How To Position Your Boat To Catch More Redfish Without A Trolling Motor
- By: Sean Person
- on

How can you catch more redfish without a trolling motor?
Don’t you need a trolling motor to fish in areas that hold redfish so you don’t spook them?
Here’s how to catch a bunch of redfish without a trolling motor on your vessel!
Catch More Redfish Without A Trolling Motor [VIDEO]
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Before we get into it, a trolling motor is the #1 accessory to get for your vessel if you are in between that or a PowerPole, etc.
But you without a doubt can catch fish without it.
To begin, have the spot you want to fish already picked out and within your sight but remain far enough away so as not to blow the spot out.
The absolute worst thing you can do is drive straight for the spot and start fishing.
I recommend starting out about 400-500 yards away from the spot and positioning yourself with the wind.
The objective is to ride the wind or current to the spot so you can slowly drift and fish it.
Depending on the strength of the wind that day, you can give the boat a little kickstart to get going.
But you do not want to have the motor running as you get closer to the spot.
Get the boat moving towards the spot, then shut the engine completely.
If you do see that the boat is drifting off course to either side, you can simply turn the wheel and let the motor be the guide.
Moreover, if you do have a PowerPole, it is a good idea to drop it most of the way down before you drift into the spot.
Then all you need to do is find your spot and drop it all the way to fish that area.
All that’s left is to start fishing when you’re within casting distance!
You actually enter the spot quieter than if you had a trolling motor, however, once you’re in the spot you can’t really move around without causing a commotion.
Conclusion
This is how you can get into a fishing spot without a trolling motor and avoid spooking all those fish.
The biggest fish are the ones that are most likely to spook off!!
Ideally, you have a trolling motor but even if you don’t, you can still find tons of success!!
What questions still come to mind after watching this video?
Please ask me down below!!
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Luke this might be your best video ever. At least from my perspective.
I never understood guys that pay alot of money for a nice rig but don’t have a trolling motor unless of coarse if that individual is a dead bait angler sitting in one spot all day long and not moving with dead cut muller or dead shrimp on the bottom to me kinda defeats the purpose!!! but hey if that’s the way they like to fish and I’ve seen alot of then then have at it why you ask? Simple more for me because while they are sitting there waiting and fishing I’ll be catching!!! Thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Had the same issue this weekend forgot to charge my motor. Just wish i would have watched the video before today.
Thanks for the info
Great explanation to be upcurrent and drift into casting distance and be quiet on the boat to reduce spooking vibration.
You always have great advice
Thanks for the excellent tips Luke. I fish spoil islands like the one in the video only in St.Joseph’s Sound and this will definately help.
Glad to see that you enjoyed this lesson Ronald
Thanks for the tip, sometimes I use my trolling motor with the wind to be stealthy and have more boat control. Also I use a sea claw anchor with a little loop that keeps my anchor in the water beside the boat. I have another loop at about 10 feet . I can simply take the short loop off the cleat and lower the anchor down at the 10 foot length, Absolutely silent. The Anchor stays in the water. Depending on what cleat I choose will determine what part of the boat is facing the direction I want to cast. If I want to move under trolling motor power I secure the anchor on the short loop. The anchor stays in the water while I move the boat, does not bang side of the boat and when I want to stop just lowered again. And of course I put the anchor away when I’m ready to run the outboard
Looks like you have a great anchoring system for quietly positioning your boat!
Great tip !!
Thanks Donnie!
You are starting to mess up and forget things like us normal people. 😀
Haha!
Luke, Thanks for the advice. If you don’t have a power pole, can you use shallow water anchors to keep the boat positioned? I have two 8-foot shallow water anchors (poles) and if current is moving the anchors appear to be worthless. It appears that slack tides are the best usage for shallow water anchors. Are power poles effective in high current situations?
The shallow water anchors can be very effective as long as the bottom is soft enough to get them to dig in… if it’s hard sand, then the stick anchors can be very tough to get to stay put.
Power Poles can typically be used even in high current because the weight of the boat will keep them in place even if the bottom is hard (unlike the manual stick anchors).
Depending on the bottom power poles can be very noisy unless you hit a soft spot. on hard and or rocky bottom and can spook the fish. I have that issue in the Crystal River area. My power poles are great when I get in sand or soft bottom though. I ease a claw anchor down in hard bottom.