Getting the boat all set up for some kokanee fishing, picked up some Scotty 1109 downriggers last week.
Now to get all the accessories ..... suggestions welcome
In reference to weights, what is the best all around size?
TIA[fishin]
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I use 6 #'s in fresh water, and 10's in salt, due to tidal pulls. Many prefer 15's, but I find the blowback not all that different. The smaller are cheaper and for me with my manuals easier to crank. When you first try out you dr, just go to a sand-bottom area and test the actual depth at some of your favorite trolling speeds. Speaking of the bottom, the biggest mistake most people make with dr's is to crank down the drag. You should just feather it enough to prevent the ball from dropping. If you snag the ball and your drag is too tight, you can actually sink smaller boats. Also, could break the arm. You will be asking why you didn't use dr's years ago. It def. increases the catch rate. D\r's eliminate many variables like speed, type of terminal equip., etc. You always know where you are in terms of depth. Enjoy! Mike
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Thanks Mike,
Hoping to get everything rigged in the next couple of weeks and be able to get in some fishing (inland waters) before the bitter cold sets in.
Lot to learn about downriggers ..... one of the big concerns that I have been reading about is as you mentioned not get hung on the bottom and possibly swamping .... another is the current that the downrigger might or might not put off, have read about the Black Box's just not sure I want to dig in that deep as of yet.
Thanks Again
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Two more things....check out the boom hooks below. They sure come in handy, esp. when moving from one site to the next on the lake. Second, it pays to buy coated dr balls. I like the green rubber-coated ones. They don't scratch up your boat. Plus, I think the color is a good attractor. I bought my last ones on ebay. Mike
[url "http://www.amazon.com/Scotty-Weight-Hook-Mount-1-Inch/dp/B002IVARNE"]http://www.amazon.com/Scotty-Weight-Hook-Mount-1-Inch/dp/B002IVARNE[/url]
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I had been using 8# black rubber coated weights but dropped down to 6# orange rubber coated this year. The 6# don't put near the drain on the battery as the 8# did. A good rule of thumb is 1# of weight for every 10 feet down that your fishing. The 6# weights should be good down to 60 feet with minimal blow back. So far my favorite size unless I'm fishing up at Sekui [fishin]
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I do a lot of Kokanee fishing at flaming Gorge and I use 6 lb weights. I use Scotty pinch style releases. The lighter weight seems to telegraph strikes better than the 10 lbers I use for Mac fishing. As far as blowback, you rarely troll over 2 mph for trout or Kokes so blowback is not an issue. Make sure you can see your downrigger weights on your fishfinder, if you cant adjust the angle of your transducer. I put my line deep into the release , I have found that when I have to pop the line out of the release, instead of the fish doing it, I lose a lot less fish. I can gobble up all the slack line between the rod tip and the ball, when a fish releases the line, there is a lot of slack, and sometimes they will spit the lure. Also the 6 lb weights are easier to reel up on manuals.
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My wife and I fish with manual down riggers and have found these to be excellent time savers and insure that once we find the right depth for fish, we are at that depth consistently. Sure saves on both time and arm muscle wear and tear!
They are "Shuttle Hawks" that take your line down the rigger wire, and after catching a fish or dislodging your line, return to the surface. Really helps not bringing the ball up and down 2 dozen times or more a trip.
http://shastatackle.com/tackleshop/show_...asp?ID=209
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Yeah, ShuttleHawks really do work. Don't know why I don't use mine more often. They sure work well at Anderson Ranch, because with the larger limits and a manual downrigger, they sure save a lot of crankin'!
Sounds like the majority vote is for the 6 #ers. Lunddude is right though; they don't work so well in the salt with trolling speeds of 3.5 for coho, coupled with a strong tide. 15's are most commonly used in the coastal areas Mike
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Thanks for all the inputs, greatly appreciated, think I will go with the majority and pick me up 2 6#'s
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