need the flashers, but it sounds like chabot is never red hot and good for trolling making me think that a little deeper and a little more flash is good? kind of what I intuited from some posts on the sniffer. could be wrong.

Also, I saw a post where the guy let out a weight on some cord by hand as a downrigger, clipped his line to the cord. dropped it 30 feet and let 30 to 50 feet of line out. caught fish on rapala at chabot that way.

I let out 80 to 100 feet of line and just let the flashers and weight sink the lure a little. they say 10% of line out is how much it sinks, so you are probably 10 to 20 feet down with some weight and a flashers and shad rap and 100 feet of 4lb test out.

tie a loop knot or use a split ring.

the jointed ones you can go a little slower.

I use my gps unit to gauge my speed, but it's good to see that throb on your rod tip too.

without the GPS I usually go too fast...

go 1.3 to 2 mph. but swerve a lot, stop and go, etc, I think that helps a lot.

a dodger and worm you go 0.8 to 1.3, then the small rapalas you go 1.3 to 2.3.

you can go 3+ if you put on a big rapala as the rule of thumb is one mph per inch of lure...

good luck bro!

J

The fist time I fished Chabot was from a float tube (many years ago) - and caught some bass drifting live crawlers around the island. The second time was last year - I kayak-trolled a firetiger rapala on 4 pound mono and managed one trout and that was it for the day. The problem I have with Chabot is that the water clarity sucks and you can't really concentrate on trolling the high percentage areas cause there are too many bank fishermen huggin the entire shoreline - where the drop-offs are.

This is why I prefer Del Valle - it's a much bigger lake - lot's of room for everybody and water clarity is much better. The downside are the power boats. I wish they only allowed trolling motors in this lake. I also like the fact that there is no gun range nearby (unlike Chabot and Steven Creek)

I never use jointed rapalas or wide wobbling lures - IMO: the more the lure moves (side to side), the more the fish miss it and sometimes give up the chase too soon. Kast Masters and the solid - one piece body of a rapala have a very tight action to it = easier for the fish to get a bite at.

As far as speed, I try to vary it. Go fast when you see deeper water and go really slow when you see shallow humps on the FF. Try gliding every now and then and then pick up the pace. Work that lure!

just my 2 cents.

Adam - keep at it. find and troll the edges and you'll get into 'em.

Shop owner DID say "Chabot is unlike any other" he fished it his whole life.
 
Color and size of lure is the KEY! 
J~thanks for the tips on Chabot,the only Yaker I've seen with fish had the "blades"working a live crwlr.


Mooch~I have put 30+frickin miles on the "secret lure" in 3 different lakes.
I know.... keep paddlin' 
Thanks for the shot of encouragment and when are you going to hit Del Valle again?  I would like to join in.
Adam

maybe Del Valle or the Forebay this weekend - haven't decided yet but I'll post it by the end of the week.

mooch never say never.  I caught my biggest lingcod this year (well it was only 31 inches) on a 4.5" jointed rebel fastrack
in capitola of all places.

then my largemouth @ the forebay (not as big as yours, but a decent fish) hit the same lurel, different color.

I know that one day you will find that the jointed lure is what you need! 

YEAH!   and these things are so little,they should be easy to swallow in a single GULP?        Hopeful Wishin/Fishin!

I know that one day you will find that the jointed lure is what you need! 

NEVER 

J - LMB and Lings have big mouths, so they can easily engulf anything that comes their way. Trout don't have it that easy 

My wife and I troll for trout allot at bass lake and have had the most success on blue fox "deep runner" spinners, I like the silver-blue colors and they can be found at wallyworld (my nemesis) and Target.  also at Cabelas: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat180001&id=0011723116422a&navCount=3&podId=0011723&parentId=cat180001&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=2UG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat180001&hasJS=true

I've also had luck trolling 1/2 to 1oz spoons and small crankbates that dive to 3-5 feet.  We troll with our canoe and trolling motor on speed 1 and in the kayaks at varying speeds, but usually moderately fast.  For us, the key seems to be having the lure between 3 and 5 feet deep and covering lots of water.  I also spot cast spinners to rising fish and burn them back to me.  This results in a very high percentage of hookups(50%+).

Keep working it and try new water, some places are just tough for the non-powerbaiter (AKA fishcrack).

Thx for the link and tips RF! I got away from the spinner type because of a bad experience....(twists&tangles) but now have a weighted-swivel-thing to combat the twist and get it a little deeper. The spinners will be tested!!

okay, mooch, no jointed or wide wobble (like a banana plug, a flatfish you mean?) for trout, that might be good advice, you are the trout master...

I read it as you would never use a jointed lure anywhere, but I see you meant trout only?

Best,

J

J - don't get me wrong...I have caught trout trolling with the flat fish - but I have lost more trout yakside because most of the trout were hooked on the side of the cheek - that simply tells me that the trout missed the lure but somehow - the hooks were sharp enough to stick the fish on the side. I really think that the spinners are the best cause it's a straight shot for a hungry fish - since the blade does the job of causing vibration,flash and zero wobble. But like you had mentioned, spinners cause line twist  Unless you use a bead chain sinker with a keel in front of the spinner. 

just my 2 cents....

By the way, I've lost Salmon the same way trolling an apex (super wide wobble)....I guess being barbless does not help the cause as well. Think I'll use the FBR next season - it behaves just like a spinner.

IMO: jointed lures are great with stripers,LMB,SMB.....and as you said = lingcod. With a large mouth, you can zero into a lure that wobbles wide and fast.

I really think that the spinners are the best cause it's a straight shot for a hungry fish - since the blade does the job of causing vibration,flash and zero wobble. But like you had mentioned, spinners cause line twist  Unless you use a bead chain sinker with a keel in front of the spinner. 

BINGO!!  That's what I got(bead chain thingy) and I'm gonna put it to use! I'm gonna get me a DAM(meaning lake) TROUT!!  It's too cold to fish for anything else this weekend.....reports were bad last cold freeze wkend.I think they"ll be out trying to warm-up and That's where I will be!!