Running stick baits off boards

[tlombardozzi]

I just read Keating's 'Trolling for Trout & Salmon' book and when trolling stick baits off boards, he uses bead chain sinkers from where he runs his leaders to the stick bait. Does everyone do this? I didn't last year and we didn't pull a brown off our boards when trolling in the spring, wondering if that was the issue. I figured the stick baits we run (Smithwicks & Thunder sticks) would dive on their own.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[final flight]

I use. Snap weights, all the depths are figured out for me !!!

[Gym]

We catch lots of browns w sticks and no weight. But last year seemed like we catch as many on sticks as other years.

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[Gym]

Meant "didn't catch as many"

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[Has Been]

If you are in water less than 12 ft , where most brown fishing is done on my end ,  you don't need added wt. In fact  when I put more than a small shot on , I seem to get less strikes.

 

All sticks do dive on their own , some more than others. I like tuned jointed Rebels in close, under 6 ' , Then maybe straight & 9 jtd raps & smithwicks from 6- 9 , Then 11 & 13 jtd raps out past 10'.

 

I like to mix in  deep diver after 15 ft if I am in that 20-30' range. Do very well with them at times.

[tlombardozzi]

Thanks!

[Sk8man]

I've always used 1 or 2 large split shot about 3 ft. up from the jointed sticks. It takes them down a little and also keeps weeds off the lure itself. The jointed Rapala's (J-9's and 11's )seem to handle higher speeds better on my boat while the solid bodies seem good even with the split shot at slower speeds

[tlombardozzi]

Sk8man-

Is that when you are flat lining or running off of boards or both?

[Legacy]

In front of my sticks i run 10-12' fluorocarbon leaders attached to a small swivel to my mainline. I will pinch on 1-3 split shots on my mainline just above the swivel. when your fishing inside of 20' it will help to scatter your baits in the water column.

[Gill-T]

Outside baits should not have any weights.  As you add lines closer to the boat you should run something that dives a little deeper or add some splits and shorten the set-backs.  Using this method will keep everything tangle free when you get a fish on.

[justtracytrolling]

I prefer changing baits or setback to adjust depth rather than adding split shot. If you are looking for a weed guard a clip weight barely in the water is great solution off big boards...

Justin

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[Broadhorizons]

Outside baits should not have any weights. As you add lines closer to the boat you should run something that dives a little deeper or add some splits and shorten the set-backs. Using this method will keep everything tangle free when you get a fish on.

I'm gonna play devil's advocate...

For the sake of arguement, setback is 100'.

If you have three stinger spoons out on the same side, furthest line with one splitshot, second with 2, third and closest to the boat with 3. You get hit on the furthest line with one splitshot (running shallowest). You then slide lines 2 and 3 out to reset line 1. Do you then add 3 more splitshot so it runs deeper than line 3 with 3 splitshot?

But... now the line/setup that got hit will be running much different than it was when it got hit.

Or do you pull lines 2 and 3 to put line 1 back where it was then reset 2 and 3?

On my boat, setbacks and weights are the same on each line on the same side of the boat.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Broadhorizons

[Gill-T]

Usually both my outside lines have no weight so interchangeable.  The third line in has a hot/n/tot.....this line gets moved to dipsy rod holder while I reset the line that just got bit.  Between the downrigger line, the flat line out the side, and the chute 1.5 color I only run three board lines per side based on a three person 9-rod spread.  If I was running a charter with tons of rods......yes I would do as you suggested to have everything interchangeable.

[justtracytrolling]

Broadhorizons,

If you run all your lines at the same setback and same weight how do you turn? Im on smaller water so turning is regular thing, and Id think you would want to cover more of the water column. I get dialed in but never enough to want to run all my lines the same depth on the same side. We bring all our lines in on the side and put them all back out longest shallowest on the the outside and shorter deeper lines as I get closer to the boat.

justin

[Broadhorizons]

I just turn the wheel... maybe speed up a touch if I'm turning towards spoons so they don't sink and hang bottom. Just keep an eye on the inside planer line so it doesn't slack too bad. Keep in mind they are spread horizontally.

Brown fishing in 6' to 12-15' I don't worry about spreading lures by depth too much. Once I'm fishing a little deeper then maybe.

[Chas0218]

Generally when I fish smaller water I use individual boards like off shore or church. Then when I need to turn I just reel in the boards on the inside of the turn so it is tighter to the boat then make my turn and let the boards back out. When pulling lines in the spring on a big boards I dont worry about depths too much because most my stickbaits are the same depth with 100' of line out and I generally just stagger them and if 1 releases just put back out to length that produced the strike.

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