Deep Six Divers for Salmon /

[Mike1266]

Hi guys, I'm planning to troll off West Van for some salmon, and was wondering if it's worth the effort, as I've only got a deep six diver to work with.

It will dive to a maximum of 80 ft, but my problem is that I will be trolling with a stern drive engine and the slowest it will go is maybe 3.5-4.5 miles. Is this too fast? I've already tried using it twice off West Van with spoons to no avail.. am thinking of trying anchovies next time I'm out. If anyone has some info on the divers and the trolling speed it would help a lot.

I know downriggers are the best for trolling for salmon.. and I've got one but I've recently switched to a "ski" boat, so there isn't a great spot to install the downrigger without having to drill big nasty holes on the boat.

If anyone has any tips for jigging for salmon in the area.. that would be amazing as well. I'm just trying to get my hands on a Salmon in Lower Mainland for once, as I've only ever caught them on the island.

Thanks in advance!

 

[John s]

If your trolling to fast. Get a 5 gal pail. Put a rope where the handle is and another 6 ft length w rope on it tie it to the back of the boat and throw it in the water. It should slow ya down enough. The deep six diver should work. There’s a lot of fish being caught a shallow depths the last couple of weeks. (Sandheads to the t10)

 

[Rockfish]

I use a deep six out the back from time to time in place of a third rigger. They work great. Many years ago I fished Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet for a couple of weeks and the small size red Deep Six with bait was all the guides used for the large shallow swimming Chinook there in those days and they caught a lot. Down south here I would go with the large size Deep Six and a smaller spoon. This year for some reason the Shinny G spoon has been hot and matches the available bait size well. You will have to check it more often for weed than with a rigger which will keep a lot of the weed in the bow and away from the gear. You would also want to avoid combat fishing in very tight with a lot of boats as you may have your gear a little farther out the back and you don't want to catch your hook on someones rigger cable. The rigger fishermen keep their lead from the release clip to the flasher on the shorter size in those circumstances and expect the other boats to also have their gear under their boat rather than out the back when a lot of them are combat fishing in close to each other. Fishing into a moderate current should help with your speed problem. If you use a bucket make sure it floats and the rope floats and is short enough that you cannot catch it in your drive, prop or trim tabs, especially if it is shaft drive. There are hardware solutions that can be installed to swing down behind the prop to reduce your speed for trolling when fishing on the main and swing up for traveling at speed on the main but I doubt you would want that set up on a ski boat.

You also have the option of going old school. A 2lb ball on a removable hang weight set up which at least for fishing under 75 feet down will give you similar performance to a rigger in slower current, - the same blow back angle. It is not as sporting but you will have less lost fish as that heavy ball will keep the hook in the fish even if the angler screws up, at least till your partner lifts it off when you get it in close. We caught a lot of big Chinook in the old days at 55 to 65 pulls with that system and old Peetz wood reels.

 

[wildthing]

the bucket needs a hole in it for it to work proper or get your self a sea anchor same idea as the bucket but cone shape much like a wind sock. also tilt the leg up a bit you really need to get 2.5- to just under 3.
or just for fishing get a lower pitch prop you prob have a 23p on the ski just get an old 19 p slap it on there for the day's fishing

 

[Dogbreath]

As to the bucket solution I've hung one on each side right off the gunnel so as to be out of the way if that's an issue it works a charm.

Deep Sixes/Dipsy Divers have never stopped working and Yes it's worth it-one 'Sockeye year' that was all they'd take.

 

[Pineapple Express]

I fished with divers before I got downriggers. I found it best to stay away from the pack since the gear ends up being quite a way behind the boat, and other people fishing aren't used to that.