Hiya folks,

Gord Pyzer here, for Outdoor Canada Magazine.

You know, trolling is such an effective technique. Trolling crankbaits, minnow baits, jerk baits—for Muskies, Northern Pikes, Smallmouth, Largemouth, Walleye, Trout—it’s the way to go.

But trolling you know, in big open water areas, one problem is catching debris on the surface. Might be mayfly cases, could be weeds floating, and now in so many lakes, we’ve got spiny water fleas. What happens? They catch your line, and they run down the line. They hit your bait and they stop it from working effectively.

The solution? Just stagger 2 or 3 ultra-fine split-shot, several feet above your bait. Or put a swivel and then an extra-long leader. Your split-shotter swivel catches that debris, and your bait keeps working absolutely perfectly.

Happy Fish’n,Gord “The Doc” Pyzer