Sliders

[Last One]

How long are the leads on your sliders?  Was always told 6' but have had so many tangles that I gave up on sliders all together.

seem like a lot of fish are caught with them. Was thinking of trying sliders and giving up on stackers.

[JakeyBaby]

More then likely your tangles are coming when you raise or lower your ball after the free slider has been deployed. Fix cheaters help that problem.

Edited July 9, 2015 by JakeyBaby

[Sk8man]

Keep it roughly to your rod length (e.g. 8 1/2 ft downrigger =8 ft slider). Trolling speed and steep turns can raise h with them (slider can twist its way up the main line lure and it also depends somewhat on what lure you are running as well or if you have a swivel "hanging up" and not working properly. I usually use smaller lighter spoons on the slider and a little larger and heavier ones on the main line  as I believe it helps keep them separated better. I've never had a slider get into my other downrigger only winding up the main line on the same downrigger and I have an 8 ft beam and run my riggers at 45 degree angles off the back corners.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Sk8man

[dawg]

I run anywhere from 2' to 6' I usually {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252

{\fonttbl\f0\fnil\fcharset0 .HelveticaNeueInterface-Regular;}

{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;}

\deftab720

\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf0 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0

\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 \

}make mine out of 15 or 20 lb floor found the heavier floor does not twist as much onto my main line leader

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[dawg]

Sorry about all the jibberish in between

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[John Kelley]

I go about 1 arm length with both arms stretched out, so about 5'6".   I also have found that if I only deploy them on my 2 rear downriggers, I don't get the tangles that I did when I tried running them on all 4 downriggers. By this I mean tangles between the slider and another downrigger line. Hope this helps.  Thanks.  

Edited July 9, 2015 by John Kelley

[Paul Czarnecki]

Slider tangles usually come in one of two ways--

--you popped the rod out of the release and reeled it in allowing the slider to tangle with the mainline bait.

--you had your rod "loaded up" too much taking the bow out of the line and allowing the slider to migrate to the ball. Also, as mentioned, raising or lowering the ball to change depths will cause the same tangle.

To solve the problem either fix the slider with a rubber band or bring the rig up without popping it and take the slider off before it tangles.

Fwiw sliders are a PITA and I only run them in the spring and early summer or when I'm fishing cohos or steelhead. They simply don't take enough kings to be worth the trouble and if a king tangles a line after being hooked it will tangle the slider--guaranteed.

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Edited July 9, 2015 by Paul Czarnecki

[Richard]

2 to 8 feet depending on what the fish want.

[John Kelley]

Slider tangles usually come in one of two ways--

--you popped the rod out of the release and reeled it in allowing the slider to tangle with the mainline bait.

--you had your rod "loaded up" too much taking the bow out of the line and allowing the slider to migrate to the ball. Also, as mentioned, raising or lowering the ball to change depths will cause the same tangle.

To solve the problem either fix the slider with a rubber band or bring the rig up without popping it and take the slider off before it tangles.

Fwiw sliders are a PITA and I only run them in the spring and early summer or when I'm fishing cohos or steelhead. They simply don't take enough kings to be worth the trouble and if a king tangles a line after being hooked it will tangle the slider--guaranteed.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I agree, Paul, seem to be much more of a steelhead presentation.

[Chinook Chaser]

Thanks for the info

[Last One]

Thanks to all who responded, as always very helpful.

[rlconverse]

Ran fixed sliders w/ ff off 3 riggers over the weekend anywhere from 10 to 25' above the ball. long as your careful and run a good crew that knows what to do as the fish to the boat. The extra fish they take are def. worth it took some a beautiful brown and some 2 yr old kings on them

[momay4000]

I run free sliders all the time - and yes they tangle all the time when I pop and bring up a rod too quickly, or when we net a king hooked on the mainline, etc, etc.

However, I have between 10-12 tied at any one time ready to go, so when one tangles you simply cut it out, save the swivels for tying during the week for your next trip, and just use a new one from your leader holder for that day. You're out about 5 cents of fluoro and maybe 15 seconds of time cutting it out. I caught a 26# king solo a few years back on a free slider and they catch all kinds of other fish year 'round for me. For the extra fish you catch, they are well worth it.

I use a 6-7' leader, small 30-45# swivel on the spoon end, and a 100# swivel on the slider end.

Good luck,

Chris

[Sk8man]

I do exactly as Chris does and have done it for many many years and have never caught another downrigger or other equipment with it only occasional winding up the main line  and cleared as Chris stated. I do more fishing these days on the Finger Lakes where the currents can be somewhat different too and the kings aren't a factor etc. but I'd say about 1/3 or more  of my rainbows ,browns or landlocks come on sliders on the riggers......well worth the effort in my view.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Sk8man