What trolling is
Trolling means dragging a lure behind a moving boat. The best way to cover lots of water and locate fish on Quebec's big lakes. Essential for lake trout, musky, walleye, rainbow trout.
Main variants
Flatlining
Lure descends by its natural diving action. Good for 0–4 m. Simple, beginner-friendly.
Downrigger
A heavy weight (5–10 lb) on a dedicated cable descends to exact depth. The fishing line releases on the strike. Essential for lake trout (15–30 m).
Lead-core
Line with built-in lead descends by segments. Each "color" = ~5 ft (1.5 m) depth. Best alternative to downrigger for 4–10 m.
Side planers
Pull the lure out to the side to cover untouched water.
Target speeds
- Lake trout: 1.5–2.5 mph
- Musky: 3–5 mph with big plugs
- Walleye: 1.2–2.0 mph (spinner+worm finesse)
- Rainbow trout / salmon: 2.0–3.0 mph
Measure with GPS, not the boat's speedo — drift and wind skew it.
Lures
- Wobbling spoons (Williams, Mooselook) — lake trout
- Plugs (Bomber, Rapala) — all species
- Spinner rigs + worm — classic walleye
- Spoons + dodger — Atlantic salmon