Down rigging

Downrigging Techniques

A downrigger is the most effective way to control the depth of baits. Downriggers let anglers fish their lures from just below the surface all the way down to depths of 250 feet, or even more if necessary. More importantly, downriggers allow anglers more versatility when using flashers with their lures. Here are two methods if using flashers while downrigging.

Method 1: Flasher on the Main Line

Most anglers use a flasher that is tied directly to the main fishing line, just in front of a lure. In this configuration, the flasher will work in two ways: by imparting extra action to a lure, as well as attracting predators to the lure.

Tie a mainline of 20-pound test or more breaking strength (30-pound test is best all-round) directly to the swivel at the front (narrow end) of the flasher. Use an improved clinch knot, a Berkley knot, or a Palomar knot (if using one of the new "superlines") to attach the mainline to the flasher.

Attach a lure to the other end of the flasher using a leader of between 25- and 40-pound test. The length of the leader will depend upon two things: the targeted species, and the kind of lure you’ve chosen. Leaders of higher breaking strengths will add additional "snap" or "flick" to a lure when the flasher moves from side to side, or occasionally reverses its rotation.

Use a longer leader for natural baits like herring or anchovy, for high-action spoons (like the Gibbs Gator or Gypsy), or for wriggling lures (like the Gibbs Hockey Stick). These lures don’t need the flashers to provide as much additional action, so use leader lengths between 42 and 72 inches, with a starting length of 60 inches for Chinook, and 48 inches for Coho.

Hootchies that mimic prey like squid or octopus have no action of their own. Short, stiff leaders between 12 and 48 inches in length will allow the flasher to transmit more action to the hoochie. For Coho, start with 30-pound test leaders, 36 inches long. For Chinook, try 42-inch leaders. Short 12- to 27-inch leaders are adequate for sockeye and pink salmon.

Pull off enough line from the reel to let the flasher and lure run 15 to 30 feet astern of the boat. Attach the mainline to a downrigger release clip on the downrigger cable, and lower the downrigger weight just enough to get the flasher submerged. Check that the trolling speed is sufficient to cause the flasher to rotate, and that the action is correct for the lure. After adjusting the speed, lower the weight so the lure runs at the desired depth.

Note: The downrigger cable should make an angle of about 60° to the water at slower trolling speeds, and up to 45° to the water at the highest trolling speed. Changes in the speed of a lure can occasionally provoke a strike - every now and then try to vary the speed of your boat so the cable angle varies between the two extremes. Troll in a lazy zig-zag pattern once in a while to speed up the lures on one side of the boat while slowing those on the other.

Note: While it’s best to use a ruler to measure the leader length from the lure to the flasher, a full-sized #1 flasher is about one foot in length. Tie a lure to a spool of leader material, then holding the lure at one end of the flasher, wrap the leader material lengthwise around the flasher. Each wrap of line will be just under 2 feet.

Note: Cut off the length of main line between the downrigger release clip and the flasher after each fishing trip - it could be weakened from twisting by the rotation of the flasher.

Method 2: Flasher on the Downrigger Cable

Anglers who want the attraction of a flasher, but are using lures that shouldn’t be used directly behind a flasher (large herring, big plugs, or longer wiggling lures) should use this method. It’s also good for any lure that has its own action, if you want to play a fish without the added drag of a flasher on your line. This method is not for fishing with bare hootchies, as they need the flasher to give action. Tie your lure directly to the mainline.

Use 10 feet of very stiff 100-pound test monofilament, and tie stainless steel ball bearing swivels with quick-release heavy-duty snaps at each end. Attach a #1 or #3 Highliner flasher to one end of the line, and attach the other end directly to the eye on the downrigger weight.

Lower the weight 10 feet into the water. Let out your main line until the lure or bait is 15 to 50 feet behind the boat. Now slip the mainline into a downrigger release clip attached to a "stacker" cable clamp (which allows the release clip to be located anywhere on the downrigger cable), then attach the clip to the downrigger cable using this clamp so that it is 10 feet above the flasher. Lower the downrigger weight until your lure is at the desired depth.

Here are a few basics to help you get started with downrigging. The most common lure for Stripers are bucktail jigs (such as our Bucktailz, Bucktail Shadz, and Bucktail Spinz) with curly tail trailers, however, plugs and live bait also work. Trolling speed will typically vary between 1.8 and 4 mph. Pick the area that you want to start trolling and drop the boat speed to the speed you wish to troll. Let out line from the reel (40-150 feet depending on depth and water clarity), with the reel out of gear and the clicker on, place the rod in the rod holder and attach the line to the release. If you are also using a stacker (allows more than one rod per rigger), drop the downrigger ball 5-10 feet and set up the second rod. Drop the ball to the depth that you want to troll. After the ball is down, put the reel in gear and take up all slack line. Your rod should be doubled over (like you are fighting a fish) when enough line is taken up. The release will not trigger correctly if there is too much slack in the line. Keep in mind that when you are using stackers, the deeper rod should be on the outside (i.e., furthest from the boat) and the shallow rod on the inside (i.e., closest to the boat). If a fish hits the shallow line, you will have to bring it over the deep line at some point. If the deep rod is on the outside, this is much easier. Done the other way will result in more tangled lines.

A couple of factors that you want to keep in mind; as you increase the boat speed or length of cable out, the cannonball will rise some (called fall back) so that the depth shown on the depth meter is not the actual depth of your lure. For example, if the cable is at a 45 degree angle, you can find the actual depth by multiplying the depth shown by 0.7 to determine the actual depth. Also, depending on what lure you are using and the length of line out, your lure will also sink a few feet. At 2 mph, with 20 pound line, 1/2 oz jig will sink appoximately 10 below the ball with 90 feet of line out. Treat the depth of the ball as water surface for calculating the actual depth. If you are using plugs, use shallow runners as it is easier to determine depth. In some cases, your fish finder will mark the downrigger ball. If so, the ball will appear as a solid line on the fish finder.

Stripers and Hybrids usually hit hard enough to trigger the release; however, short fish will not always trigger the release. In these cases, you may notice your downrigger cable swinging somewhat or dragging further back. The rod may also bounce. You will have to reel up the downrigger to check the line and release the trigger yourself. If the fish releases the trigger, the rod will fly up. Grab the rod and take up the slack line as quickly as possible. The deeper you fish, the more slack line and the greater the chance of losing the fish. You do not need to set the hook. If you feel the need to set the hook, wait until you feel the full weight of the fish first. If the fish does not trigger the release, reel up the downrigger while keeping tension on the rod and trigger the release yourself.

You should always be moving while using the downriggers. When fighting a larger fish, you may need to decrease boat speed, but do not stop. Hanging up a downrigger on the bottom or snagging several lines can take the fun out of things. Also, most downriggers have some type of clutch or brake. Never tighten this the whole way. If you do hang up the ball, you want the cable to give some rather than causing damage to the boat or the rigger. After running the downriggers a couple of times, you'll get the hang of it. You should also try avoiding tight turns, especially if you have a lot of line out. If you turn too tight, lines will cross and things will get ugly. Make wide turns. You should also try to troll in a S-shaped pattern. This will cause the jigs to speed up and slow down, causes them not trail right behind the boat, and also allows you to cover a little more water. Good luck and tight lines!