Trolling
BeginnerCover water, find fish — the offshore explorer's method
Trolling involves dragging lures or baits behind a moving boat to locate and catch pelagic fish. It's the most efficient way to cover large areas of open water and find roaming species like Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, and Mahi-Mahi. Trolling in the Red Sea produces consistent results year-round.
How it works
Multiple lines are spread at different distances behind the boat using rod holders, outriggers, and planer boards. The boat moves at 5–12 knots. When a fish strikes, the angler picks up the rod and fights the fish while the captain maneuvers the boat.
Step by step
- 1Set the spread: short lines close to the boat wake, long lines wide and far
- 2Use different depths — some lures on the surface, some diving
- 3Troll at 6–9 knots for most lures; up to 15 knots for Wahoo specifically
- 4Watch for birds, temperature breaks, colour changes, and floating debris
- 5When a strike happens: clear the other lines, then fight the fish
- 6Use the boat to assist — back down on a big fish or steer to tire it
- 7Keep a tight line at all times — slack line loses fish
Recommended gear
- rod
- Trolling rods 30–80 lb class, 5.5–7 ft, stiff action
- reel
- Lever-drag conventional reels (Shimano Tiagra, Penn International)
- line
- 50–130 lb monofilament or braid with mono top-shot
- leader
- Heavy mono or wire 150–400 lb for toothy species
- lures
- Skirted trolling lures, Rapala X-Rap, diving plugs, daisy chains
Best conditions
Open water offshore. Any sea state up to 1.5 m. Best around temperature breaks, current edges, offshore banks, and floating structure.
Target species
Pro tips
- →Wahoo strike fast at high speed (12–15 knots) — use a wire trace
- →Mahi-Mahi associate with floating debris, weed lines, and FADs
- →Troll the colour change line where blue water meets green — predators stack here
- →A spread of 4–6 lures covers different zones; don't overcrowd with too many lines
- →Bird activity means baitfish — slow down and troll through the area