kickboat and sinking line

[crappiecrazy]

Hello,
I like to "troll" small warmwater lakes for bass and panfish with my kickboat when the fish seemed to be too deep for casting. I am wondering if I might like a sinking or sinktip line for this type fishing (trolling). Now I use a floating line with a sinker/fly or 1/16 1/32 oz jig .
Most of the time I am fishing water from 8 to 20 feet deep. I have a 6 wt rod that I could rig up and use my 4 wt for casting.
Thanks,
Tom

[Thunderthumbs]

Tom,

I would strongly suggest using a sink tip. I've got a spool rigged for my 4wt and my 6wt. If I'm fishing from my float tube then that's all I use. I would venture to say that I'm about 50% more successful than before I started using them.

TT

[sagefisher]

Yes, using a sinking line is a great way to troll lakes. I use an intermediate line and let 90 feet of it out (almost all of it) and slowly work the lakes. I vary my depth by the amount of line I strip in at a time, never more than 10 feet, and by the length of time I let the line 'sit' after I have snaked out that 10 feet and naturally by the weight of the fly, but I prefer to use a fly that has no weight or at most only a bead head type fly. That method is great for depths down to 5 to 6 feet.

For depths like you were mentioning, a sink tip line with an unweighted fly is great, in fact if you added a little floatation to the fly, like maybe some foam around the body first then the hackle, the fly will stay slightly above the bottom except when you move or strip in some line, then it bobs down to the bottom, then slowly rises up again for a few feet. A very good way to fish the depths.

Have fun.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[TB Wannabe]

I often use a Type VI and can get 25' deep. I use it a lot during summer months when the cooler water is down deep.

[Mato Kuwapi]

Yep! I just won a derby on Sunday that way. I wasn't getting any action with the floating line. Switched to the sink tip and it was one, two, three, Done. It works quite well.

[jimsnarocks]

We're going on TUBING/'TOON trip on June 12 to Big Bear Lake. Our guide, Keith Kern, recommends full sinking line to get down deep as quickly as possible. I only own sinking tip and hope that works. I use it in the lakes in the Eastern Sierras and it works great. I also weight my flys and leader to get deep.

[Fly Goddess]

I prefer stillwater tubing/tooning more than anything. YES get a sinking line. An Intermediate is a must. Great for early season and late fall when the fish move shallow. Next get a fast sink. I like Depth Charge or SA Mastery Streamer in 250 to 300 grain for a 6wt, BUT you mention warm water species. For that I would look at a Wet Cell in like a Type III or IV. Wet Cell forms a belly and is great for weedy waters to get the fly above the weeds.

I rarely weight my flies, that way I can pick the sink rate line of choice to put that fly in the zone.
But I have to say, Denny Rickards stress to put just the right amount of weight on his flies and use Intermediate. I have witnessed this working on many occasions adn I have caught some very large fish.

[crappiecrazy]

Thanks everyone! I think I am going to try a sink tip first and see how I like it.

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I have only used sinking lines for trout but can attest that they work like a hot damn. In a belly boat going real slow, I start with about a #2 sinking line and switch to a #3 or more if its not getting down deep enough. In the boat with my electric motor At 2.1 knots on my knotmeter ( the best speed I have found ) a #4 SA sinking line let out all 90 feet will travel about 16-17 feet deep, perfect for the 18 foot deep lake I always fish. I almost never have a snag.

[Mato Kuwapi]

For trout: I usually use a 250 gr sink tip (SA Mastery Streamer)line with my 5wt rod. You need some patients. Just make sure you count down and give it the time it needs to get to depth. I kick along in my float tube at an easy comfortable pace, trolling until I find some takers. Fish any points and any place where you can see the drop offs coming up to the shallows. The fish like to sit around there. I'll pull out the full sink in bigger, deeper lakes. I use intermediate lines in the early and late season. Summer...I want something that sinks faster.
For bass and most othere warm water species, I use an intermediate or floating line, depending in what and where. For walleye, fast sinking or a very long leader and split shot.