Years of trial and error perfects ideal trolling speed

Trolling is a type of fishing I’m quite familiar with. I’ve inhaled enough two-cycle fuel in my lifetime pursing this sport to deserve a seat among leaders of OPEC. However, when recently asked to discuss ideal fishing speeds in miles-per-hour I was taken slightly off guard.

My fishing boat was never equipped with a speedometer or even fish finders capable of indicating water speed. The passing shoreline has always been my gauge for correct speed.

The actual pace in which I troll has been groomed over years of trial, error and hooking bottom. Today, I’m personally equipped with a built-in governor, which become automatic once I determine the species of fish I’m pursuing, which plays a tremendous role in the amount of throttle my outboard receives.

Just as important is the bribery tied on the end of my line. Most lures require a fair amount of speed to bring out their action and sewn bait performs best at a crawl.

Boat speed for togue fishing is crucial, whether your trolling bait or lures. A forward motion is sufficient, but they’re interested in fast foods and relish a good look at the dish being served.

With brook trout you can pick up the pace. Judging from the average walking speed which is just over 3 mph, I fish trout with lures at approximately 2-3 mph. However, a number of years ago I put speed to the test while fishing brook trout on Rainbow Lake, some 15 miles northwest of Millinocket. The fishing was fast and furious, so I bumped up the speed to an estimated 4 mph, using the passing shoreline as a reference. The fishing results never changed, and the weeping-willow I continued fishing proved just as effective.

Fishing landlocked salmon with lures, I tend to fish at the same pace as for brook trout. However, after I tie on streamer flies, I crack open the throttle. Again judging from shoreline, I’m trolling feathers approximately 4 mph. However, I’ve been told by some experienced salmon fishermen that even faster is better. They’re not satisfied until they’ve created a slight wake behind the boat. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean that racing across the lake with the throttle lever vibrating against the dashboard is the recipe for immediate success.

Ice-out close at Moosehead

The ice cover on Moosehead Lake is threatening to leave, according to Dan Legere, owner of the Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville. On Wednesday, ice was parting from shore in places, and it could possibly break up over the weekend, but the following Saturday is a sure bet, said Legere.

There’s plenty of open water at the mouth of streams around the lake, and they’re lending sufficient pace between ice and land to fish from a boat, said Legere. At the public boat launch in Greenville Junction, fishermen are seeing pleasing results in the open water available, he added.

Anglers are latching onto landlocked salmon measuring between 14-18 inches and brook trout more than 12 inches in length. Lakers are on the take as well averaging between 16-20 inches.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of someone hooking onto a bruiser,” said Legere.

The crack of dawn and just before dark are proving to be the most productive times, said Legere. If you are planning on getting in on the action anytime soon, arm yourself with lures that glisten such as Mepps Spinners or Mooselock Woblers as they can be deadly at this stage of the season, added Legere.

The West Outlet of the Kennebec River has been productive as well, both trout and salmon are on the take.

More ice on the move

West Grand Lake is still on ice, according to Kurt Cressey owner of the Pine Tree Store in Grand Lake Stream. Cressey observed an area in Dyer Cove with approximately 15 feet of open water along the shore on Wednesday, but noticed winter conditions when looking up the lake from the dam in Grand Lake Stream.

Cressey predicts ice-out on May 10, but added that a strong wind accompanied with warm days could move that date up.

A few miles southeast of West Grand is Big Lake which usually gives a good indication of when West Grand Lake will open up. Normally it opens six days after Big Lake, which shed its ice Thursday, said Cressey.

In Aroostook County, lakes are starting to shed their ice. On Wednesday, Eagle Lake in the Fish River Chain showed signs of breaking up, and could possibly go out this weekend, according to Frank Frost, a Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fisheries biologist. The rest of the lakes in the Fish River Chain will probably follow before the end of another week, Frost added.

Lakes such as Chamberlain, Haymock and Churchill Lake should be open for business around May 8, according to Sharon McPhee, owner of Macannamac Camps on Haymock Lake.

Question of the week

When were rainbow trout first introduced into Maine waters?

Last week’s question: Did the Barnes Special streamer fly pattern derived from experimentation on Sebago Lake? Yes

Terry Farren’s Outdoor Report is published each Friday. He can be reached at 990-8067 or by e-mail at outdoor reportbangordailynews.net