GPS trolling speed

[Wrestling Coach]

I have a new Lowrance HDS8. I am using the SOG on the screen as my trolling speed. All my previous units I owned had a paddle wheel and I used that speed to troll by. How close would you say these two speeds would be? I am trolling for walleyes with riggers set shallow (12ft) and large 800 Reef Runners 75ft back. I am trolling in the current of the St. Lawrence. Up stream I can control and settle in at 2.0 SOG. Downstream at idle I'm 2.9-3.2 SOG.

Dennis

[bandrus1]

gps speed is generally more accurate

[holy mackerel]

gps speed is generally more accurate

Only if there is zero current. It is speed over ground. A good paddle wheel or probe will tell you the boat speed above the current speed. That is what you want. Our area was about 1.2 mph current this past weekend. Had to run 3.3 mph on gps to get 2 mph on the lures.

[CaptSpike]

You definitely have a tricky situation there. At zero SOG your lures are acted on by the downstream current as if they were being run at that speed (same as current on the lake). So when you go 2mph SOG you maye be up to 4mph action on the lures. going with the urrent you will need to speed up the boat faster than the current to apply any action to your lures. When I trolled the river for stripers I would always get more hits going with the current than I would going against it, likely due to better lure speed control. I know back trolling works on some species but the river I fished was too crowded to think about trying that.

Anyway to your question the SOG of the GPS is much different than the paddle wheel. they are both measuring boat speed but by two very different methods. One is actually speed over ground where the other is speed over water. The water speed is what determines your lure action.

Spike

[Jammer]

When currents get tough, make a mental note of the amount the rod tips are bending when you're getting hits if you're flatlining. With the riggers, try to observe the angle of the downrigger cables.

Try to match that amount of bend or cable angle regardless of direction and current.

JAM

[Wrestling Coach]

Only if there is zero current. It is speed over ground. A good paddle wheel or probe will tell you the boat speed above the current speed. That is what you want. Our area was about 1.2 mph current this past weekend. Had to run 3.3 mph on gps to get 2 mph on the lures.

So you feel that you had to have a faster down stream SOG to get the lure speed you wanted.

When currents get tough, take a mental note of the amount the rod tips are bending when you're gettting hits if you're flatlining.

With the riggers, try to observe the angle of the downrigger cables.

Try to match that amount of bend or cable angle regardless of direction and current.

I am getting the rod thump I would expect from the Reef Runner before I put it on the rigger. I am catching fish but upstream trolling is working better. Maybe I'm not going fast enough SOG downstream.

[CaptSpike]

You will def. need to go faster downstream to get the lures working right.

Spike