Can you troll for largemouth bass?
You can, and it catches fish — it is just rarely the best tool. Largemouth spend most of their time tight to cover: weeds, wood, docks. A trolled lure passes beside that cover; a cast lure goes into it. Trolling earns its place when bass are on open structure: crankbaits pulled along a deep weedline or a channel edge in summer, or over offshore humps on reservoirs, will locate groups of fish quickly, and you can then stop and cast to them. Keep the lure ticking the weed tops or the bottom rather than running through empty water. Two cautions: nearly all bass tournaments prohibit trolling, and some waters restrict motor trolling, so check local rules.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about What this means for fishing
- What is the best time of day to catch largemouth?
- What is the best season to catch a truly giant largemouth?
- How should my approach differ between clear and stained water?
- When should I downsize my bait?
- Why is the bite so good right before a storm?
- How do I make sure a released largemouth survives?
- How do I fight a largemouth hooked near heavy cover?
- I missed a fish on a good spot — is it worth going back?
- What are the best lures for largemouth bass, and when does each category shine?
- Do live shiners and other live baits catch largemouth bass?
- Can you catch largemouth bass on a fly rod?
Same topic, other species
- Beyond the basic jig, which other lures catch crappie? — Crappie
- Can you catch a muskie on a fly? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- Do perch hit spinners, spoons and small hard baits — or only jigs and bait? — Yellow Perch
- Spoons, inline spinners, or soft baits — when does each shine? — Northern Pike
- Can you troll for smallmouth bass? — Smallmouth Bass
- Spinners, spoons, or flies — when should I throw which? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- Do walleye hit topwater lures? — Walleye