Downrigger Ball Trolling Depth Chart

[adnanfarooq1977]

#1-Boom above water is 2.9 feet downrigger set at 135 feet td hawk gave reading 125 feet @2.6m/hr

#2- Boom above water is 2.9 feet downrigger set @100 feet td hawk gave reading 94 feet @ 2.9 m/hr

Hope this will help

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

The thing I'm wondering is do you technology buffs ever catch any real fish or is it just the theoretical masturbation that excites you? A lot of folks were catching fish consistently long before most or all of this electronic gear was even invented primarily because they leaned HOW to fish.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Sk8man

[Smart Troll]

The thing I'm wondering is do you technology buffs ever catch any real fish or is it just the theoretical masturbation that excites you? A lot of folks were catching fish consistently long before most or all of this electronic gear was even invented primarily because they leaned HOW to fish.

 Sk8man,

 

We have fun with theory, and technology and catching fish. I guess you can say it is fun-fun-fun. It is just a matter of sharing ideas and strategies with fellow fishermen. Anyone who uses a fish finder, GPS, Chart Plotter and even a downrigger is using technology that the generation before them didn't have. We still have to learn...technology just helps us learn a little quicker. It is clear that an experienced and seasoned fisherman with little or no technology will out fish a novice loaded with technology. Nothing will ever replace spending lots of time on the lake.

[Smart Troll]

#1-Boom above water is 2.9 feet downrigger set at 135 feet td hawk gave reading 125 feet @2.6m/hr

#2- Boom above water is 2.9 feet downrigger set @100 feet td hawk gave reading 94 feet @ 2.9 m/hr

Hope this will help

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

adnanfarooq1977

According to the chart provided earlier...for #2  with 100 feet of line out if the ball is 94 feet deep the DR cable was at a 20 degree angle. If you measured the distance between where the cable enters the water when hanging straight down and where it entered the water when trolling it should have been pretty close to 1 foot.

 

I just checked for scenario #1 (135 feet of cable 125 feet deep) and the cable angle would have been 22 degrees.

 

Maybe next time you can measure (or estimate) the cable distance back from true vertical?

 

I am also curious...did you see the DR ball on sonar?

[on the lam]

Distance from your ducer to the DR ball is the depth your reading.. not the actual depth of the ball. My ducer is mounted mid ship. On low frequency will 100 ' of cable out my actual depth is about ten feet shallower that stated on my 585... I adjust in my mind accordingly. Thats why I believe running a split screen is helpful. If I see fish on both sides.. I suspect they are clost to depth im reading because the narrow hi frequency is seeing them. If only on low frequency side definitely not under the boat and up to ten or more feet different from numbers shown on screen. . If your transom mounted you numbers will be closer to actual but not exact. Phew. My head hurts

[Silver Fox]

Distance from your ducer to the DR ball is the depth your reading.. not the actual depth of the ball. My ducer is mounted mid ship. On low frequency will 100 ' of cable out my actual depth is about ten feet shallower that stated on my 585... I adjust in my mind accordingly. Thats why I believe running a split screen is helpful. If I see fish on both sides.. I suspect they are clost to depth im reading because the narrow hi frequency is seeing them. If only on low frequency side definitely not under the boat and up to ten or more feet different from numbers shown on screen. . If your transom mounted you numbers will be closer to actual but not exact. Phew. My head hurts

Exactly! I thought it was gonna take a masters degree for future salmon fishing excursions.

[Smart Troll]

Distance from your ducer to the DR ball is the depth your reading.. not the actual depth of the ball. My ducer is mounted mid ship. On low frequency will 100 ' of cable out my actual depth is about ten feet shallower that stated on my 585... I adjust in my mind accordingly. Thats why I believe running a split screen is helpful. If I see fish on both sides.. I suspect they are clost to depth im reading because the narrow hi frequency is seeing them. If only on low frequency side definitely not under the boat and up to ten or more feet different from numbers shown on screen. . If your transom mounted you numbers will be closer to actual but not exact. Phew. My head hurts

 

on the lam,

 

yep...distance not depth! If your DR is mounted mid-ship then the first several feet of cable is used just to get back under the transducer and then the sonar will show the same reading no matter what the actual depth of the ball is. Crudely illustrated in the attached graphic. And I know the transducer cone is only a few feet wide but I emphasized the cone in the attached graphic to illustrate the point.

 

The true depth can easily be determined if you know the angle of the DR cable and all I wanted to do in the first posting of this thread is provide a table with an easy way to determine the angle and translate that into depth. If there is interest then let me know and I can expand the table to include more information but if not then I agree with Silver Fox...we have pretty much said all one could say about the subject.

 

Thanks to all who contributed.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Smart Troll

[on the lam]

on the lam,

 

yep...distance not depth! If your DR is mounted mid-ship then the first several feet of cable is used just to get back under the transducer and then the sonar will show the same reading no matter what the actual depth of the ball is. Crudely illustrated in the attached graphic. And I know the transducer cone is only a few feet wide but I emphasized the cone in the attached graphic to illustrate the point.

 

The true depth can easily be determined if you know the angle of the DR cable and all I wanted to do in the first posting of this thread is provide a table with an easy way to determine the angle and translate that into depth. If there is interest then let me know and I can expand the table to include more information but if not then I agree with Silver Fox...we have pretty much said all one could say about the subject.

 

Thanks to all who contributed.

good thread ....  and you can never get enough info... 

[Smart Troll]

Well...I made a nice little chart that you can use to determine the depth of the DR ball. This chart assumes the DR boom is very close to 3 feet above the water's surface. The chart is based on the point where the DR cable enters the water.

 

The point where the cable enters the water can be used to determine the angle...which in turn can be used to determine depth of the ball.

 

•  6 inches back ~ 10 Degrees
• 13 inches back ~ 20 Degrees
• 21 inches back ~ 30 Degrees
• 30 inches back ~ 40 degrees

 

I think the chart is pretty easy to understand and use but please let me know if you have a suggestion for improvement.

 

 

Just click the link to open the attachment to view and copy the chart

Downrigger Depth Chart.bmp

Edited July 21, 2014 by Smart Troll

[Dick]

50 years ago my grandfather showed this to my cousin and myself with a protractor, ruler, and a compass. this is why he had a fast seth green rig, and a slow rig.

different lenght to the leader attach point, and differant leader lenght. differant spoons, differant speeds.

My grandfather loved to teach us math, and catch more fish.

Dick B.

[Smart Troll]

50 years ago my grandfather showed this to my cousin and myself with a protractor, ruler, and a compass. this is why he had a fast seth green rig, and a slow rig.

different length to the leader attach point, and different leader length. different spoons, different speeds.

My grandfather loved to teach us math, and catch more fish.

Dick B.

 

Dick,

 

I have to say that your Grandfather was much better than me...I rely on a computer to help with the math.   lol