As a fishing technique, trolling involves dragging bait or lures behind a boat to lure fish to strike. It is a popular and successful method for catching some types of fish, but it has its downsides too. Here are some of the disadvantages of trolling in fishing:
1. Limitations for location
Trolling requires a boat, and it works best where there’s open water. This means that some types of fish under specific conditions, such as inshore fishing, structure fishing, or shore fishing are unreachable via trolling. As a result, trolling loses its effectiveness in some fishing locations.
2. Inefficient Casting
Trolling is a relatively passive method of fishing compared to casting, which is more active, and interrupts participants’ interaction with the fishing experience. In effect, the process of trolling, which is to slowly pull bait or lures behind a moving watercraft, can feel monotonous as it lacks the thrill of casting and hooking fish.
3. Expense of fuel and equipment
Trolling can be heavy on your boat’s fuel, especially if you spend long hours doing it. Fuel consumption unsurprisingly increases with distances traveled, and areas with lots of drifting debris take a great toll on fuel efficiency too. Additionally, trolling requires specialized rods and reels, which can be costly to purchase or rent.
4. Possible Damage to local fishes
Trolling often features a line with multiple hooks that can catch several fish simultaneously. These fish may be inadvertently hurt or even killed, adding to the environmental and ethical concerns surrounding trolling. Besides, hook and bait lost at sea can pollute the water and cause harm to the marine ecosystem.
While trolling is an effective way to catch fish in some situations, it should be noted that it has disadvantages as well. Expensive equipment, higher cost of fuel consumption, limited range in certain fishing locations and the possibility of harming other fish species are just a few of the negatives surrounding trolling. It is therefore important to study the environment and ecology of the fishing locations, and choose the appropriate means necessary to pursue the fishing goals.