Another trolling question

[Mike J]

I have a new boat and I don't have it fully setup yet. My question is, can a guy get by trolling cranks without rod holders? We're heading up Sunday, and the plan is to start out with leeches and crawlers, but if they aren't producing, we will switch to pulling cranks. My only experience trolling is with big baits for musky, so I wouldn't even attempt that with out a rod holder, but how much of a pain would the small cranks be? My dad is up visiting from New Mexico, so I want to do what I can to get some fish on. Thanks.

Mike J

[rodmaker]

Rod holders are nice, but you can troll without them. There's nothing like feeling them "hammer " the rod almost out of your hand. Good luck and post your results Mon.

[Surface Tension]

It'll make it harder to eat a sandwich!

Other then spreading out your cranks a bit more with rod holders your not loosing anything else.

You will be able to detect more by holding the rod because you can feel the action of the crank. Get fouled by a blade of grass or a small amount of weed and you'll know it.

[Mike J]

Thanks for the replys. It is much appreciated. I'll give a report on Monday.

Mike J

[federline]

You'll get by, but still, plan on getting rigged up even if you are successful. There are days when you need to leave it in the rod holder, no touchie, for wally to bite, too spooky. And as ST says, it is hard to eat and drink w/o one and still maintain a top notch presentation! I always (yes, always) catch all my my big fish when I take the first couple bites of my sandwich with the rod in the rod holder... the trademark photo then contains a half-eaten sandwich on the gunwale. The right rod is critical when using a rod holder for high hookup rates.... spinners, cranks, leadcore, they all will want a different rod, but the theme is the same - you want your rods to stay loaded up on the tips with a straight backbone under drift or power, and still have an easy, but firm, give on strikes.

[Borch]

For years we never used rod holders. The occassional pump and pause while holding the rod triggers a lot of strikes at times. At other times the rod in the holder is the way to go.

Then again certain activities are tougher to pull off with a rod ibn your hand like others have mentioned.