I run my lure much closer to the ball than most it seems. 10-12 feet or so which includes 6.5 feet of “lure”. I’ll run longer leads if fishing shallower but I usually drop the lure in and pull line off the reel twice and put it in the release. The lure is easily visible right behind the boat.
Short leads are nice for manoeuvring the boat and turning around.
I hesitate to even mention it after reading the other thread but I don’t mind if the ball drags on bottom once in a while. Yes my downriggers drag is appropriately set, no I’ve never torn a properly attached downrigger off the boat,
yes if you snag a bunch of downriggers in a hazard during rough weather it can sink the boat if you can’t get the cables cut quick enough. There are 4 widows who will attest to that fact. Poorly marked gill nets are a nightmare to get tangled in.
Speed variations seem to trigger more bites (for any fish).
You must be pulling salmon spoons if you’re trolling at 3.5 mph. I don’t know how fast I troll but I really doubt it’s 3.5, likely 1-1.5 I adjust speed until lure action seems right. If it’s windy I’ll troll faster to maintain boat control.
My two cents
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