Giants on the Slow Troll

[Jim Gronaw]

Just wanted to add a quick bit about the chance of getting a super largemouth while fishing for other species. We troll for stripers at Marylands Piney Run and Liberty lakes a few times a year and every season we end up with a couple of trophy largemouths as a 'by-catch'. Nothin' fancy, just slow trolling with large shiners lip-hooked on 5/0 Trokar hooks with 20 lb braid or 20 lb mono as the mainline and 1/8 to 3/4 oz bullet weights added as needed. Planer boards help to spread the lines out and cover a larger area. 1 to 1.5 mph and look for the same thermal bank scenario that I mentioned before. Here's a great fish that my bud Brandon put me on this past Thursday...

Had this fish been caught in Lake Fork in Texas, it would have been labled an 'over'...a 'legal' fish of 24 inches or greater, as she was right at the 24 inch mark. Huge head but trim body, she had the potential to go ten pounds or more. Almost a year ago to the day, I got a shorter, but heavier bass on the slow troll at Piney Run...

This one also took a large shiner on a planer board. Every once in a while, you get the target specie...this nice 34 inch striper that was released...

My buddy Brandon is a 'big fish' expert who has a knack for monsters with laid back, bluecollar efforts and equipment. He favors large live bait options and covering prime areas. His best freshwater striper came from Liberty last June at 36 lbs. 4 oz. and 45.5 inches long. Here he is chillaxin'...

We've been friends for years and I am grateful that he let's me tag along on some of his trips. A young buck at 27, he boated 33 stripers last year in excess of 30 inches, with numerous monster largemouths and smallmouths to boot. Good friend to have! He releases almost all his fish.

The slow troll might be the giant ticket at a lake near you!

[Mark Sleeper]

wow nice fish, and some great pics <((((/p>

[Allen Morgan]

I often troll a minnowbait from my kayak, especially if I'm paddling a good distance from the launch to my fishing area.  I've caught some nice White Bass, LMBs, Spotted Bass, but no Stripers, yet.  I might have to try trolling a live baitfish.

[John Sheehan]

fantastic LUNKERS ,Jim! First 5 lb class Largemouth I ever caught was on a slow trolled live shiner. Or perhaps it was a herring .

[Mark Sleeper]

 Yes I like to do that too with flies works good