Any input would be much appreciated… I have a 50hp outboard on my 16 ft. Spectrum and have been fishing on Seneca now for about 6 years, mainly for trout. I’ve used manual downriggers, Seth Green rig’s and in-line planer boards over the years. I’ve put a lot of trolling miles in and have never had much luck. I’ve tried a bunch of different lures, Sutton’s, trolling flies, Alpino Diamonds, etc….
I’ve finally come to the conclusion that my motor may be the problem. My main 50hp outboard idles right down to a slow crawl – but I think the vibration/noise may be spooking a lot of fish. I’ve trolled like this since I’ve owned the boat – and again, never had much luck.
I’ve learned a lot reading this forum through the past few years and I know people are more than happy about providing input to questions asked.
So, my question is this….. Do I have a legitimate worry about trolling with my 50hp Force? Is this spooking fish? Do other’s troll with their main motor and have luck? Should I be investing in a small kicker to improve catch rate? Or, am I just a novice who hasn’t “gotten it†yet?
All feedback appreciated – again, thank you…..