Trolling with a hard body minnow bait requires an understanding of teh depth at which the bait will travel through the water. Understanding the depth of the hard body minnow bait is important because it will allow a fisherman to effectivey place the bait into the location of the fish in the water column. If a fisherman dont understand the depth of the hard body minnow bait, the bait may not effectively reach the fish.
However, if a fisherman understands the depth at which the bait will travel, the fisherman can effectively ensure the bait reaches the fish. The size of the bait, the weight of the fishing line, the speed at which the boat is being operated, and the length of the fishing lines can determine the depth of the hard body minnow bait. The size of the hard body bait is one of the first variable in determining the depth of the bait.
How to Control the Depth of a Hard Body Minnow Bait
Smaller hard body baits will remain within the upper parts of the water column, while larger sizes of hard body baits will travel to deeper waters. The fisherman can select the size of the bait according to the type of fish that are common within the water column being fished. For instance, Walleye and smallmouth bass tends to live in different depths of the water than pike, so different sizes of hard body minnow bait will be needed to catch each of these fish species.
The second variable in determining depth is the weight of the fishing line. Heavy fishing lines tend to pull the hard body bait towards the surface of the water, while lighter fishing lines allow the bait to travel deeper into the water. The third variable that can change the depth of the hard body bait is the speed at which the fishing boat is traveled.
Slower speeds allow the bait to dive to deeper waters, while faster speeds will keep the bait more closer to the surface of the water. Boats are often operated at speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 miles per hour, and slight change in the speed at which a boat is traveled can alter the depth at which the bait travels by several feet. Finally, the length of the fishing line can alter the depth of the hard body bait.
By releasing more line, the bait can reach deeper waters, but only to a point; longer lengths of line have a lesser effect on the depth of the bait. However, using specific lengths of line (such as 25 or 50 feet of line) can help to ensuring that the bait will travel to a specific depth within the targeted body of water. Water clarity can play a role in the type of hard body minnow bait that is selected.
If the body of water is clear, a fisherman can use hard body bait that has a natural finish to the bait. However, in waters that are murky and unclear, the fisherman can use bright colors on the bait or a rattle on the bait to help the fish locate the bait. Another factor to consider is the time of year.
During the early part of the year, the fish live in the shallows of the body of water, so small sizes of hard body bait should be used at slow speeds. However, in the middle of summer, the fish begins to move to deeper waters. As such, larger sizes of hard body bait at longer lengths of the fishing line should be used during these months.
To ensure that the depth of the hard body bait is consistent, there are a few method that a fisherman can use. One method is to use a line counter reel to ensure that the bait travels to the same depth during each pass of the hard body bait. Additionally, maintaining the angle of the fishing rod will help to control the depth of the bait; higher angles of the fishing rod will pull the bait towards the surface of the water, while lower angles will pull the bait towards the bottom of the water column.
Finally, using sonar to observe the bait will allow the fisherman to ensure that the bait is positioned just a few feet above the fish. By implementing these methods, a fisherman can effectively control the depth of the hard body minnow bait and ensure that the bait is place into the location where the fish are located. Youll find that using the right gear makes a lot of difference based off the depth.
Its important to remember that the boats speed and the weight of the lines is also a factor. If you cant control the depth, you should of checked the line weight first.