Trolling Snap Weights from a Tube

[zonker]

A question regarding fishing methods from a tube...

Most of my fishing is for cold water species and when I'm not fly fishing, I like to troll in open water for trout and kokanee - usually from my boat with downriggers. Recently (last year) I became aware of "Snap Weights" produced by Offshore Tackle. These are actually the pinch-on variety of downrigger releases altered to hold selected trolling weights to cover various depths. They are used with success by Walleye fishermen who fish crawler harness spinners. They work quite well for trout and kokanee from the boat but I haven't yet used them from a tube.

Basically they work this way: You let out 50 feet of line, pinch on the snap weight, then let out another 50 feet of line. (This would be altered for shallower water.) You then troll an open water style spinner that is nearly weightless. When a fish hits, you reel it in to the point where the weight is, then you reach up and unclip the snap weight. This allows you to fight the fish near the boat (tube)without the added weight.

You get three things from this method: 1) Some degree of depth control ("dive curves" are available for estimating depth at various trolling speeds) 2) the ability to fish deep, 3) the ability to fight the fish without a weight close to the boat (tube.)

I hope to try it from a tube soon. My question is, have any of you ever used this method when fishing from a tube and if so, what do you think of it?

zonker
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have seen them, and I think they are a good idea for fishing deeper, without a permenant weight attached to your line. However, having had experience with other snap release line attachments (planer boards) I can assure you that you will dread the moment when you have to quit fighting the fish with the rod and use both hands to release the snap. Lots of fish are lost if they get slack at the wrong time...or if they make a surge and there is no forgiving rod and drag.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I suppose much of the advantage would lie in what kind of fishing one does. I do not troll from my tube. First of all, I don't got the speed and stamina. Second, most of my fishing is either casting, vertical jigging or slow kick bottom bouncing. If you were rigged with an electric trolling motor, then the snap sinker rig would work well for dragging those lightweight spoons and even flies.[/#0000ff]
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[zonker]

Guess I made it sound like I had never used them. I have used them, but only from a boat. Not from a tube.

Actually, the smaller snap weights come off with just an easy one handed pinch. One would need to use a short rod in order to be able to keep one hand on the reel and reach the rod tip at the appropriate time.

I've been curious about my tube kicking speed. I know that trolling flies is fairly easy to maintain for long periods (punctuated by an occasional break for landing large fish, one would hope.) I typically try to troll very slowly in my boat (about 1.2-1.5 mph according to my GPS.) I have no idea what a comfortable sustained trolling speed would be in a tube. Maybe .5-1.0 mph? Guess a speed check have to be my next project in the tube.

Lightweight "flutter" spoons and Wedding Ring style spinners (with mylar "" blades which turn with the slightest movement of water) are what I use for this kind of slow trolling from a boat.

Anyway, thanks for your input. If I make some great discovery that puts the hurt on the fish using snap weights from a tube, I'll let you know. I figure if I locate suspended fish on the sonar, drop my weight down to their level while moving very slowly to keep the spinner from tangling with the weight, then drop the weight a little more as I pick up to trolling speed, I might be able to keep the lure in the fish zone - at least long enough to move through a suspended school. Kokanee especially suspend in deep water and make themselves available to methods like this.

Here are some small boat caught kokes that came to snap weighting.



zonker
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