4/6/14 - Skunked trolling for rainbows at Lake Chabot - any tips for a noob?

Arrived at Lake Chabot right at 6AM, unload, and get on the water at 6:45ish.  The water was a pea green and not a cloud in the sky.  The water was dead calm as I paddle away from the marina.  I see a handful of fish jumping and splashing as I begin to troll the perimeter of the lake counter clockwise.  I paddle to a glide, cast a fire tiger Rapala as far back as I can, set the pole in the rod holder and continue paddling.  I repeat with a chrome/blue Kastmaster.  With both lines out, I check my rod tips to ensure I'm trolling at the right speed to get correct action out of both lures.  I found that approx. 2mph was a good cruising speed.  I start pulling more line out to get the lures further from the yak. 

Question 1:  what's a good length of line to have out trolling Rapala's and Kastmasters for trout?
Question 2:  how do you gauge exactly how much line you have out on spinning reels?

This was my 2nd time out with the yak and my first attempt at trolling for trout.  Any advice to help a brother out?  4-hours of trolling and not even a bite!  I had a great time on the water despite being skunked.  Nothing beats being OTW at the butt crack of dawn, surrounded by nature's beauty, all while getting a great work out.

I've had my best luck at Chabot towing little 1.5" powerbait white or chartruese grubs on a four foot leader behind a bullet weight you'd use for Texas rigging a plastic worm. But I've been skunked there too.

Oh, or drifting small pieces of night crawler behind a BB shot. With the wind. That's the leisure approach.

Have your line out 15-20 yards. Make sure you are going at walking speed, between 2 and 3 mph. Just fast enough to keep the lure spinning. I have great luck on spinners like Panther Martin or Blue Fox size 2.

Best kayak trolling tip ever: Get a Hobie!

Seriously though... make sure your paddle strokes are as quiet as possible. Trout are infamous for their spook-ability.

Another tip: Have your drag tight enough so that it will set the hook, but loose enough so that you will hear your drag click if you are trolling with the pole out of sight behind you. Even if it's a little too loose, you will probably still have a chance to set the hook after you gain control of your pole and tighten the drag.

Best kayak trolling tip ever: Get a Hobie!

Seriously though... make sure your paddle strokes are as quiet as possible. Trout are infamous for their spook-ability.

Another tip: Have your drag tight enough so that it will set the hook, but loose enough so that you will hear your drag click if you are trolling with the pole out of sight behind you. Even if it's a little too loose, you will probably still have a chance to set the hook after you gain control of your pole and tighten the drag.

I would get a Hobie, but I have asthma.  I have to asthma-wife 😂.  I do need to work on my paddle strokes though...drags we're set fairly loose and I have two front rod holders to keep an eye on my poles.  I probably was splashing about too much, thanks for the tips!

Put a lot of line out, and go slow!  You gotta get them things deep!  Sometimes the chabows don't bite, it doesn't mean a thing.  Gold kastmasters on overcast days work well, and I've done best at chabot with a crocodile spoon in firetiger.  Its frustrating because the little kids on the bank are pull in up limits with powerbait, and you're working hard for scratch!  Also if you hook up, keep paddling!  That will set the hook, and many fish are lost from trying to play the fish too soon!  Good luck!

Ive done my best in the back area by the dam trolling 1/4oz kastmasters  they were biting chrome, chrome blue, gold, rainbow trout but like manbearpig says sometimes they just get lock jaw and wont bite

I would get a Hobie, but I have asthma.  I have to asthma-wife 😂.  I do need to work on my paddle strokes though...drags we're set fairly loose and I have two front rod holders to keep an eye on my poles.  I probably was splashing about too much, thanks for the tips!

It's nice to keep poles in the front because you can see the bite, but I think having them in the back actually helps get the lure deeper. Maybe I'm just crazy, but it really seems like it to me.

I have never fished Chabot, but I know a thing or 20 about trout trolling. 15-20 yards is not nearly enough line out. I troll with well over 100' of line out. Usually closer to 150'. On the DR I run about 60-100' depending on depth. Sometimes with Kokanee I run my bait right behind the weight, even fishing 20 feet down. I've had kokes hit my flasher I run on the ball.

I have had better luck trolling for trout when the wind is causing ripples on the lake surface, and/or when it's overcast.  And yes, lots of line out.

If you drop your lure in the water next to you and paddle, you can figure out the best speed to troll.  You need to let out as much line as you can while still being able to maneuver around.  The Kastmaster you can get pretty deep, with lots of line going slow (if you stop it'll also sink down). Stop and check'em every once in a while cuz you might pick up weeds on the hooks (no bueno).  At Shadow Cliffs you also have to watch your lines when the swimmers are out!

Sounds like the length of line out is for getting the lures down deeper.  If that's the case, would trolling with a 3-way swivel with a 1-2oz. weight and lure on 3ft leaders help?

That will help get your line down. I like lots of line to get away from the kayak and give the fish time to think all s clear. If trolling crank baits they only go as deep as they are designed regardless of the amount of line out.

i'd rather do a keel weight, rubbercore or banana weight than a three way if you're not planning to bounce bottom.  A lot less hassle. 

But I don't think it was necessarily your fault that you didn't hook a trout after 4 hours at chabot. sometimes trout just don't bite.  keep at it and you'll get em figured out.