Hali bait on downrigger - how do YOU do it?

[spring fever]

Agree with using something that will break away to attach the chum bag to your rigger. A friend used a chum bag years ago on anchor in the Victoria area (attached to rigger) and had an incident similar to Spring Fever's noted previously. A very large fish (assuming Six Gill shark or very large halibut) grabbed the chum bag and yanked hard enough to bend the downrigger arm before departing. He needed to replace the downrigger arm after the incident. I have never tried a chum bag personally as I expect you are as likely to attract more dogfish than halibut. If I do employ one I would use a breakaway attachment, maybe 60 lb.
...Rob

That's what I went with after that -a 60 lb break away--and of course nothing like that ever happened again!! Murphys law!!
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[Aces]

I just had my downrigger brake backed off a bit

 

[captmike]

LOL u guys do make it entertaining as fishermen we over bait so much its funny on a commercial long line they use a chunk of octo about the size of your thumb even smaller if your in area that has fish you will get them.. they are meat eaters i tried the down rigger once and only once when a big hali tangled in it and snapped off i said F&%# that. those fish can smell bait from a VERY long way away they will find it more hali in area they are usually more aggressive , all chum does is bring more dogs in personally , but as fishermen we always "think" we are out smarten them LOL LOL

brings back fond memories of my halibut days in 250 fathoms off Langara. Many years we put in 100,000 lbs in 6 weeks mostly using chum salmon and octopus for bait but when experimented with a variety including herring the herring smell was best, brought the fish over but other bait which stayed on the 16/0 hooks better caught more halibut. Lots of smell down there with 5 strings X 1.5 miles ea and a hook every 8".

 

[tubber]

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[captmike]

brings back fond memories of my halibut days in 250 fathoms off Langara. Many years we put in 100,000 lbs in 6 weeks mostly using chum salmon and octopus for bait but when experimented with a variety including herring the herring smell was best, brought the fish over but other bait which stayed on the 16/0 hooks better caught more halibut. Lots of smell down there with 5 strings X 1.5 miles ea and a hook every 8".

actually a hook every 8 feet