Copper setup

[Patriot]

I’m thinking about biting the bullet on a copper setup and was wondering how my Daiwa DXT 9' 0" Medium Heavy Dipsey Diver Rod would work? Also, will the standard Daiwa 47lc, 47h work? Or do I need something a little bigger? How much copper, how much backing, etc.. I'm clueless.

I swore I wasn't going to cross the line but...

[GAMBLER]

That rod will work but the reel is a no go.  Daiwa Seagate 50's and 60's will work up to a 400' copper.  Above that you will have to go to a Penn 345 gti or a Okuma Soltara. My top producing coppers are a 300 and a 500.  You will want 250 - 300 yds of 50lb power pro backing.  Guys use less but I would not risk getting spooled. 

Edited June 10, 2015 by GAMBLER

[Sk8man]

They (Daiwa 47LC's) will work but it is desirable to get the drag upgraded to the carbon fiber ones  (Dragmasters) before you set them up. I would also suggest using 32lb copper rather than the 45 lb if you wish to go to 300 ft or  better on them. I'd use a short section of mono on the reel spool first (to avoid braid slippage) and then braid backing before the copper. I have one for a 250 copper and one for a 275  of 45 lb. copper. I know many guys on here want all the backing they can get on a high capacity (and more expensive) reels so in terms of that it is not the "ultimate" setup but it does work for short coppers. You can get about 150 yds of 50 lb Power Pro backing on with each of those coppers which again is not "optimal" but think of it in terms of being one and a half times the length of a football field and you can always chase down really big fish with a boat if you worry about getting "spooled"   In all the fishing I have done fresh or salt water I have never been spooled. To get deeper I use weights rather than more length of copper as it helps to limit reeling and increases chances of getting in releasable fish quicker than using say a 500 or 600 ft copper.  You won't be "horsing" any big kings on those reels though

Edited June 10, 2015 by Sk8man

[GAMBLER]

They (Daiwa 47LC's) will work but it is desirable to get the drag upgraded to the carbon fiber ones  (Dragmasters) before you set them up. I would also suggest using 32lb copper rather than the 45 lb if you wish to go to 300 ft or  better on them. I'd use a short section on mono on the reel spool first (to avoid braid slippage) and then braid backing before the copper. I have one for a 250 copper and one for a 275  of 45 lb. copper. I know many guys on here want all the backing they can get on a high capacity (and more expensive) reels so in terms of that it is not the "ultimate" setup but it does work for short coppers. You can get about 150 yds of 50 lb Power Pro backing on with each of those coppers which again is not "optimal" but think of it in terms of being one and a half times the length of a football field and you can always chase down really big fish with a boat if you worry about getting "spooled"   In all the fishing I have done fresh or salt water I have never been spooled. To get deeper I use weights rather than more length of copper as it helps to limit reeling and increases chances of getting in releasable fish quicker than using say a 500 or 600 ft copper. 

Ask Gator about almost getting spooled on my 300 copper a couple years ago.  We hooked a 27lb king in the dorsal fin and it was down to the last couple wraps before we could get the boat turned. 

 

With that in mind, if you run copper off the boards, 150yds of backing is not nearly enough.  Down the shoot is a little less hairy.

[finsntins]

we started out with a 300 copper,seems to get used the most on our boat.depending on what you are going for and what time of the year it may run to deep or not deep enough,but is a good starting point.once you get comfortable deploying and fishing 300,you can go on to longer ones if you want.first 50 feet are tough,but after that its not bad,just remember to let it out slow.if the reels you have wont work,you can always buy one "pre" rigged with the copper and backing from tom allen at at-tom-mic or any of the local tackle shops.

[Sk8man]

Brian is right about running off boards....I don't run my short coppers off boards.  I wish you could have taken a pic of Keith's face when he nearly reached the end of the line with that king

[Gray Fox]

Check out blood run copper web site they have reel chart for backing and copper may need to go to 57 size reel

[Chas0218]

If you want get yourself a couple okuma copper rods.  They are reasonably priced and I have never had an issue with mine.  I started running my copper okuma rods as dipsy rods because they were a lot stiffer than my okuma downrigger rods.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Chas0218

[Sk8man]

I guess it boils down to whether you feel like laying out the $$ for a reel that will fully do the job regardless of what length of copper you decide to use with the amount of backing you feel comfortable with.  The 50 series reels are the way to go whether Okuma or Daiwa or others and their drags tend to be "beefier" if you decide to go that route and if affordable you'd be well off to buy a pre-rigged setup by Bloodrun or Atomic etc.. The original question was whether the 47 LC would "work" as a copper setup with what you have.

[Patriot]

I ended up buying a Daiwa Seagate 60.

What size inline boards do you use and how long are they.

[GAMBLER]

Run it iff of Big boards.  Much easier. 

[Patriot]

I'm going to build a Cedar set of inlines about the size of the tx-44 with church lock-jaw releases. They're 14" X 4 1/2".  I hope they're big enough.

[Gill-T]

You don't have to go longer than 300 Cu.  Just add a torpedo diver to the mix and you can turn a 300' Cu into a 600 by adding weight.

[dvdegeorge]

Otter boats with the extra 1/2 keel are the way to go for pulling copper

[GAMBLER]

Otter boats with the extra 1/2 keel are the way to go for pulling copper

+1

[Patriot]

Does anyone use inlines for pulling copper?

[Sk8man]

They can be used (e.g. Church TX 44 boards) but keep in mind that longer coppers have a good deal of drag in the water. I believe that is the main reason that Gambler mentioned that big boards are the more common option for running them.  The inlines such as the TX44 can run up to 300 ft or so coppers but you may have to modify the boards to run coppers acceptably (involves shifting the weights and bending the release arm). Bloodrun Tackle has a section on their website that describes the recommended modifications in detail. If you use braid as your backing it is also advisable to replace the plastic release pins with metal ones. They are available on the Bloodrun website as well as at Calumet Marine (tell them which boards you have so they can send the right pins).

Edited June 12, 2015 by Sk8man

[FLXTrolling]

Does anyone use inlines for pulling copper?

I use the Church Walleye boards for shorter coppers....  My rig is only big enough for the finger lakes though and I'm only targeting the top 50'....  but 200' of copper is not a problem when I slide the adjustable keel weight forward... 

[Broadhorizons]

I have used copper with inlines, it really needs to be on a big board. A good king will pull the inline down and it is no fun. I know you like inlines but in this case I would suggest running it down the chute over using an inline. It really isn't that difficult to run down the chute.

[kingpossible]

I run copper off inlines all the time.  I use Church Walleye boards for coppers 200 ft and shorter.  For the 200 + I use the TX-44's.  They work great for me.

[Patriot]

Do ya think the new Cannon plastic downrigger holders (as in the picture) will take the pressure? If not, I have in the gunwhale holders

Edited June 13, 2015 by Patriot

[baitrigger]

I have more pressure on my rigger rods than my coppers.

[TileMan Dan]

That shouldn't be a problem for your copper.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Sk8man]

Those rod holders are a lot sturdier than they look. I wouldn't worry about a copper in them. I've run all sorts of stuff from mine for years without problem.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Sk8man

[dvdegeorge]

Run copper out of them all the time no problem at all