yes i catch alot of fish that way. fish will swim right behind the ball waiting to strike. i have 2 cannon elec. when i mark fish swimming between my balls or alot of arches i will hit the up botton or quickly let it down some of the times getting a fish somtimes if i find a school of fish i will release the rod on purpose and just let the boat pull the slack out (no reeling) getting fish that way also. did the same thing in winni on sunday the only salmon (21.5") i got was when bringing the ball up to a school of fish also got 3 lakers.
i think as soon as the salmon sees something different happen it reacts on instinct. sometimes no hits while trolling around in deep water, then when the ball hits a ledge bango fish on. been seeing a few fish follow the ball all the way to the surface lately so i know they are following the attractors for a long time
Its the speed and what the lure is doing at that speed. Like I said, I hit them at 2.5-2.8...They do different things at higher speed. We all troll basicly the same thing, at the same speed. After awhile, they get use to that. Now here comes something faster, and it is moving all over the place. Chomp!!
I find if I keep my speed up, and even at 3.0 this time of year, the sleepers will hit. When ever I release my line from my rigger clip, I go fast and slow down, and like you, get strikes while bringing the line in.The speed also gets my flashers moving more. My poles look like they are in Jaysons Jigging box!!
That with dozens of crazy Ivans....And the "golden horshoe"......
