Precision Trolling Depths

[Xxx]

LMFAO!! It has to be the first time in LOU history that the word cosine was used in an LOU post.

Cosine-the trigonometric functions that is equal to the ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle "in a right- angled triangle" to the hypotenuse? WTF? I'm with momay4000. This is wayyyy beyond my comprehension.

[GAMBLER]

Fish will move to hit a bait PERIOD.  Who cares if it is not as far as the fish finder shows.  If they are moving up to hit a bait and you are catching fish what does it matter. 

[justtracytrolling]

Back to the original topic of the true benefit of precise depth control....the benefit for me is simple...I have to know where my baits are at to create a spread that covers the areas of the column I'm trying to fish. The spread is a system that works together. Gill had a post about this a few months ago...sometimes the lookers from one line get caught by the next. Tough to set up a spread like that with out depth control....

[skipper19]

Back to the original topic of the true benefit of precise depth control....the benefit for me is simple...I have to know where my baits are at to create a spread that covers the areas of the column I'm trying to fish. The spread is a system that works together. Gill had a post about this a few months ago...sometimes the lookers from one line get caught by the next. Tough to set up a spread like that with out depth control....

Good post!..exactly what I had in mind with the short copper trick I started using recently. It's pretty close to the original depth of the downrigger weight. The down rigger is the most accurate way of knowing your first baits perceived depth, on screen and by counter. The copper is pretty consistent, and without the benefit of remote sensors, in a short 100 feet of duplication of the ball depth, when attached to a cable release on that downrigger 20 feet above the ball. It will be along the same path in 27 seconds at 2.5mph after the first bait passes on the downrigger. A couple of nice extras that run inside of dipsy and out of the way for most applications. The only thing is a fish from the downrigger lure can and sometimes does cross the copper before you can drop it quick to depths out of the way of harm.

The screen of the fish finder is a help in locating fish in consistent patterns, it is a tool to get you started in the right column of water. You just have to know how to comand your spread effectively to exploit it to your advantage. Longer the lines, dipsey and long coppers, lead core, and bare mono, the less accurate control over the exploitation. There is what I can see an advantage to a depth sensor on the spread, long lines.