| Author and fishing guide Patricia Strutz caught and released this tiger musky while row trolling on a northern Wisconsin lake in October 2005.
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Row trolling
The angler's silent sport
by Patricia Strutz
Row trolling was once the only game in town. Back in the '40s and '50s, all professional fishing guides row trolled. Then along came smoother running outboard motors, electric trolling motors and specialized casting equipment. Rowing fell out of fashion. 
| Fiberglass rowboats made by Heckel's Marina of Eagle River, Wisconsin, are the "working man's boat." Stable
and sturdy, fishing guides prefer these boats when plying windswept waters in late autumn. Trollers utilize planer boards to keep multiple lines separated.
Photo by Juris Ozols |
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With interest renewed, a new generation of fishermen is now embracing row trolling as a nostalgic yet effective fishing technique. Die-hard row trolling adherents, myself included, have long touted the many advantages this method offers. Row trolling, at its simplest level, is taking a small rowboat out, finding some structure or a concentration of baitfish, and, by working the oars, dragging through them a couple of lines with enticing lures. This is how it was done for decades. It can be that simple still. Of course, with new technology and all the specialized electronics on offer today, it can also be as complex as you want to make it. Just
about any species of fish can be taken while row trolling. But each quarry requires different tools to be caught with consistency. Rowing is a wonderful sport all its own. Catching fish while doing it is icing on the cake. When coupled with rowing, trolling adds a different yet satisfying goal. It gets you out there moving and relating to the subtleties of the lake. And rowing makes fishing more of an active sport.
In the summertime, a row troller will typically travel about 3.5 mph. Many row trollers add a sliding seat, such as is found in a scull, to get their legs in the act and maintain a faster speed.
Row trolling is, without a doubt, an environmentally friendly way to fish. No gas or oil is needed nor does it adversely affect aquatic bug or weed life. And of course no noise pollution results. Peace, solitude and serenity is had by the row troller who flees the cacophony of city life. Fish also seek safe havens from all the commotion of recreational boat traffic and fishing pressure concentrated along the periphery of a lake. So it's not unusual for row trollers to have better luck dragging lines over mid-lake humps and through deeper basins among schools of baitfish. As an avid row troller myself, I feel it is an effective way to access fish in deep, clear lakes. Best in cooler weather
When the technique really bears fruit is during cold, snowy weather. Row trolling can produce fish when a slower presentation is required. In frigid water, fish are lethargic. They may respond to a 1 mph row trolled bait much better than a series of quicker casted retrieves.
On top of that, there's no better way to keep warm when out chasing lunkers on blustery autumn afternoons. As water temperatures cool and the metabolism of fish slow down, our rowing speed slows,
too. However, slow speeds do not mean you won't get a workout. Remember, you're pulling multiple lines with big-lipped crank baits through the water.
These lures will produce a lot of drag that affects glide. In addition, you'll be bundled in heavy garments (autumn and early spring fishing brings us out in subfreezing temperatures) to contend with strong crosswinds and headwinds.
Why choose to row when one can motor troll, cast, jig or drift? "Well, first of all, motor trolling is illegal in certain areas," explains Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer Leon "Buckshot" Anderson. "This is the case in my neighborhood in northern Wisconsin (where there are) many Class A musky lakes."
Anderson, who has spent over 57 years "rowing up" walleyes, continued. "Rowing can be more efficient
than motor trolling, anyway. There is no noise or water disruption from the motor. It is much easier to sneak up on wary walleyes. This is especially helpful when fish are in shallow or clear water."
Anglers in small rowboats can access nonmotorized lakes that see little fishing pressure and consequently contain "lure-dumb fish," Anderson said.
He added that row trolling is more constructive than drifting because the speed and direction of the boat can
be controlled. This is extremely important when fish are finicky, schooling up or feeding at depths of only 9 feet.
Row trolling gear
Boat selection should be determined by the waters you intend to fish and the species you wish to pursue.
If you're searching for "eating-sized walleyes" on smaller lakes, your rowing will take you in shallow water near brush piles. A lightweight and easily maneuvered boat is imperative to efficiently access these fish as
well as retrieve your lures from timber.
If you are chasing after trophy-sized walleyes on larger, deeper lakes, you will want to rig up a heavier, sturdier boat that will handle the large waves you will encounter.
Oar length will be largely determined by a boat's beam. Most rowboats' beams average 43 inches to 48 inches, calling for 8-foot curved oars, preferably made out of lightweight Sitka spruce.
Certainly one cannot overlook the nostalgic appeal of row trolling. This fishing technique is steeped in history and tradition. Many folks drawn to simpler times find row trolling an invitation to yesteryear.
Nevertheless, electronics definitely have their place in a rowboat. In days gone by, rowers would drag their chain stringers along the bottom of the lake bed to determine water depth, weed growth and structure. Even
purists agree that the introduction of sonar equipment was key to the sport.
Accurate depth finders allow a troller to take a systematic approach and learn as much as possible about the water body being fished.
Other basic equipment for reeling in smaller sized walleyes must include 6- to 6.5-foot medium action rods and No. 8 test monofilament line on either spinning or bait-casting reels. Long, whippy 8-foot poles work
well when the fish are especially finicky. Longer poles allow lures to be presented farther away from the boat while increasing the bearers' ability to detect even the most subtle hits.
In early spring and late fall, when the water temperatures are cold, fathead minnows on weedless hooks with a small weight attached 8 inches above the hook is just the ticket. If the fish are still relating to weeds, row trolling leeches or night crawler rigs are effective tools, also.
As a northwoods fishing guide, I chase trophy-sized muskies. I target these suspended fish in deep waters, and gear up with heavy-duty equipment. I use composite rods (a combination of fiberglass and graphite.) Glass rods are too flexible to provide proper hook setting capabilities in a bony muskie's mouth at these slow speeds.
I use a long 7.6- to 8-foot, heavy power, fast action rod with a bait-casting reel, like Shimano's Tekota,
with a built-in line counter. I'll tie on No. 30 test monofilament line with a 3-foot fluorocarbon leader (No. 80 test.) I then entice them with deep-diving crank baits such as Roberts Outdoors Depth Raiders, Drifter Tackle's Jakes and oversized Hooker baits.
When faster presentations are required, such as mid-summer, jointed baits deliver more action. But experimentation is required as the slow speeds produced by row trolling can result in lures moving in
patterns very different from how they would move while motor trolling.
Tried-and-true techniques
Walleye fishing in the shallows (8- to 12-inch break line or weed edge) requires a slow drift, feathering your oar and getting your boat to slide along a weed edge or rock bar.
Anderson advised, "In the early spring and fall, go as slow as you can. Then, cut that speed in half. Row backward over the same area to cover as much territory as you can."
He further suggested using sonar to locate fish, casting from the front of the boat and then rowing while the jig/minnow combo drifts to the back of the stern. Row some more while slowly dragging the lure behind the boat, then recast and start the process over.
"When fish are neutral, this technique results in trailing the minnow over the top of them and easing it in front of their faces which can provoke even the tightest lipped fish to strike," Anderson said.
Again, as water temperatures drop, the metabolism of fish slows down. So by the end of November, I'm only rowing 1 to 1.3 mph. I row into the wind to keep my speed down.
In Wisconsin, we can have three lines out per angler, so I utilize off-shore planer boards on a couple of rigs and flat line the other one off the stern. Lure selection should include a variety of depths, colors and actions.
Display lures that generate lots of wobble to portray wounded fish. I then zigzag these lures around a concentrations of baitfish. This erratic action parades the baits across varying depths and, most importantly, accelerates them when making a turn. Large predator fish find changes in speed irresistible.
Once you've located the mass of baitfish on your sonar, run the lure below, above or beside it. The
predators are often lurking there, waiting for a wounded fish and an easy meal. If you run your lure in the midst of the cloud of baitfish it will just get lost.
An ever growing number of fishermen are embracing their favorite pastime by wrapping their fingers around oars. And, paddle sports enthusiasts are adding it to their repertoire. This nostalgic sport, aided by technology, is the perfect way to stay warm on a gray, November afternoon – all while catching your supper.
Patricia Strutz is a fishing guide in northeastern Wisconsin. She recently produced an instructional DVD, "Row Trolling: Bringing Back a Classic Fishing Technique." For more information, visit her website at www.ablondandherboat.com or call 715/891-1173. |
