Easy Way To Catch Fish Without A Trolling Motor [Case Study Report]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Fishing Reports, Boating, Boating Gear and Tips
There will always be some days when important equipment either doesn’t work or we simply forget to pack it, so we need to have a backup strategy ready to deploy when needed.
And this particular trip had multiple equipment failures including:
- Trolling motor wouldn’t work
- Depth finder wouldn’t work
- I forgot my polarized glasses
In spite of these failures, I used a trusted strategy for catching fish around grass flats that produced a good amount of fish while having less than 2 hours to fish.
As you’ll see, this easy strategy led to catching 2 fish in just 1 cast (7:45 mark in video).
Featured Software (Smart Fishing Spots)
The Smart Fishing Spots platform is what helped me find the best spots to fish along with letting me successfully set up drifts through some 90/10 zones.
Trip Details:
- Craft – 17 ft Maverick HPX-V
- Weather – Clear skies
- Wind – 5 MPH from the North
- Tides – Outgoing tide
- Time – Fished from 7:00 am to 8:45 am
- Water Clarity – Clear
- Water Depth – 1.5 to 5.0 ft
Featured Gear
Shallow Zone Setup
- Rod: Slot Machine (Medium Power)
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Mainline: 10 lb J-Braid
- Leader: 20 lb Mono
- Dark Lure: PC Tweaker (Terd Ferguson) rigged on 3/0 Weightless Helix hook
- Light Lure: PC Tweaker (Slam Shady) rigged on 3/0 Weightless Helix hook
- Scent: Pro-Cure Inshore Saltwater
Deeper Zone Setup
- Rod: Slam Stick (Medium Light Power)
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Mainline: 10 lb J-Braid
- Leader: 20 lb Mono
- Lure: Prawn USA Jr rigged on 3/16th oz jighead
- Scent: Pro-Cure Inshore Saltwater
Featured Tandem Rig
The Sidekick Rig is being used in this experiment because it allows both lures to be in the same area at the same time with the same retrieve (the fairest way I can think of to conduct color experiments).
If you want to try the most popular lures for winter fishing across the 60,000+ Insider Club members, they’re featured in our Winter Bundle… and we’re including a FREE premium lure with it for a limited time.
Conclusion
There are going to be some trips where we have to face unplanned hurdles like important equipment not working (or being left behind).
So it’s important to be able to identify good spots that enable you to set a drift to get you in the strike zone without getting stuck.
On this trip, I used the high def satellite imagery layer in the Smart Fishing Spots platform to determine which zones likely had some fish, and then I used the icon on the map showing my location to make sure that I was setting good drifts across the edge of the grass flat where the fish were holding.
Make sure to be using these helpful features of Smart Fishing Spots because they make it so much easier to find and catch fish.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each :
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great video. Because it’s a typical day on the water with me. Always something going wrong. They’re not working right. The only thing difference is you caught more fish than I normally do lol thank you.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Jesse!
Thanks Luke, great video (as usual), the old adage “adapt and overcome” allways applies to fishing!
Thanks Dennis!
Reminds me of the 60’s and 70’s! In the process of building a little plywood boat and I’m going to start with a sand spike and drift sock. I have one pair of glasses on me and two or three in the truck so I hope I can make it work out!
Smart move in having extra glasses so they are available when needed.
As a part-time guide I always have another pair on the boat. Yes, I had to use them one time.🤣
Thanks Luke another great instructional video.
We’re glad to see that you enjoyed this video.
Thanks Luke,, Always appreciate your videos, what knot connection do you use for the tandem rig ?
Having one of those days too. Wanted to head out for the new year, but my starter is bad…guess it is the kayak today 🙂
It’s so great when a day can start off rough and end successfully! Learning to laugh at the challenges is key! I think I am going to try the tandem rig as soon as my PC Tweaker order arrives, Thanks for the video.
Sometimes it just nice to fish the old fashioned way. Without all the fancy equipment. Like we did as kids
Not saying im better then you in anyway shape or form but I guess maybe because im older and fully retired now that I can truelly say that I never really had the problem of my trolling motor not working or my fishfinder either and I always carry my sunglasses in my tackle bag that is always already on my boat and keep them stored until I need them plus I always check my gear before and after a trip to make sure its always running smoothly I do a checklist after every cleaning and before any trip because believe me I know things will happen but I also know that you because sometimes you only go for a couple hours because maybe you have to work that same day your im sure are in alot more of a hurry then I have been in many years but like I said im not commenting to say your wrong or anything like that im just saying what I have experienced and went through and knowing im much older then you I have learned to adjust and prepare for unfortunate incidents that do occur but thank you for the advice its always helpful in any situation and as always thanks for everything you do😉👍
Excellent Info. Thanks Luke
Thanks for taking the time to post the nice comment Richard!