Third Line Tricks?

[TheBigGuy]

Fishing surface lines with weights from 4-12 ozs is one of my favorite techniques. One of the reasons I love running surface lines is the unmistakable strike, and the screeming reel as the line peels out from the initial hit. I have had great success running suface lines with spoons, plugs, bait and hoochies. Fishing with surface weights has almost become a lost art since the introduction of electric downriggers. Don't get me wrong, I predominately use downriggers. However, early in the morning or late at night the surface lines can be very productive. I find surface lines produce very well in Pt. Alberni for springs with 8-12 ozs. My fishing diary from years past, has almost half my Alberni springs caught on surface weights. Coho and Pinks hit well on lines with 4-6 ozs. Don't get me wrong downriggers will out produce weights when the fish are running deeper than twenty five feet. I have a tendency with the downriggers to drop the lines too deep too early in the day. I try to keep at least one surface line out durring the low light periods. That way I always have a shot at those shallow running fish.

 

[5-Salt Fever]

We do it all the time...2 down on the riggers and 2-3 out the back running Delta Divers.

The divers will get your offering 20-40feet deep. Caught nooks on the divers plenty but they typically take silvers. You will need a little stouter rod than your typical center-pin rod to handle the drivers. Something in the 8 - 8ft6in 20-40lb line rating.

The diver trips when when you get stike and they never get tangled...ever. We often will run three out the back of an 8ft beam boat. The driver clips to your main line. From there you run a flasher connected directly to the diver as pic'd below and then your leader back to a herring, chovy, spoon, tomic, or what ever. You can also rig a hotspot with hoochie with enough leader between diver and flasher to let the flasher work.

Delta Divers:

Diver w/Big Al's Fish Flash: Lot of guys like the Kone Zone flasher for nooks as they spin slower.

 

[Red Monster]

Some interesting feedback. Glad to see others are trying a third line off the riggers.

Has anyone tried one of those contraptions that drops the weight when the fish hits? It looks like a dog whistle. I have one, and I think it might be worth a try. I have some old weights to lose too. My third line would be shallow (the riggers handle the deeper stuff) so I wouldn't need much weight.

I like the looks of Salty's Delta setup too. Thanks for the great images.

 

[victoriaboater]

I almost always run a surface line with light tackle, always changing it up, maybe with a small slip weight. Catch many fish that way. Have had lots of luck using plugs for big Coho in Refrew.