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Old 07-08-2018, 08:19 AM
-JR- -JR- is offline
 
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I have noticed there is a small group of guys on this site that are die hard Lakers fishermen like I am .
I've been fishing this lake for over 20 years and its different every season.
Every time I go out ,I experiment . Boat speed and how far the hook is behind ball etc.
One of the reasons I do this is ,because you can see the lakers come up in the sonar then back down with out hitting the bait. As they go after the ball !
I can see the laker in the sonar and only my ball ,as the bait is to far back behind the boat to see in the sonar. Is my bait way to far behind the ball ?

I normally run 3 - 3.5 MPH and let around 30 ft of line out when running down 70-100 feet

Some days I will use a small flasher but mostly not . The two down riggers normally haul in 20 lakers by noon.


Half way into french bay there are tons of lakers. I can catch them in the mouth of the bay or near the ski hill, but in the middle ,they just come up then back down.
I know the lake well all 5 humps and all the way around the lake .
I have not fished any of the deep holes yet at 300 ft down.

How are you guys running your rigs ?
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Old 07-08-2018, 08:22 AM
MooseRiverTrapper MooseRiverTrapper is offline
 
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Good info. Do you use a 10lb ball?
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Old 07-08-2018, 08:23 AM
-JR- -JR- is offline
 
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Good info. Do you use a 10lb ball?
I use 15 lb ball
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Old 07-08-2018, 08:51 AM
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1.5 to 5 kph depending on the lure. I just do a short/mid length cast out then hook it up to downrigger, probably close to 50 feet or so. I figure being further away from the ball would be better and the lure is going to draw as many fish in as the downrigger ball does. This thinking could be wrong but I have never bothered to mix things up since what I do works good enough for me.

To see the lure on your fish finder you would probably need to set the lure only a few feet back of ball which I don't think would be effective.

If you really want to dial things in get a water wolf or similar camera then you can see how the fish are actually reacting to your lures. If you are catching 20 fish in a day I bet you are having much more then that come up and investigate your lures.

Lure selection depends on the day. Sometimes they want to chase and fast erratic lures work good. Other days they are lazy and slower lures can be the key. I often troll with slower lures just because it works best from my kayak and since I only use a 4 lb ball.

I have never used a flasher and they definitely aren't necessary at Cold Lake if your main goal is just catching fish. They might help if a guy is going to go explore deep water for suspended fish but I haven't fooled around with that much.
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Old 07-09-2018, 09:11 PM
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I use a 10lb weight and a boat length of lead behind the down rigger release clip , I all so use an agitator on one side of the boat clipped to the down rigger ball some days that side gets all the action.
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Old 07-10-2018, 05:52 AM
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I run a willow leaf then about four feet of line to my lure....that little bit of flashy silver mimics bait fish and then the lure mimics a wounded "special" one.

These are lakers in a lake that is thick with them....next year scooping them out bare handed or running across the lake on their backs
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  #7  
Old 07-10-2018, 06:57 PM
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I run a 10lb ball, let out approx. 20-30' of line then clip it in. If I'm with someone I try and run two different depths to see what's going to work better. Will also put a willow leaf on one side and see what's working. After a few fish on one side, I'll switch tackle to what the most productive side is. Also 'S' turns all day while trolling!
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:45 PM
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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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Old 07-11-2018, 11:12 AM
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I only go max 10' behind the weights..I also use the fishy shaped weights which I paint white and throw some sparkly stuff on em. I find that way the weights actually draw in fish. I tested this theory by running them without any baits or lures and saw a lot of fish on sonar going in for a strike/look. I run short lengths to minimize tangles in tight turns and so I can keep an eye on everything on sonar. Works for me and now that I have teewked my baits the right way I have no problem boating 25-40 fish /day with 90% of strikes resulting in a solid hook up. Lol...but that all took many many many many hours of trial and error with most successful discoveries being totally by accident...but hey! That's fishing!
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Old 07-11-2018, 01:20 PM
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Does anyone play with lead core, I was thinking of running it behind the kayak I don't think a rigger would work with my paddled boat.

Supposedly the suffix 832 lead core gets 8 feet per color vs conventional that gets 4-6 per color.

so 80" with the typical 10 color setup.
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Old 07-11-2018, 08:02 PM
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When I first started fishing Lakers I went 27' back (I have line counter), then when it wasn't working great one day I switched to 17' and haven't changed.

I use 15lb balls with fin that I pour myself and last year had painted white, this year was planning to paint Chartreuse but haven't got around to it yet.

I run about 30' of 25lb Fluorocarbon leader on the end of 30lb PowerPro and last year and this year have been using Northern King Mag size lures when trolling.
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Old 07-11-2018, 09:59 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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15 ft for me behind the ball. Very rarely do we deviate from that. Maybe it's the lures we use I got away from the tube jig thing it went cold on me and I never went back. Now it's certain thin spoons with a single hook or a cut plug type rig that runs straight back. Some crankbaits that run flat work good too close to the ball but I don't use them in cold lake because they are a little hard on the fish when you have to release most of what you catch.
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Old 07-12-2018, 06:08 AM
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I normally start my day using an anchovy tooth pick rig .
When the bag runs out ,I switch to an Apex lure.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:10 AM
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Can somebody school me on downrigger weights. you can find them from 2-15 lbs why would you use one vs the other?
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:23 AM
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sometimes your downrigger can't handle a larger ball. Also for trolling faster you will go heavier so your ball doesn't blow back behind the boat so much and you run closer to your true vertical depth.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -JR- View Post
I normally start my day using an anchovy tooth pick rig .
When the bag runs out ,I switch to an Apex lure.
I end up making anchovy dip enjoyed with a box of crackers and stick to the apex lures.....wife says when I get home my breath smells like fish
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by raw outdoors View Post
Can somebody school me on downrigger weights. you can find them from 2-15 lbs why would you use one vs the other?
If you are only fishing in 15 ft of water and a 5 lb ball is all you need as the line will be going straight down more or less depending on troll speed
But if you take that same 5 pound ball and go 100 ft down with the downrigger ball ,the line will be at a 45degree angle when the boat is moving at 3 mph. Your counter on the down rigger may say 100 ft down but because of the angle of the line how deep is your ball. Is it 80 feet down only or 60ft.
I normall like to have my ball 5 feet off the bottom of the lake in 100 ft of water. and my line clipped into it should swim a foot lower depending on how many feet is behind the ball.
Not sure if you know how a down rigger works but as soon as you catch a fish the line that is on your rod will snap off the down rigger ball . And all you bring up is your normal line and hook.
So when fishing deep 15 or 20 lb balls are used and you still get a 10 or15 degree angle.
The bad thing about using heavy balls is that when its on the end of a downrigger arm which is like 30 inches out that weight must be tripled.
This weight is very hard on the side of the boat .
If you are going to buy a downrigger for lakers. Don't thing you can buy a cheep clamp on one for deep fishing . Those are made for shallow water with a 5 lb ball max on them. Those I would use for walleye fishing in 15-20 ft of water.
I hope this helps .
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by 58thecat View Post
I end up making anchovy dip enjoyed with a box of crackers and stick to the apex lures.....wife says when I get home my breath smells like fish
And this is why we do not fish together anymore.
You never bring your own anchovies.
haha just joking!

Maybe this sept we should all get together on cold lake for a meet and greet.
Camp grounds should be empty as kids are back in school.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:05 AM
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As JR said downrigger ball weight depends on depth and downrigger. Most downriggers have a maximum recommended weight you shouldn't exceed it. Similarly manual downriggers are not fun with heavy weights. Speed also comes into play, the faster you troll the higher the drag and the ball will blow back further.

I use a 4 lb ball because I fish out of a human powered kayak and use a Scotty Laketroll downrigger only rated for 5 lbs. I use braid fishing line instead of a steel downrigger cable to help reduce line drag which does help reduce how far the ball blows back. If I troll fast I do get significant blow back but if you are good at math you can see roughly what angle your line is at and know roughly how deep your ball would be based on how much line you have let out. Alternatively you can also figure out how deep your ball runs at a certain speed by seeing at what depth it starts to hit bottom. In short there are steps you can take to fish lighter weight balls at greater depths but it takes a bit more mental calculation and paying attention to speed etc. Do not rely on your fish finder to tell you the depth your ball is at as it only tells you how far the ball is from the transducer and will read the same depth regardless of if you are moving or not(since the ball swings back and up but stays relatively the same distance from transducer).

Lots of guys with manual downriggers run around 8-10 lbs. Most guys with good electrics are running 12-15 lbs which is all you need for AB fishing. Pick the heaviest ball your equipment can handle, this makes it easier to know what depth you are at.

One downside to a heavier ball is that the more vertical your ball is the more slack that will be present when your line comes out of the clip. The more line you let out the more slack which may be one reason why it would seem most guys on here using heavier balls are only running 10-20, maybe 30 feet behind the ball.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:59 AM
Tfng Tfng is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowtrail View Post
When I first started fishing Lakers I went 27' back (I have line counter), then when it wasn't working great one day I switched to 17' and haven't changed.

I use 15lb balls with fin that I pour myself and last year had painted white, this year was planning to paint Chartreuse but haven't got around to it yet.

I run about 30' of 25lb Fluorocarbon leader on the end of 30lb PowerPro and last year and this year have been using Northern King Mag size lures when trolling.
Try painting just the top of one of those balls chartreuse. Half white and half chartreuse. Wolverine makes some nice spoons also, the Silver streak. They’ve got some good patterns and colours. A canoe spoon in Army truck is a good one as well.
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Old 07-14-2018, 11:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -JR- View Post
And this is why we do not fish together anymore.
You never bring your own anchovies.
haha just joking!

Maybe this sept we should all get together on cold lake for a meet and greet.
Camp grounds should be empty as kids are back in school.
Yeah that would be a blast, just don't call me "fish breath"!
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Old 07-14-2018, 01:12 PM
raw outdoors raw outdoors is offline
 
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I recently got two downriggers electric 30” Scotty’s off of Kijiji I have tried them for lake trout and Kokanee but have yet to catch anything but small whitefish that don’t even pop the line release so I don’t even know they are on. The riggers came with 15lb balls I am just trying to figure out all the different clips releases and gizmos. I see for Kokanee guys are using a lead pipe for a downrigger weight. I couldn’t catch anything or even see a hit until I put away the downriggers and long lines with 2oz wieghts. Same lure as I was running on the riggers so I am thinking maybe the ball scarred the fish??
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Old 07-14-2018, 02:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raw outdoors View Post
I recently got two downriggers electric 30” Scotty’s off of Kijiji I have tried them for lake trout and Kokanee but have yet to catch anything but small whitefish that don’t even pop the line release so I don’t even know they are on. The riggers came with 15lb balls I am just trying to figure out all the different clips releases and gizmos. I see for Kokanee guys are using a lead pipe for a downrigger weight. I couldn’t catch anything or even see a hit until I put away the downriggers and long lines with 2oz wieghts. Same lure as I was running on the riggers so I am thinking maybe the ball scarred the fish??
Interesting..... What lake were you on for the kokanee that a 15 would scare them
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:49 PM
raw outdoors raw outdoors is offline
 
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Originally Posted by -JR- View Post
Interesting..... What lake were you on for the kokanee that a 15 would scare them

Kookanusa
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Old 07-14-2018, 07:19 PM
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3-3.5 mph is a fast troll. Anchovy wouldn’t stay on an anchovy rig for long. Might be okay for spoons or cranks
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:08 PM
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3-3.5 mph is a fast troll. Anchovy wouldn’t stay on an anchovy rig for long. Might be okay for spoons or cranks
I guess its all about sharing and thats what these forms are all about.

There is a little trick to keep them on at 3-3.5 mph .
I like to give them some salt ,this way they firm up as the day goes on.

if you don't they will break just taking them out of the bag if they are not on ice.
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Old 07-17-2018, 01:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raw outdoors View Post
I recently got two downriggers electric 30” Scotty’s off of Kijiji I have tried them for lake trout and Kokanee but have yet to catch anything but small whitefish that don’t even pop the line release so I don’t even know they are on. The riggers came with 15lb balls I am just trying to figure out all the different clips releases and gizmos. I see for Kokanee guys are using a lead pipe for a downrigger weight. I couldn’t catch anything or even see a hit until I put away the downriggers and long lines with 2oz wieghts. Same lure as I was running on the riggers so I am thinking maybe the ball scarred the fish??
Are you applying a lot of tension / preload to your rod that is on the down rigger?
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Old 07-17-2018, 01:09 PM
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3-3.5 mph is a fast troll. Anchovy wouldn’t stay on an anchovy rig for long. Might be okay for spoons or cranks
We usually troll that speed for salmon on the coast with anchovies. Of course our bait is always salted or brined which toughens them up!
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