# Do You Have to Troll This Time of Year?



## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

The thermocline is setting in...

Any 2coolers catch limits of whites & striper without trolling during the HOT summer months? If so, do you mind sharing the techniques you use? I have been successful throwing lipless cranks, but they seem to work better when trolled. The whites seem to like the shad in the prop wash or the vibrations of the boat running. It seems to charge them up and make them more aggressive. When I fish the same area with my trolling motor or anchored, I catch fish, but trolling through the area will out produce casting every time for me. 

Sometimes it is just too HOT to anchor up for me, so I whip out the trolling gear to have some mother nature A/C!

Have fun out there 2coolers, and stay safe!!!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I have told this before, but will repeat it. It is no secret that I don't choose to troll as my first choice. 

Several years back I was fortunate enough to find a lot of catchable whites on a hump anchored in late June when it was really hot. The lake was as smooth as your bathtub water after you finish filling it and before you get in. I was sweating so bad that I thought it possible to accidently drop my fishing rod from all the sweat making the grip slick. Then a pontoon trolls by.... with a nice bimini top and shade .... music playing ..... 1 man plus 2 women in decent shape wearing bikinis ... and they were catching also. I realized, who is really wrong here? I honestly felt I was feeling effects from the heat and pulled anchor to drive around and cool off.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

It's a search to find them, but slabbing fish are around during the thermocline. Most of the time they are suspended, but can be caught dancing the slab at their depth.
What makes it hard is finding them and staying over them.
Being suspended there is no structure to hold them in one place, it's all about how they can corral the shad. 
Sometimes they can keep the shad centered in a place for a long time and you catch a lot in one spot. But sometimes they move on fast, with bottom structure not being as important to hold them they can travel anywhere in that top layer of water chasing shad.
The good news is they seem to still hang around in certain places, different places at times from the usual humps and rises, but often in the same humps, just suspended. Collecting a list of spots where you find them on the sonar suspended at this time of year is a good thing to do.
I have switched to depth hunter braid with a 40# vanishing fluorocarbon leader so I can zero I on certain depths that I see the fish on the sonar and it really helps. the fluorocarbon leader transmits taps and any hit well and does not bother fish.
You can also lift a striped bass with it when the net is occupied.
The fish seem to want a gentle bounce at the depth they travel, and sometimes just hold it still.
All that said, throwing traps at them is really fun too!

Trapperjon and I slabbed up about 100 whites this morning and he kept 20 fat pigs.
The action was in 13' of water, just above the thermocline. Then they came up on top and schooled pretty well for an hour.
I smashed em with a zara spook, real fun!
The slabbing fish even at 13' will soon be hard to find if the heat continues the thermocline will hit the shallower water as well, but instead of being at 15' it's at 8' to 5' on up the lake where the average depth is much shallower.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Whitebassfisher said:


> I have told this before, but will repeat it. It is no secret that I don't choose to troll as my first choice.
> 
> Several years back I was fortunate enough to find a lot of catchable whites on a hump anchored in late June when it was really hot. The lake was as smooth as your bathtub water after you finish filling it and before you get in. I was sweating so bad that I thought it possible to accidently drop my fishing rod from all the sweat making the grip slick. Then a pontoon trolls by.... with a nice bimini top and shade .... music playing ..... 1 man plus 2 women in decent shape wearing bikinis ... and they were catching also. I realized, who is really wrong here? I honestly felt I was feeling effects from the heat and pulled anchor to drive around and cool off.


Mr.White bass fisher.If you recall the depth of those hump its propably has rise up toward the same depth as where the whites are suspened.I would say with the exception if one can find humps at the same depth as the the fish are suspended then slabbing might still be an option.My friend absolutely slaughter them whites last week trolling a 15 foot humps about the same depth as last year pattern.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

It's all a matter of preference. I have never liked to troll so I look for different ways to catch them. Nothing against the trollers because I know they enjoy what they do. The biggest mistake I make is fishing for them where they ain't. I finally learned to bring the slab up to where I'm marking the fish. On recent trips to Livingston I have absolutely killed them throwing 1/2 oz trap. Not sure I could have caught them any faster.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Please excuse the ignorance but exactly what is "slabbing" ? is that some sort of lure?


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

mas360 said:


> Please excuse the ignorance but exactly what is "slabbing" ? is that some sort of lure?


I think "slabbing" is fishing using a lure similar to the original *Bomber Slab Spoon*. A slab is a lure cast from lead, with a wire insert so that you have a place to tie your line and a place for the hook to be attached. Slabs can be cast then hopped or worked across the bottom similar to the way a plastic worm is fished for LMB. This could be across a flat that is holding fish or down a slope. Or, extremely popular, is vertical jigging that slab spoon straight beneath the boat. The weight of a slab makes it quick to get down to the right depth, and if worked correctly can really imitate a wounded baitfish. The original slabs were very similar in size and shape to pouring molten lead into a teaspoon. Now they are made in various sizes and shapes, more closely resembling a shad shape. But, in my opinion, a "slab" must be made by casting lead. "Slabbing" seems to refer to white bass in fresh water. "Jigging" is a synonym and has a more wide spread usage, and is even used far offshore for a variety of deep water fish such as tuna.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I get better every year at those suspended fish with a slab, it takes a different touch than banging the bottom. 
Bruce I agree about finding structure at the depth they are suspended, whatever the fish, crappie, white bass, etc... when you can find some bottom structure coming up to where the depth the fish are suspended it's whacking time!

This morning the white bass were suspended at 8" LOL! Great top water bite, at two spots. I smashed them with a spook running back and forth checking the times.
They stopped at both spots about 7:30, long enough to send me home for nap.


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## Eagle180 (Oct 24, 2009)

Lots of good information in these posts.. Thanks!!!


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## redspeck (Jul 3, 2012)

mas360 said:


> Please excuse the ignorance but exactly what is "slabbing" ? is that some sort of lure?


I think that's a term for a fat fish, Slabbing! but I could be wrong.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

@Whitebassfisher, 
Thanks for the explanation.


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## Capt sharky (Feb 22, 2012)

Trolling is for lazy folks find your own fish and dont spook the ones that others prefer to jig dont bird dog when you see one caught use your electronics learn how to read fish bait and structure you will catch fish trolling kills small fish


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Capt sharky said:


> Trolling is for lazy folks find your own fish and dont spook the ones that others prefer to jig dont bird dog when you see one caught use your electronics learn how to read fish bait and structure you will catch fish trolling kills small fish


Well spoken.I will try to not to kill any small fish this weekend.I promise next year not to be lazy.If I see you catch a fish I will go over and say hi and punch in the gps coords.I am a little dump still figuring out my 1911 birds.LOL we trollers still love you man whatever you say.Slabbing is too much work.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

?????????


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

or is it 1199 no its 9911 :help:


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Good grief.


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## WetDream (Mar 12, 2012)

Which ever way put fish in the boat work for me.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Different strokes for different folks, I never met a lazy fisherman. Their alarm clocks go off way to early !!!


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*trolling*

All I can say is if trolling kills l fish..What about that other thousand boats running 50+mph joy riding all day long DO????


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## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks 2cool! Cant wait to get out there and try a few different methods! 

Do any of you 2Coolers currnetly use the Dennis Christian Mepp's Method on Livingston? He is retired and currently fishes Cedar Creek with his method. He use to use it on the Livingston road bed. He is a big time member on TFF.


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## redspeck (Jul 3, 2012)

brucevannguyen said:


> Well spoken.I will try to not to kill any small fish this weekend.I promise next year not to be lazy.If I see you catch a fish I will go over and say hi and punch in the gps coords.I am a little dump still figuring out my 1911 birds.LOL we trollers still love you man whatever you say.Slabbing is too much work.


LOL


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## fishin_envy (Aug 13, 2010)

big D. said:


> Do any of you 2Coolers currnetly use the Dennis Christian Mepp's Method on Livingston? He is retired and currently fishes Cedar Creek with his method. He use to use it on the Livingston road bed. He is a big time member on TFF.


Never heard of it. Would mind explaining it. Not big on trolling, but always interested in learning new methods for when you absolutely have to.


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## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

Here it is!

http://www.mepps.com/fishing-article/the-fishing-discovery-of-my-lifetime/408


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## Lake Livingston Adventures (Mar 15, 2013)

Dennis catches fish all year long with that method and it is DEADLY! The only time of year you practically have to troll to catch fish is mid August and early September, but even then Dennis's method will work. We use the same technique with very flat flutter style slabs and it works like a champ. It's really pretty simple, as the thermocline pushes up, fish structure at the same depth as the thermocline until it reaches it's peak. Then go to the coast and catch bull reds!!! Lol


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