04-03-2008, 10:02 PM
I typically use a 3-5 foot leader. If I have a lure that has alot of side-to-side action, you may need a little longer. But 3-4 feet is fine for me. I use flatfish, spinners, spoons, swimbaits, plugs, and even tubes or squid type tubes. If the water is really calm, the 3 oz should give you no problem in 30-40 feet. If I am making alot of turns and there is wind I sometimes go up to an 8 oz or more, so it stay right under the side of the boat and on my sonar. If rarely, I just cannot get it to stay in view of the cone angle, I just move the boat to a depth of where I am showing fish. I let out line until I feel or hit bottom then reel up about a foot, and go to where I am showing fish. I usually troll really slow, so I have no problem keeping it on my sonar, even when there is a little wind.
Just experiment with all the lures you have. See what wight size will keep each lure's action, and keep your weight within the cone angle. That is what I did in the beginning, now I know which weight goes for what and at what speed. The biggest factor is speed. I have also mounted my rod holders to the side of my boat, so if the drag of the line in the water is too strong, it is still under the cone angle off the back of the boat.
I have gotten so use to this method that I wouldn't give it up for anything. And about the bites, this way they are much easier to detect than on downriggers. You have to be careful about that drag. A 22 lb lake trout I got once, at FG in the Mustange Ridge area in 45-50 feet of water, hit like you would not believe. Fast and furious. The drag went crazy for the first five minutes. You never know when some 50 pounder or bigger might hit it.
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Just experiment with all the lures you have. See what wight size will keep each lure's action, and keep your weight within the cone angle. That is what I did in the beginning, now I know which weight goes for what and at what speed. The biggest factor is speed. I have also mounted my rod holders to the side of my boat, so if the drag of the line in the water is too strong, it is still under the cone angle off the back of the boat.
I have gotten so use to this method that I wouldn't give it up for anything. And about the bites, this way they are much easier to detect than on downriggers. You have to be careful about that drag. A 22 lb lake trout I got once, at FG in the Mustange Ridge area in 45-50 feet of water, hit like you would not believe. Fast and furious. The drag went crazy for the first five minutes. You never know when some 50 pounder or bigger might hit it.
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