Trolling without a downrigger

[bigdaddy3769]

I don't own a boat, so I don't have a downrigger, but when I rent a boat I want to be able to troll deep. How much weight do I need to use to get down to some deeper fish? I'd like to be able to troll at 10ft, 20ft, or 30ft. Is it possible without a downrigger? I appreciate any pointers.

Thank you!

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

Buy a portable, clamp on downrigger. The little lake trolls should be less than $100 for everything. Or you may be able to find a used one.


And yes, you can troll without a downrigger. You might get those sinkers with the rubber cores and twist them on your line or a three way swivel with a dropper on the bottom and hang you sinker there. This is how we did it before downriggers were invented.

[JAYDOG]

I have a clamp on plastic cannon downrigger I'll give away free. never used, not sure how much cable is on it. Downrigger only. Lake Tapps area.UPDATE: Sorry it's gone

[JoshH]

There are general charts out there to give you basic ideas on depth based on weight, how much line you have out, and speed. I do use rubber cored weights, and keep multiple sizes up to 1oz. I have doubled up on 2 - 1oz weights before to get close to 30ft.

Clamp on downrigger would work well too. Dont need much more than a 4lb ball for those depths. If you do go the downrigger route, replace the wire cable with braid. Much less drag and blowback with a small ball.

[Skaha]

--try torpedodivers ... due to their shape you can get down deep with less weight.
--lead line another older method for trolling usually with a mooching style reel...length is colour coded so you have an idea of what depth you are at.
--I also use peetz slip weights 1-3 oz depending on speed.
--For sure get a lake chart if you don't have the electronics even using a clamp on style downrigger which is probably only going to get you down to 35 ft... it is not pleasant if you hang up on bottom.
--various diver style like trade name dipsy divers work... again most have a release so when you get a fish on you are not pulling against the diver. You would need a stiffer rod for these if using direct... it can be used in combination with your clamp on downrigger to get some extra depth

[BentRod]

Deep six divers usually have variable settings to allow for diving to different depths at set speeds. I used them before I got a small clamp on Scotty downrigger. Worked well.

[ridgeratt]

Before downriggers and cannon balls folks used leaded line granted at some point it fails to go deeper but a easy fix it to add weight at the head end. But it's tried and true for a lot of years.

[P.TRICK.KELLY]

I found a great article online...including a section on fishing without a downrigger.

http://www.fishwithgary.com/kokanee_uni ... part1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are 3 parts to the article, and this particular subject is in Part 2.

[G-Man]

I'd suggest using snap weights. Have a look at the Offshore Tackle site http://www.offshoretackle.com/snapweights.html and either get a kit or just buy the snaps and add your own weights. I like them as you can get the weight quite bit away from your lure, which helps with fish that are spooked. You need to experiment a bit to get the feel for how deep the various weights will take your gear relative to your trolling speed. When trolling without a downrigger, knowing how much line you have out really helps. The expensive method is to get yourself a line counter reel. Before I picked up a couple of those, I used braided line and marked off 50' sections using a black magic marker.

[bigdaddy3769]

Thank you for all the advice!