Revealing salmon secrets

[Chinook Chaser]

Most of us would say it's been a slow year for kings, but there are always those that seem to out produce most other fisherman when targeting kings. Obviously finding them is the first part. Any suggestions with that would be great. Tackle suggestions. It may be something like when it's slow but your marking kings use a 30 inch leader between ff and use a bigger board. I am sure some tricks exist that I have not yet tried. Any suggestions will help me learn faster and get more kings in the box! Thanks!

[Raaven]

If what you are doing is not working, change something. 

[Adk1]

Yeah last time I was out I constantly pulled fish off the bottom to check out my setup. But after thinking about it I think they were coming to the ball. In hindsight I should have ran closer to the ball for sure I think I was running pretty long leads then

[Chinook Chaser]

Yah I have that happen a lot with no strikes. Cool to watch on the ff but a little frustrating.

[bondouley]

Meat!

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[Xxx]

What about changing colors to suit the conditions, such as bright colors vs. darker colors.

[tlr426]

If you are pulling fish off the bottom and see it happening. Sometimes changing you speed as they rush up gets them to stike if you lead is 15 feet or less I have had success running the ball up 10 feet as they come up to get them to hit. Alot of times they are lakers but they can sure swim fast when they want to

Edited September 5, 2015 by tlr426

[Gill-T]

I paint my balls to make them less visible for the reason that I don't want fish checking them out.  Use the White-tailed deer color principle.  Dark on top, green (like the water color) on the sides and a light coating of white on the bottom.  These color principals flatten the object out against the background colors and lessen the shadow under the ball.  Loose the steel downrigger cable to reduce cable hum noise.  Think about it .....how many of those majors staging off ports have been stuck by a hook before?  I would bet the ones that got away or released have a negative experience associated with noisy cables.  Add to the mix the pounding by the fleet during this time of year and you have a recipe for negative fish behavior.  When team Cold Steel went to braid downrigger cable I took notice as Oswego charters pound the crap out of the same water over and over putting tremendous pressure on fish.  Good enough for them......good enough for me.  Nicer on the hands too.  I have been using AFW green on my riggers for about 7 years and I will not go back to steel.

[Chinook Chaser]

U mean color my rigger balls with that combo? And I didn't know braided rigger line existed! Thanks

[J.D.]

How does that braid work for you during flea season ?

[Gill-T]

When I bring it in I will stop periodically and flick the rigger line like a bow string and they shoot off.

[Roughrider IV]

Gill, what pound test for riggers?

[justtracytrolling]

I bought dowrigger and planer braid but haven't tried either....was scared to hang a fishhawk on braid and worried about getting hooks stuck in it....i only bought it because it was nearly free from Cortland line when the factory store closed....guess i have project to do tomorrow

[Gill-T]

200 lb.  Fish 307.com sells it.  It has a cross-section diameter like Flea-flicker line so fleas are not really the problem everyone thinks.  I would add that you probably will catch more fish with steel cable.  What?  yes, I do believe fish can be attracted to the cable hum, however, I believe older/wiser fish like their water quiet.  If you are going to run it, run the braid on all downriggers.  There is no point running it on one rigger as the other steel cable riggers will still be making noise......and catching more fish....which will have you frustrated with the braid cable.  Steel catches numbers.......braid catches size.  Coated cable for your probes does not seem to produce a hum.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Gill-T

[Sk8man]

At this point in the season FORGET temp. When fish are located stay with them and mark on GPS and keep going over them. Run wires with dipsey/spinneys/fly near bottom Run leads short to ball on downriggers.  Keep going over same area when you locate active fish. Don't give up even after hours of not seeing anything....very often you will not be marking them...they come right out of nowhere if interested. Your GPS may be much more critical than your depth finder or temp device right now.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Sk8man

[fishmaster13184]

No matter what I'm fishing with I always have at least 1 carbon 14 spoon down and it almost always catches a fish

[Chinook Chaser]

Thanks to everyone! Great info! Carbon 14 is that a finger lakes spoon?

[fishmaster13184]

It's made by moonshine lures, I'd recommend you get one before you go out next time

[fishmaster13184]

the silver carbon works ok too but not like the 14

[justtracytrolling]

Anybody out there use braid on riggers for eyes?

Gill

I have noticed the fish i get off riggers are smaller than the ones off boards. Miss em has had similar results here too....probably the bigger fish avoid the hum....i have caught big fish down the chute WAY back behind my whole spread.

[Gill-T]

Justin, I suspect the noise has a negative effect.  A big walleye is really old and has seen/and or heard it all.  Also, those big ones are slower and lazier.  The smaller fish are more likely to buzz in and nab the first offering (rigger baits) forward in the spread.  Of course you could put your rigger baits WAY back and negate the effect of noise.  I saw underwater camera footage on an In-fisherman show more than a decade ago and it really helped visualize how fish orient to a trolling spread passing overhead.  The camera man was down deep pointing his camera up as trolling rigs passed overhead.  You could clearly see large trout and salmon slowly following the spread but not necessarily engaging  the baits.  They saw the sparkle of the rigger baits and started following looking for weak stragglers....hence the success of long coppers and dipsys set way back.  The rigger baits line them up.....and the junk lines get bit.  If your riggers are not hitting but you are getting bit on the junk lines....it does not mean you need to change your rigger baits.  Often the riggers are just a set-up for everything else to fire in your spread.

[RSF]

I paint my balls to make them less visible for the reason that I don't want fish checking them out.  Use the White-tailed deer color principle.  Dark on top, green (like the water color) on the sides and a light coating of white on the bottom.  These color principals flatten the object out against the background colors and lessen the shadow under the ball.  Loose the steel downrigger cable to reduce cable hum noise.  Think about it .....how many of those majors staging off ports have been stuck by a hook before?  I would bet the ones that got away or released have a negative experience associated with noisy cables.  Add to the mix the pounding by the fleet during this time of year and you have a recipe for negative fish behavior.  When team Cold Steel went to braid downrigger cable I took notice as Oswego charters pound the crap out of the same water over and over putting tremendous pressure on fish.  Good enough for them......good enough for me.  Nicer on the hands too.  I have been using AFW green on my riggers for about 7 years and I will not go back to steel.

 

I found mounting the DR on rubber, including upper side of securing bolts drastically reduces boat hum/engine noise & vibration from going down the line - steel or other. While my catch frequency went up triple. Also, I use a chartreuse 10" flasher six feet behind the ball, with the silver speckled rubber squid 15" behind the flasher (faster action). Last catch 27 lbs.  I also learned how to sharpen hooks (new ones too - triangular as it breaks through mouth cartilage easier than round pointed hooks).

[stan]

I paint my balls to make them less visible for the reason that I don't want fish checking them out.  Use the White-tailed deer color principle.  Dark on top, green (like the water color) on the sides and a light coating of white on the bottom.  These color principals flatten the object out against the background colors and lessen the shadow under the ball.  Loose the steel downrigger cable to reduce cable hum noise.  Think about it .....how many of those majors staging off ports have been stuck by a hook before?  I would bet the ones that got away or released have a negative experience associated with noisy cables.  Add to the mix the pounding by the fleet during this time of year and you have a recipe for negative fish behavior.  When team Cold Steel went to braid downrigger cable I took notice as Oswego charters pound the crap out of the same water over and over putting tremendous pressure on fish.  Good enough for them......good enough for me.  Nicer on the hands too.  I have been using AFW green on my riggers for about 7 years and I will not go back to steel.

 

You might be painting your weights thinking the fish can't see them..Did you ever think about the vibration they are putting out going through the water ? has to be worse than any color you could paint the weights

[Gill-T]

Stan have you invented carbon fibered "stealth downrigger balls" over there in silicon valley? Torpedo-style weights are about as low profile as you can get...however, you can't make them completely invisible.

[laker1]

I found mounting the DR on rubber, including upper side of securing bolts drastically reduces boat hum/engine noise & vibration from going down the line - steel or other. While my catch frequency went up triple. Also, I use a chartreuse 10" flasher six feet behind the ball, with the silver speckled rubber squid 15" behind the flasher (faster action). Last catch 27 lbs. I also learned how to sharpen hooks (new ones too - triangular as it breaks through mouth cartilage easier than round pointed hooks).

Thank you RSF for your observation.

Come next spring I am going to remount my rigger.

Not sure what kind of rubber I should use. Could you tell me what kind of rubber and where you found it so I can use your example and work from there? Was it just your rigger you remounted or did you add a rubber backing anywhere else to absorb noise/ vibration like an American submarine? I also think cut down pool noodles can contribute. Interesting topic.

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