Trolling for Bass

Written by Jamie Hibbert. Posted in Shore Fishing Articles

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Published on May 11, 2025 with 2 Comments

Trolling for Bass can be practiced throughout the UK Bass fishing season, but a change in method may be required to keep continued success.

Again it LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – look for those niche areas that will hold Bass. You want a feature that will provide them with cover and draw bait fish etc to them. Drop offs, small reefs, inlets, weed beds are all areas that will attract Bass, the feature might not be that big and it could hold a large number of hungry Bass.

Use your eyes, changes in the sea colour, Google and MSN maps, local knowledge and any other resource you can find to locate these holding points. Early and late season generally see Bass closer inshore.

How to troll for Bass

Troll at about 1 – 2 knots across the tide as best you can on a line that will take you across a few pre planned features. Bait fish generally swim cross tide and the fact that your lure imitates an injured fish increases the chances that that fish would not be swimming against the tide.

Change the lures and the depth they dive to work the water, consider size and colour. You can also change how the lure works by trolling the lures at different distances from the boat or Kayak so try 50 yds then 100 yds. Keep varying your technique until you find fish then keep doing the same until it stops working.

Trolling for Bass from a Kayak gives you the advantage of being able to get tight to the shore line and fish areas a boat would not be able to access safely. As well as keeping you fit.

I hope that helps, but please leave some comments if you have some other ideas.

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About Jamie Hibbert

The founder and man in charge of the Fishing-blog (pays the hosting bills). Currently learning the art of LRF - light Rock Fishing. Caught 29 Pollock, 2 Sand Smelt, 1 Rockling 9 bass, 14 Mackerel, 2 Launce, 4 Ballan Wrasse and a crab in Eleven sessions so far.I am also the author of the popular Bass Fishing eBook. Well worth a read!

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2 Comments

There are currently 2 Comments on Trolling for Bass. Perhaps you would like to add one of your own?

  1. I own a colvic seaworker which I am just rigging out ready for the spring.

    I like to try unusual fishing gear, my one lobster pot is an old steel mesh ferret cage a metere square rigges with a twelve inch plant pot as a top entrance.” it,ll never fish pete”

    OH NO!.dont you believe it!.

    I now want to fit the american type trolling booms ,20 feet each side of the wheel house, I want to catch sea bass I am advised it won’t work in North yorkshire, its too cold.

    well I fish for pleasure now,I am more interested in making the gear that catches the fish, rather than catching too many for me to eat but i am starting from zero in this trolling venture so any advise would be good.I wouldnt sniff at a box of mackerel for the bait freezer

    my fishing venue is between Whitby and Speeton nr Filey, 12 miles off been about my furthest range

    pete

  2. Trolling for bass sounds like a bit more fun then trolling for trout. I hope you toss out maps or suggested lakes to troll in. That would be a great asset to this site. Also do you have any suggestions for trolling for trout as well?

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