Thereitgoes

I am new to trolling, mostly for striper in the Sacramento/American rivers. Since most fish are moving upstream during spawning season, is there any point to trolling downstream? Even at other times, is it a waste of valuable fishing time?

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I think you should restate your question, because I'm not sure what you mean. With the current or against the current. Which would you consider "upstream"? If that's with the current, how do you troll upstream in high water with a lot of current? I don't do a lot of trolling, but it seems to me that most trolling in current would be against the current, so your boat would be going "downstream", either that or back trolling, which is a nifty technique but somebody has to be paying some serious attention to controlling the boat.

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

If you are going against the current, you would be going upstream. Right??

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

Think of the direction the fish are facing. If they are facing upstream, troll downstream. You want the fish to see the bait coming towards them. When fishing for walleyes in current we catch close to 100% of our fish trolling downstream (I.e., with the current).

Nhfly Loc: NH

Hey All- let's simplify;
upstream = going against the current
downstream = going with the current
Fish orientate themselves facing upstream because food flows downstream...
Any guide I've ever seen in a river drifts downstream.....

captjim Loc: Antioch Ca

I troll the delta rivers on a regular basis. I have never really noticed any hook up difference between going with the current or against the current. The only difference is the speed of the boat. Going with current the boat needs to be moving faster to get the wiggle action out of the lure. Going into the current the boat needs to be going slower. It is not your speed over the bottom that is important, but your speed through the water. You need to keep moving at the speed through the water that puts the most wiggle in your lures. Most of the rivers in the delta are also tide influenced. I have never fished the American so I do not know the tidal influences there. I have found that most trolling action comes at the end of the incoming tide. The last hour of the income, through the high tide, and the first hour of the outgoing tide. So when the current is running strongest I am trying to locate a school. Faster moving water, trolling but covering more area. Once I find a school, I do not pound them during the fast water, but come back when the current slows. If you are lucky enough to hook a big one, please take a picture and then release. The fishery needs as many big breeders as we can keep out there. Good Luck!

Thereitgoes

LoL What you said Nhfly! I was wondering if trolling with the current is worth the gas is all.

Thereitgoes

Great info. captjim. Much appreciated. I will keep it mind next time I hit the river.

Nhfly Loc: NH

Right on, Muskyhunter!

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Another reason I don't own a boat. If I hafta utilize an algorithm with amount gas expended and number of fish caught in order to evaluate the success of a fishing trip, I'm gonna give up fishing as a pleasurable pursuit.

Thereitgoes

Yes, against current = up stream

Thereitgoes

Good tip, I will put that in to practice this weekend and let you know how we did. Thanks.

Mel Thayer Loc: Molalla, OR

I've done a lot of trolling and most of the time you go into the current, Back trolling can be really good but you need enough current to keep the line straight and work the boat against it. Yesterday I spent 8 hours on the Willamette trolling for Chinook, There wasn't enough current to back troll. I have caught going up stream and down stream over a muscle shoals on the Columbia river, very little current. Fish that move up stream in a run don't just doggedly point their nose up stream & go, they swim around, up & back etc.

Mooseman65 Loc: Seattle

You are correct

Ridleyblake2017 Loc: Honesdale Pennsylvania

When I lived in Oregon we trolled for fall chinooks in the estuaries. 95% of fish caught trolling were with the tidal currents.