# trolling the river



## beans (Jan 24, 2008)

Trolled the banks of the ohio river near marietta this afternoon and evening, caught 5 or 6 stripers no real size to them. A couple of dink smallies and 2 walleye one was 4.5 lbs, all on gold wally divers.


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## Blue Collar Bob (Nov 13, 2011)

Nice report.

The river looks like it is cleaning up. Hopefully the fishing will improve.


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## Mosey (Oct 31, 2010)

Nice work beans!!! If you don't mind me asking how do you troll the river. I've tried before with little success. With the current, against, across? What depth and speed? Seemed like we were either snagging up or the lures would foul.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Mosey said:


> Nice work beans!!! If you don't mind me asking how do you troll the river. I've tried before with little success. With the current, against, across? What depth and speed? Seemed like we were either snagging up or the lures would foul.


YEP,,, WE'RE all waiting for the answer to this one! 
Thankyou

I usta drift the fast water below the dams using home-made 2oz bottom bouncers,,, to keep in touch with the bottom. Come up a foot or two from that & tie on a 3-way, attach a floating jig or plug off of that. Same as the Erie bottom walker rigs for walleye . Use 10# or heavier down to the 3-way, then lighter line to the sacrificial bottom bouncer.
The Ohio River holes are full of fish. Staying down, in their face without snagging is the problem.
You can anchor and verticle jig or vibe the holes,,, just make sure you got a piece of scrap-iron for a anchor AND a sharp knife!!


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## beans (Jan 24, 2008)

I just use a number 5 or 6 wally diver, cast out the back, depending on the depth wether I let any line out and troll the boat at about 1 mph or so if the current lets me as it warms up you can troll faster. I get alot of hits draggin the bottom churning it up .


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## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

I used to do a lot of trolling on the river below n.c. locks with deep running rapala shad raps and catch a lot of walleye and sauger. Which ever way i was going as long as they were ticking the bottom we would do well! I also used 1oz. bottom bouncers with night crawler harness and caught all kinds of fish but the problem is the bottom of the river,at least where i fish was constantly changing so it was a full time job keeping the lines at the right depth but most of the time the work was worth the pay off!!!!


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## ClickerCrazy (Feb 4, 2006)

I troll the fronts of the islands a lot. I put a rod in each of the kids hands and zig zag back and forth across the island and they love it when the wipers and white bass are feeding.
Usually i use small crank baits or lead head twister tails.


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## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)

I troll in the river all the time. I use diving crank baits pulled about 50 to 70 feet behind the boat. Some days I do it just to find fish then set up on the structure but when the fish get scattred and you want to cover a lot of water its the only way to go. I never troll much over 20 feet deep and most the time no deeper that 10 to 12 feet deep. If you are interested in this method the first thing you want to buy is a lure retriever!!! I troll under power and all most always going up river and I just follow the contours on the graph. Its also a great way to fish with kids no casting no backlash no arrant hooks flying around your head. Good luck!!


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