Line length

[Theb55]

Various theories exist as to how much line should exist between your downrigger clip and the flasher / lure but not much has been written about it. I have caught fish with as little as 12 feet and as long as 75 feet (off Renfrew). My guess is depth and action play a big part here. As you go deeper you would want to shorten up, especially in the winter when you want more action. Comments.

 

[Fish Assassin]

It depends on the boat...If it's a hot boat that catches nothing every time it goes out. I will go out 30-50+ feet.

If it is my boat I go back about 8-10 feet right to the swirl in the wash behind the boat.

Each boat is different but any thing over 15 feet is insane. Time to find out why?

 

[Big Green Machine]

For salmon, I agree with FA, 15 to 20 feet. The shallower depth I'm fishing, the more I let out. For trout on the bigger lengths, I let out at least 20 feet, but if I'm fishing shallow, up to 60-70 feet as trout are boat shy. Come to think of it, there is a thread on here that discusses this. Have you tried a search? If I remember correctly, there is a lot of variation and personal preference involved.

 

[profisher]

I would say there is no set length, especially if you are fishing multiple lines close to the same depth. If I find that the fish are holding say between 40 and 50 feet I will fish a line at 50 feet and keep it the farthest away,(50-60 feet) another line at 40 feet I would keep close, (20 feet) and a third line at 45 feet right in between the other 2. This gives you decent separation and prevents one set of gear spooking a fish away from another. (especially with flashers)

 

[searun]

Depends on what you are running for gear and as well how much other gear is in the water. Farther back for spoons/plugs...especially plugs to give them room to work. As for fishing flashers the length back affects the rotation so at times distance is critical - especially for sockeye for example. If there is lots of gear, I sometimes run lines with no flashers.

 

[Theb55]

You go so friggen slow for Sockeye you want it tight so you get action. Of course, I have not had a lot of opportunities to target Sockeye and from the looks of the Inquiry that will not improve any time soon.

 

[profisher]

I don't troll any slower for Sockeye than I do for springs. Just lots of gear in the water 5-6 lines all with flashers.... no worries about spooking them with to much gear to close together....more is better.

 

[Whole in the Water]

I have found the more spooked and/or fussy the fish the farther back I put the lines (especially true with cutties in freshwater). Agreed that when fishing multiple lines at different depths, I try to vary how much each line goes back. Also if your boat runs too hot (negative ions) lines farther back can help. But obviously it is best to fix the electrical potential of boat if you know you have this problem.

 

[IronNoggin]

Depends on what you are running for gear

aYup! When I am running dummy flashers for springs, they come off the ball and are out ~ 6 to 8 feet. Rolling bait and spoons I run just high enough above them (~ 3.5 feet) to clear the flasher, and out another 8 feet behind the flasher. Pays to have the right electical gradient down below, or run braid when in that tight.

With plugs I run them a fair distance out there. like 35 - 40 feet, sometimes even farther. Effects the action, and produces.

As for fishing flashers the length back affects the rotation so at times distance is critical

Commercial trollers have always known this. Thus the standard "Short Flasher - Long Flasher" off the ball. Tighter to the wire produces a faster roll, the farther one above is a lazier roll. Often fish will come in from below attracted by the quicker spinning flasher, and as they always look up, they see the slower spinning one on approach. I've found that the larger fish generally prefer the slow roll. Until one buttons up that is. Fish on the line almost always bring more to fill the vacancies both below and above.

I agree with profisher regarding More Is Better when it comes to gear and sockeye. I usually run 3 dummy flashers a side, with 3 rods (KK's or similar) on the same. I do however troll a LOT slower for these than I do for springs. Then again, I generally troll a fair bit quicker than the majority of the fleet when working springs. All what you're used to, all what you have confidence in. Given my commercial trolling background, there is no surprise I prefer a little quicker speed on springs - it is what I understand and know works.

Cheers,
Nog

 

[elnino54]

Nog,

What do you find to be the most effective speed when trolling Plugs for Springs ?

Craig

 

[profisher]

I troll plugs slightly faster than my bait trolling speed. I will alter plugs to try and get them to wiggle more at slower speeds so I can fish bait and plugs at the same time and have both producing. I find manipulating bait to catch springs at a faster clip is easier for me as I have to do all the time in the heavy Sooke currents. That said I usually fish bait at about 2.3-2.7 mph in slower currents...plugs would be at the top end of that range 2.7 mph, faster for both in stronger currents...up to 4.5 mph if that what it takes to gain ground in the current flow.

 

[Fish-Hunter]

I like this thread, as I am learning something here. 40, 50, 75 feet out the back of the boat?? I would have never dreamed of pushing my gear that far out back running a down rigger setup, the farthest that I have let out is around 25 feet (thinking that was way out there trying to get a slower roll to the flasher), typically run around 15 feet or so, had moderate success to date, perhaps would have had better success with longer run back from the rigger line, who knows. I will be trying some of these lengths the next time out. Come to think of it this year dad did have a pop off at swale and on retrieval hooked up a hawg that shook right before the net, it was a beauty big fish. So farther back, slower action may attract the bigger fish at the right depth, time, location, tide, bait presence, lunar cycle, water temp, water clarity, lure, flasher colour,,,,,,, on and on and on,,,,,

 

[Fish-Hunter]

I troll plugs slightly faster than my bait trolling speed. I will alter plugs to try and get them to wiggle more at slower speeds so I can fish bait and plugs at the same time and have both producing. I find manipulating bait to catch springs at a faster clip is easier for me as I have to do all the time in the heavy Sooke currents. That said I usually fish bait at about 2.3-2.7 mph in slower currents...plugs would be at the top end of that range 2.7 mph, faster for both in stronger currents...up to 4.5 mph if that what it takes to gain ground in the current flow.

I forgot to add speed to my list, thanks profisher .

 

[profisher]

Keep in mind ..if your fishing in heavy traffic in a tight area you won't want to run your gear back so far that others cutting across behind you are going to pick up your gear.

 

[Fish-Hunter]

Keep in mind ..if your fishing in heavy traffic in a tight area you won't want to run your gear back so far that others cutting across behind you are going to pick up your gear.

Exactly. That must be the logic for only 8-10 feet of run back while Sockeye fishing LOL. Sometimes the boats are so close together in the PA Canal that you could pass a beer to the guy in the next boat.

 

[searun]

Exactly. That must be the logic for only 8-10 feet of run back while Sockeye fishing LOL. Sometimes the boats are so close together in the PA Canal that you could pass a beer to the guy in the next boat.

Nope, its all about the action. If you are back more than 8 feet you are probably a tad too far. I learned a valuable lesson two seasons back after sockeye had been closed for a few years and I had forgotten some of my techniques. Buddy was schoolin me and I couldn't figure out why as we were running exactly same gear, same distance from the clip etc, but I had my long clips from fishing off shore which put my flashers back too far...shortened them up and immediately started slamming them. Distance affects the action.

Nog is bang on money with his advice. Especially on running plugs, and speed. Bait is another issue, generally run a lot slower than plugs - concentrate my effort on getting right roll. No point putting it down unless you have a tight roll happening. Yes there are always times that just about any roll will work, but 9 out of 10 times when I run 2 lines I can tell by the roll which side will get nailed first. Not every chunk of bait rolls well - if you can't get the roll right - pitch it or save it for when you are really short on bait at end of the day. Size of your bait can be critical as well - matching the hatch so to speak is at times the difference.

Hope this helps ya

 

[IronNoggin]

What do you find to be the most effective speed when trolling Plugs for Springs ?

Fast

Here's my general speed rules for various species / gear:

Chumlies (flasher & hootchie): 1 - 1.5 knots. So slow the flashers simply sway from side to side & don't rotate;

Sox (flasher/hootchie or dummy flasher & spoons): 1.5 - 2 knots - slower for the hootchies, a little quicker to work the spoons;

Springs (dummy flasher and Bait): 2.3 - 2.5 knots

Springs (flasher & hootchie): 2.5 - 2.7 knots

Springs (dummy flasher & spoons): 2.7 - 3 knots

Springs (plugs): 3 - 4 knots

Those of course are based on flat tides - non moving water. With tidal influence, they'd represent Speed through the Water, NOT Speed Over Ground as the GPS lists.
Case in point: Inside chum. Many time I've drug the gear so slowly into a pushing tide that the boat is actually moving backwards. Tide pushing harder than the boat moves against it.
Tide VERY much influences what your GPS will read (speed over ground). You need to pay much attention to what your gear is doing in the water (correct action) than what your GPS indicates you are moving. With the tide I'll often be right roaring along well over those listed speeds, against it, often much slower.

Plugs were specifically designed to move quickly. Most of the time I'm moving right around 3.5 knots when they are deployed. Never worry about out-running a Biggie, they can and will move amazingly fast when they want it!

I will occasionally run bait with hootchies or spoons and adjust the speed somewhere between the two "preferred" rates to accommodate performance of each. Using bait and/or hootchies for me is very rare, especially so for springs. I very much prefer spoons and plugs when targeting them. And I never mix spoons with plugs (or anything with plugs for that matter). The spoons will generally spin rather than wobble at the speeds I employ for plugs, while conversely, the plugs simply will not produce as well at the slower spoon speed.

I also tend to fish away from the crowds for a couple of reasons. First, I like the fish to see my gear first on any given day. And second, that allows me to run the gear whatever distance I like out behind the wire.

Of course that is simply what works for me. Obviously your mileage may vary...

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Reel Knotty]

Keep in mind ..if your fishing in heavy traffic in a tight area you won't want to run your gear back so far that others cutting across behind you are going to pick up your gear.

You will always know my boat is dragging plugs because unless traffic won't allow me, my pattern is S turn S turn Loop Figure 8 mixed up and repeated. If I can follow contours and reefs like that, I'm doing even better. I rarely drag plugs in traffic unless everyone is following the shoreline or shelf. ps especially deadly in lakes for cutties for the freshwater crowd.

 

[Fisher_dude]

Up here on Okanagan lake, I'll run a plug 150-200ft behind the rigger ball if I'm working the top 50ft of water. The deeper I go, the closer to the ball I go. Then again, I find these rainbows very spooky compared to springs in the salt.

 

[elnino54]

Fast

Here's my general speed rules for various species / gear:

Chumlies (flasher & hootchie): 1 - 1.5 knots. So slow the flashers simply sway from side to side & don't rotate;

Sox (flasher/hootchie or dummy flasher & spoons): 1.5 - 2 knots - slower for the hootchies, a little quicker to work the spoons;

Springs (dummy flasher and Bait): 2.3 - 2.5 knots

Springs (flasher & hootchie): 2.5 - 2.7 knots

Springs (dummy flasher & spoons): 2.7 - 3 knots

Springs (plugs): 3 - 4 knots

Those of course are based on flat tides - non moving water. With tidal influence, they'd represent Speed through the Water, NOT Speed Over Ground as the GPS lists.
Case in point: Inside chum. Many time I've drug the gear so slowly into a pushing tide that the boat is actually moving backwards. Tide pushing harder than the boat moves against it.
Tide VERY much influences what your GPS will read (speed over ground). You need to pay much attention to what your gear is doing in the water (correct action) than what your GPS indicates you are moving. With the tide I'll often be right roaring along well over those listed speeds, against it, often much slower.

Plugs were specifically designed to move quickly. Most of the time I'm moving right around 3.5 knots when they are deployed. Never worry about out-running a Biggie, they can and will move amazingly fast when they want it!

I will occasionally run bait with hootchies or spoons and adjust the speed somewhere between the two "preferred" rates to accommodate performance of each. Using bait and/or hootchies for me is very rare, especially so for springs. I very much prefer spoons and plugs when targeting them. And I never mix spoons with plugs (or anything with plugs for that matter). The spoons will generally spin rather than wobble at the speeds I employ for plugs, while conversely, the plugs simply will not produce as well at the slower spoon speed.

I also tend to fish away from the crowds for a couple of reasons. First, I like the fish to see my gear first on any given day. And second, that allows me to run the gear whatever distance I like out behind the wire.

Of course that is simply what works for me. Obviously your mileage may vary...

Cheers,
Nog

Thank You Sir !!

I notice most guys use the typical Tomic style plugs, but never hear or see people trying the deep diving crank style baits. Largs ones with the big lips that dive to about 30' or so. Is that because your limited to that depth ? You could potentially run these without a downrigger. Some of these look like they would work........especially if a guy had outriggers on his boat in conjunction with his downriggers.