Trolling used to be simple. Each person in the boat would select a lure, drop it into the lake and let out some line.
Once the right amount of line was uncoiled off the spool, each angler would simply hold onto the rod until something bit the lure. Then salmon were stocked in the Great Lakes, and nearly extinct walleyes came back in Lake Erie. Innovative anglers started festooning their boats with rod holders, downriggers, planer board masts and other paraphernalia to up the number of rods that could be trolled and to keep the lines and lures separated.
Mike Schoonveld: Four steps to get out of messes that come with trolling
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