03-22-2019, 02:23 AM
Good question. UT Lake is shallow and so I don't use the balloon to set depth like a bobber. I attach it to the line far enough from the bait for the bait to maintain contact with the bottom as I drift or slow troll. Then I let out lots of line. The balloon allows me to get the bait away form the boat without all that line dragging on the bottom.
For example, to fish a flig with a 1/4 ounce weight at 0.7 MPH, I may need only 15 feet of line out from the rod to keep it touching the bottom. I have a good line angle to the bait, but it is only 10 or 12 feet behind the boat. If I put the balloon on the line 15 feet above the weight, I can get the same line angle and action but I can let out line and have it 20 or 50 or 100 feet from the boat.
With the balloon tied directly to the line, it will slide down as a fish is brought in.
The main benefits are that it gets the bait away from the boat and improves the angle of the line so it snags less. It also reduces snagging if I stop the boat to land a fish on another rod, again because all that line isn't dragging on the bottom.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
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For example, to fish a flig with a 1/4 ounce weight at 0.7 MPH, I may need only 15 feet of line out from the rod to keep it touching the bottom. I have a good line angle to the bait, but it is only 10 or 12 feet behind the boat. If I put the balloon on the line 15 feet above the weight, I can get the same line angle and action but I can let out line and have it 20 or 50 or 100 feet from the boat.
With the balloon tied directly to the line, it will slide down as a fish is brought in.
The main benefits are that it gets the bait away from the boat and improves the angle of the line so it snags less. It also reduces snagging if I stop the boat to land a fish on another rod, again because all that line isn't dragging on the bottom.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
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