Cheaters (mupps)

[super_hawk2012]

I have tried cheaters with no success. And lots of tangles. What kind of line are people using. Can someone describe there cheater set up and if there are any tricks to minimize tangle ups?

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[vogel451]

2' of mono with snap swivels on each end.  Snap to line. Throw out back of boat.

[fathobbit0074]

I run 30lb on main line and 20 on cheater. it makes getting tangled undone far easier. I liketo run 4' ish cheater with snap swivels on both ends

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[Creekrun]

The key for me with cheaters is to keep the leader short. I generally run 3 to 4 feet of leader material attached to a relatively large swivel for easy opening and closing. Set your balls at the desired depth and while the rod is loaded simply attach the swivel to your main line and heave it out the back of the boat. It will slide down to the arc or bow in the main line and add another column of water to be fished. When hooked up with a fish on the main line,the cheater will slide down to the main swivel and not cause any problems. A very simple way to add to your chances of hooking up.

[Sk8man]

I've been using cheaters since about1979 successfully and most of the time without tangles. I think a lot of it may relate to boat a speed and possibly radical turns and possibly lure selection. I use an approximately 6-8 ft of either 12 lb test fluoro or mono for Finger Lakes (20lb for lake Ontario) with regular inexpensive (not ball bearing) swivels tied to each end of the leader. I keep several of the cheater leaders wrapped up on a small section of foam noodle in case one gets messed up. I send my weight with my main lure on it down to about 10-15 ft and then hook the one end with the cheater leader swivel (other end from the lure) on the main line, fasten the swivel and let down the weight taking the cheater down with it where it generally hangs in the bow or arch off the main line and depending on boat speed, current, lure action etc. moves up or down the line at random. I try to select lures that won't potentially "fight" each other (such as a crank bait and stickbait combo might do for example). I usually use lighter spoons on the cheater and put the heavier spoons or a stickbait on the mainline. The reason for using the 6-8 ft length of the cheater is so that I can net the fish OK as I often go solo and I use 8 1/2 ft downrigger rods. I have also used shorter length as mentioned above but the 6-8 ft seems to get a lot more hits.

[skipper19]

If you are speaking mainly of a mupp rig, then I presume you are fixing the cheater above the ball 8 to 10 feet?

Longer than cheater lead at the ball. 15 to 20 feet I like...

Target spoon on that ball set is smaller and darker in hue than the cheater spoon.

Cheater leader fixed to the rigger cable by half hitched small rubber band on cable... and snap swivel clipped to main line AND the rubber band loop. 5 to 6 feet flouro to a flashier spoon larger than target spoon. ..something with good lazy wooble. I like big doctors for attractions.

SLOWLY...lower ball to target depth to avoid tangles. Keep moving forward at troll speed. Slowing too much will hang the lures.

Mupp works great for enticing bites from lookers. After seeing the bigger flashy spoon, they see the smaller faster action spoon target as a straggler maybe wounded morsel easy prey.

cent frum my notso smart fone

[Sk8man]

Mark astutely picked up on the fact that you may have been referring to the fixed cheater (or slider). His version is the most straight forward but I use a slightly different version because I found that the rubber band sometimes slips up the wire with more active lures.  I've been using trot line clips ( for catfish set lines etc. I believe Jann's Netcraft still has them) with a duo lock snap shrink wrapped together with a rubber band attached to the main line. It snaps onto the downrigger wire at one end and holds the cheater tight to its intended spot until the fish releases the cheater leader by breaking the rubber band but when the downrigger weight comes up it will slide under that type of pressure at the tip of the downrigger and stay there for retrieval. See pic below

 

P.S. This same release can also be used as a "stacker" release for additional rods on the downrigger

Edited June 3, 2014 by Sk8man

[skipper19]

Yup..Les that works like you described. I have used a jolly the same way...almost

cent frum my notso smart fone

[Miss em]

We have used the  Roemer Liberators since the 80s and love them.  There is a video on here that shows how we rig them.

 

http://www.fishdoctorcharters.com/template.tpl?selector=video

[Adk1]

I kinda like the free slider idea simple

[Rich D]

We run free sliders and also fixed/MUPP rigs, both have their time and place. I run short 2-3' leads for free sliders, and a little longer for my fixed. On the fixed we have found the offshore OR 16 pinch pad to be a quick and easy way to attach the line. It will not move up or down, and has the pin to keep from slipping off the main line. Good Luck and tight lines.

Capt Rich

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[Fish Hunter]

We run sliding cheaters quite often.

The King of Sting was taking fish last time out on a sliding cheater.

[thork9]

I hook lure with swivel right to main line, no lead line, hook just lure with swivel and let go