trolling without a downrigger?

[AndrewH]

So I have a couple downriggers and three rods. I would rather not stack one side quite yet so I am wondering if any of you have tried trolling with those crescent weights inline and just a spoon somewhat shallow (around the 50ft mark).

How much weight would I be looking at to get down at far?

Sorry for the rookie question!

 

[Stizzla]

I had a little luck with that method last summer running a small slip weight and picked up a couple of pinks off the back. I suppose you could catch coho too. I wouldn’t try to drop it down to far, or you might spend a lot of your day fixing tangles.
There’s a 2017 thread called “Bucktailing for Coho” you might find helpful. I don’t know how to add the link.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I have done decent in august,

Deepsix, then a 3 foot leader to flasher/doger than 6 foot leader to anchovy in teaser head. Caught chinook and coho in vancouver. 40 to 60 polls

Can't do it when fishing in a pack or when combat fishing starts. ITs a bit of pain in the butt to try to net the fish with like a 10 foot setup.

Edit: ahh sorry just saw you said in shallow water 50 feet or less, Deep six will go down like 50 feet. depending on how much line you let out

 

[spoiler]

So I have a couple downriggers and three rods. I would rather not stack one side quite yet so I am wondering if any of you have tried trolling with those crescent weights inline and just a spoon somewhat shallow (around the 50ft mark).

How much weight would I be looking at to get down at far?

Sorry for the rookie question!

I know when I fished up the coast at Langara and a number of other lodges, I as well as some of the guides up there run a third rod straight off the back with a 2oz weight and a small cut-plug herring. I originally started doing it with a fly rod for the chance at a Coho but more times than not a big Spring would climb on!

 

[barkerfam]

I routinely run a center rod not connected to a DR. Can use a truly surface grand slam bucktail or tomic plug with no weight at all. Or, a dipsy diver (deep six) with a setup to mae its own action. I agree with stizzla that the dipsy increases your chance of line tangles and I've lost a fish or two due to this. The purely surface rod has never been a tangle issue.

 

[Rain City]

Caught a small spring last September off the North Arm on a deep six with a naked spoon 12' back

First and only time I tried it.

 

[fish brain]

I do it with a 4 to 6 oz weight and a 6" tomic spoon no flasher. I doubt it gets you down 50 ft, more like 10 to 15. I have picked up a couple of springs this way

 

[Foxsea]

In the old days, we fished with slip weights and planers. The weights were often 8 to 12 ounces to get down very deep and a real nuisance - but that's what we had. Planers were a bit better but not much - like wildman says.

When downriggers came along they were quickly adopted because they were so much better trolling at depth. Stacking is not that hard to do and far preferable to the other options for a third or fourth rod (sockeye.) Actually takes the fun out of sockeye fishing if you don't stack your gear .

 

[paulo]

As Foxsea says, back in the day thats all we had. But there were more fish too. 6oz of weight, a dodger and herring strip or a 4 1/2 tomic was all we needed. Depending on your speed and current 6oz with about 40 -50ft of line will get you 20 -25ft down. 8oz same line length may do 10 - 15ft deeper. My suggestion, start stacking. Nothing better than just you, the fish and a hook. Knucklebusters rule.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Now people fish 200
Feet down, gotta wonder if thoes migrating fish/feeding fish were immune to being harvested before by recs, in area and times it's common to fish down deep now

 

[NDT]

I run a 3rd rod out the back all the time, I tend to fish away from the pack tho. 2-4 oz banana weight, 6-8 ft leader, 3.5 to 4.5” spoon, 20-30 pulls behind the boat. Been successful for springs, coho and pinks. I often bucktail as well. Look up the thread mention by stizzla, great info in there.

 

[thawk]

We have had lots of luck with springs and coho with a one once slip weight and a small plug out the back up top or even a spoon. The fixed weight is a pain the slip weight is easy to use.

 

[Stizzla]

I also use a shorter (9’) rod when i drop one from the middle. Because there’s little bend in the rod, I don’t want to have to switch my eye level that much, and potentially miss a hit. I’m glad this thread started. I might start using a third rod more often.

Who here stacks a third rod when fishing solo? Is it a pain in the butt, or worth it?!

 

[NDT]

I never stack solo or when fishing with the kids. When solo I’m usually one rigger and one out the back. Or run both riggers solo when it’s slow, but when I do, I generally won’t run a third line. I find the tangles can take the relaxing part of the day away lol

 

[AndrewH]

I'll be running a third rod / deep six right out the back tomorrow thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Waterwolf2230]

This has been my most successful 3rd rod lure. All coho tho...I’m waiting for a big spring to smash it one day.

 

[ILHG]

You I think you would be amazed at the Coho that hang out behind the boat in the prop wash. It’s like crack to them. Maybe 20’ back and at most 6’ Down. When I view my fishing camera footage I notice a wolf pack often & then I lower my bait down away from them.!!

Now I have a bait out the back and don’t eat it more than 6-8’ deep

Notice in the attached pics that the camera is pointing up as I drop the canon ball

 

[bigdogg1]

In the old days, we fished with slip weights and planers. The weights were often 8 to 12 ounces to get down very deep and a real nuisance - but that's what we had. Planers were a bit better but not much - like wildman says.

When downriggers came along they were quickly adopted because they were so much better trolling at depth. Stacking is not that hard to do and far preferable to the other options for a third or fourth rod (sockeye.) Actually takes the fun out of sockeye fishing if you don't stack your gear .

We used to double and triple stack to get down deep!

 

[profisher]

Used to fish the 3rd rod with a 12 once slip weight . Ran the line behind the weight to the flasher about 30 ft behind the boat and then 35 to 45 turns off a 5 inch Peetz reel. This would put the bait anywhere from 12-20 feet down in depth. On many days it would just kill big springs, especially in August and later. I could fish this in the crowd as it wouldn't be to far behind the boat.

 

[Dogbreath]

As to Deep Sixes they work quite well with just an Apex or Spoon no real need for a flasher-I do replace the stock swivel with a quality ball bearing unit though.