Trolling is among the most popular and effective ways of catching lake trout. It allows you to fish from a slow-moving boat while utilizing a weighted line to get your bait down to the catch. In line with this, anglers created many trolling attractors to make trolling simpler. And one of which is a Dodger.
Dodger is a lethal fish attractor in salt and freshwater. This is especially true if you use it with an effective trolling method. Like flashers, they’re in-line attractors that add movement, light, and vibrations. But, unlike flashers that rotate in water, the dodger offers inconsistent motions. Attractors like this would lure a big catch!
Now the question is, how do you troll for trout with a dodger? The easiest way to learn about this is to describe how you can use this attractor. And written below is the information you will need to catch a trout with dodgers!
How Do You Rig a Dodger For Trolling For Trout?
One of the best instruments in trolling for trout is a dodger and a flasher. Both act as an attractor that draws fish into your bait. It allows you to use less time making erratic vibrations to lure in trout. Also, it will enable you to cover a more extensive stretch of water with each sweep.
You can place the dodger in the line between the bait and the downrigger release, diver, or lead. It attracts fish and allows trailing lures like plugs, spoons, flies, or plastic squids.
You can position the rig 10 to 20 feet behind the ship. Make sure to connect it to the downrigger line break. Also, lower it until the downrigger weight almost skips across the bottom. When trolling dodgers, a trolling speed of 1.7 to 2.0 MPH is optimal.
How Do Dodgers Attract Fish?
Sound moves across the water at incredible speeds. And an item moving across water produces sound waves. These sound waves move through the excess water from the sound source. Also, they travel in all directions. The attractive dodger emits these sound waves or vibrations as it is underwater. Its form and size determine the intensity of these vibrations.
Additionally, speed is another determinant factor when you troll for trout. Fish have biological capabilities for detecting sound waves and vibrations that humans cannot. The sounds made by these dodgers draw them.
Are Dodgers Effective For Trolling?
You can use dodgers in almost any situation from a boat. You can use this whether you’re sluggish, fast-trolling, or slow-trolling. Also, you can catch trout whether you are on the surface, with lead core, or on downriggers. It makes dodgers one of the most effective instruments in catching trout.
Trolling Speed With The Use Of Dodger
When trolling for trout, you want to move as slow as possible to get motion out of your lures. It is also applicable when utilizing a dodger. If you trolled too fast, your dodger would start to rotate. It will twist your line and allow your lure to lose its perfect motion.
At trolling pace, it should kick from sideways in the water without tipping over. When released far behind the boat, it should generate a definite two-beat pattern in your rod tips.
Dodgers Depth When Trolling for Trout
The depth to which you should run your dodger is a huge issue. If you are luring a Rainbow Trout, you can cast right on top of them where they’re eating. But, later on, they’ll grow clever and go down, out of predators’ visual range, so you will have to fish deeper. The depth depends on how visible your catch is.
Trolling Trout with Lures and Dodgers
You can use any regular Trout lure when dragging a 3/0 or 4/0 dodger. With the quality of the water and what the fish are responding to, you can use the lures below:
- Rapala wedding band
- A simple worm with a hook
- Spoons in different sizes and colors
- KwikFish in a variety of colors
- Muddler or Streamer fly patterns
A helpful strategy is to try out different lures and colors. You can do this until you discover one that works.
Best Dodger Color to Troll for Trout
You can use chrome, dimpled chrome, and a chrome brass dodger that is 50/50 chrome. Then, the color depends on the time of day, the quality of your water, and the fish species you have. Your dodger may frighten trout away if it is too bright and in their face. So consider something that is striking but not blinding. You could also add a pair of bright or UV dodgers for fishing later in the day.
How Do You Set Up A Trout Trolling Rig?
It’s critical to use the appropriate rig setup and fish them correctly. Here are the top three trout trolling rigs to help you set up.
Trolling Rig With The Inline Weight
This system is quite simple to put together. Begin by using rifle swivels to attach your main line to a 1/4 to 1-ounce in-line weight on both ends. Attach a snap swivel to your mainline before joining it to the importance. After that, tie your lure to the other end of a 3 to 4-foot fluorocarbon leader attached to the in-line weight.
3-Way Rig for Trout
Start by connecting your main line to a 3-way twist. And attach a 1-foot dropper line to one of the other eyes of the 3-way swivel to complete the 3-way rig. The dropper line is also tied to a 1/2 to 2-ounce weight.
Flasher Rig for Trout
Start by putting a snap swivel onto the mainline, then tying the mainline to a barrel swivel. Attach a 1/2 to 2-ounce weight on the snap swivel afterward. Then, attach a 1 to a 2-foot leader to the barrel swivel and the other end to your flasher. Finally, attach an 8 to a 20-inch leader to the opposite side of the flasher before tying it to your bait.
What Type of Dodgers Do You Use For Trolling for Trout?
There are several types of dodgers you can use to troll for trout. These differ in size, make, and colors. You can even customize some to fit your trolling speed.
Gold Star Dodgers (Silver Horde)
The Gold Star Dodgers has been around for decades and has a reputation for excellence. Their dodgers include stainless steel swivels and welded rings of high quality. It also comes in two different sizes: six and eight inches. And they offer a fantastic selection of colors to choose from.
Luhr Jensen Dodgers
One of the greatest dodgers on the market is under the company of Dipsy Diver. Luhr Jensen Dodgers come in three sizes: four, six, and eight inches. And come in a variety of colors. It has high-quality hardware and has a beautiful finish.
Kokanee Dodgers for Trolling
Kokanee comes with a variety of Dodgers to choose from. They can attract catches with Dodgers wobble action. It has a dimpled light-reflective system that attracts fish. And it is tunable for fast and slow trolling.
Below are some of Amazon’s Best Sellers:
ProChip 11 Fin Flasher with EChip has a tunable speed system that can catch any fish. It has EChip bait technology, which triggers strikes by nearby predators. Moreover, It has superior color brilliance and strength.
Mack’s Lure Double D Dodger 4.4″ has the best dodger motion. It brings your lure to life with its patent-pending stop-and-go movement. Furthermore, it has a speed system that allows you to move according to your desired pace.
What’s the Difference between a Flasher and a Dodger?
When you troll for trout with these, the main difference between dodgers and flashers is their movement. A dodger sways from side to side in the water, whereas a flasher rotates full 360 degrees. It gives you two distinct sorts of attractors. And each emits particular flash and vibration patterns.
What Size Dodger Do You Use When Trolling For Trout?
If you’re using equipment with its movement, move it back to roughly four times the length of your dodgers. The type of leader material you use is also crucial. Choose a heavier line with bait that has little action. And to avoid obstructing the motion of active lures, you can use a softer, lighter line.
Dodgers are most successful in early and shallow waters. Whereas more prominent Dodgers are most effective at greater depths. Again, the essential elements are the size and pace of the display.
Final Thoughts
When trolling for trout, it’s important not to drag your lures in a monotonous straight path. It upsets the fish, making it harder to catch them. Instead, give them a jolt, a thud, anything to catch their attention. Besides being inexpensive, few dodgers can enhance any of your trout fishing excursions! But remember, you should also consider the size, the rig, and the trolling attractor you will be using.
The information above can equip you with the right tools to troll for trout! And dodger is the number one option!
