Correcting Down Rigger weight tracking

[tj13825]

I was fishing last week and decided I was going to try to improve the blowback I was seeing on my rigger with a subtroll and 10# round ball. I picked up a 12.5# torpedo as I was not sure if my DR could handle the 16# weights. I put it on and the weight swings hard to the right (facing the back of boat) or port side I moved the swivel base from straight back to 45 degrees to compensate and even at that it was still a little behind the boat (the dr is on the starboard side). So do I continue to run with the DR 45 degrees off the side of the boat or can I "adjust" the weight by bending the metal loop where the cable attaches like tuning a lure or do I try to bend the lower fin on the back of the weight. Which direction is the correct direction as I don't want to work harden the metal by moving it too many times and have it snap off.

 

Thanks

 

Terry

[Rippin'Line]

That's odd. Torpedo shouldn't swing out unless maybe there's a curve in it. I run 13's and mine never stray to either side unless there's a wicked down current. 

[tj13825]

I should clarify it is torpedo style/shape not necessarily brand name. It looks like this, but I took this picture off of the internet and this is NOT an actual picture of the weight and I do not want to misrepresent anyone's product as being inferior or problematic.

 

[fisherdude]

i have a set of those weights they track true. you may got one that cool to fast and is not straight. contact troutman 87 see what he can do

[dawg]

Ck your swivel on downrigger cable

[LongLine]

You're not attaching release/line to that back loop are you?

[momay4000]

Check that the top eye loop is parallel with the back fin. If it is off set, it will not run true

[tj13825]

I attach my line to the Blacks release above the subtroll nothing attached to the back of the weight. The top loop looks straight. I will check the DR swivel however I have no issues when I run the ball style weight.

 

Can I bend the top loop to correct the way it runs?

[Xxx]

There's not many guys with that mold, I know 3 with that mold, 2 of them are on here a simple phone call would solve all problems, melt that one down and receive a new one. I appreciate your mindset not to drag ones name through the dirt over this!!.

[tj13825]

Thanks Pap, I bought this at a tackle shop in Sodus so I really think I am stuck with this one. I could try making a couple calls to see if they would be willing to help me correct the issue. great suggestion.

[dawg]

Use it to your advantage to widen your spread

[tj13825]

With the subtroll rigger I want to make sure I am tracking straight back and I think I might get into trouble running dipsy's next to it on the port side

[Xxx]

Thanks Pap, I bought this at a tackle shop in Sodus so I really think I am stuck with this one. I could try making a couple calls to see if they would be willing to help me correct the issue. great suggestion.

These guys sell their product to the mom&pop shops, this makes even more sence to try. Call or drive to the store explain all you did. They'll give you another. When the store runs out they call the supplier, nine times out of ten their going to see this post. Give it a shot!!!

[Chas0218]

So is this when the weight is in the water or sitting free in the air? In the water does it track straight if you turn the direction the weight is pointing? I am thinking you might have a slight current under the boat making it point off one direction if not then you might need a new weight.

[Xxx]

Did you try switching sides? And does it do the same thing, while the other tracks true, then by golly it's the damn rigger weight!!

[horsehunter]

Why are you guy's suggesting the release is not attached to the back of the weight?

[Chas0218]

Why are you guy's suggesting the release is not attached to the back of the weight?

If you get a hard pulling rig like a FF then it can pull your weight left, right, up, down causing more blow back along with the possibility of it moving around getting into other lines.

[Xxx]

If you hook you release to the back of the weight, when you load the rigger pole, with some releases you can really load the pole you can lift the tail of the weight and they will not track true. I proved this to myself, because that's the way I did it. We set up in 80ft of water one release attached to the back of the weight and the other to the line. I was running the pancake type this was about 10-15 years ago, the pancakes were the hot item. My rigger with the release above the weight bumped up at 70ft the other at 60ft and the one with the release above the weight made the rigger jump around violent, the other the rigger just like shook a little. That convinced me to put my releases above the ball. At the time I had a 18ft Troller with a 1988/88SPL Evinrude when a rigger went off there was no doubt about it. This test was done also for another reason, I couldn't catch a fish to save my life in the deep water, while other guys nets were being used. Going the same speed and 10# pancake weights, with the release attached to the weight I was fishing 20+ feet above the fish. Some say the salmon shot X amount of feet to hit their lure, but there are days you need to have the lures in front of their nose!!

[LongLine]

Never attach to the back of the weight.  Just the line/lure pull is enough to deflect it especially on a turn.  If you want to prove that the line supplies pull, just let some line out (without snap or lure) and watch your rod tip bend.

[Sk8man]

Before bending anything I'd try the things suggested by pap switch sides of the boat etc. Don't conclude from ONE trial that it is totally the weight at fault. Currents also inhabit the upper level near the surface sometimes and if you were by yourself for instance and the steering wheel was tilted slightly and you had a side current near the surface it could push the weight sideways even with a heavier weight than you are considering here.

[tj13825]

Great recommendations, I will try it on the port side to see how it tracks but what does not make sense is that with both riggers at the same depth starboard side had the 12# torpedo and the port had the 10# ball the ball tracked straight back and the torpedo was wide right. (facing the back of the boat). Tonight I put the torpedo in a jig making sure the bottom fin was 90 degrees with my angle finder and then checked the top loop and it is off 5 degrees. I will check it this weekend on the water before changing anything and see how it tracks on the port side. I ran with it four of the seven days last week during an annual trip to Sodus and direction, depth, and speed had no discernible effect on the way it tracked. I found turning the boom out to 45 degrees was the only thing that kept it directly off the back corner of the boat. I did not try the port side however as I bought the heavier weight to try to compensate for the blow back caused by the subtroll on the starboard rigger.

 

I can't complain about additional time on the water to figure this out.

 

Thanks again

[Chas0218]

It almost sounds like you have a nasty twist in your downrigger cable. Have you used balls on the downrigger cable in the past? I am thinking that if you used balls without the fin it was twisting while in the water adding a wicked twist to your cable and now that you are running a torpedo it isn't allowing that twist to come out. I mean I could be wrong. That is the only other thing I can think of, 5* of angle shouldn't make much of a difference especially if the other side of the fin is straight.

[momay4000]

Great recommendations, I will try it on the port side to see how it tracks but what does not make sense is that with both riggers at the same depth starboard side had the 12# torpedo and the port had the 10# ball the ball tracked straight back and the torpedo was wide right. (facing the back of the boat). Tonight I put the torpedo in a jig making sure the bottom fin was 90 degrees with my angle finder and then checked the top loop and it is off 5 degrees. I will check it this weekend on the water before changing anything and see how it tracks on the port side. I ran with it four of the seven days last week during an annual trip to Sodus and direction, depth, and speed had no discernible effect on the way it tracked. I found turning the boom out to 45 degrees was the only thing that kept it directly off the back corner of the boat. I did not try the port side however as I bought the heavier weight to try to compensate for the blow back caused by the subtroll on the starboard rigger.

 

I can't complain about additional time on the water to figure this out.

 

Thanks again

That top loop, like I said in my earlier post, being 5 degrees off from the fin is turning your weight into a Dipsy Diver (similar to when you adjust the center of gravity by turning the weight dial).

[LongLine]

Thinking about it, I agree with momay.  They have to be parallel from front of weight to back of weight.  It shouldn't matter if the top of the hook is bent to the left or right of the bottom of the hook.

[CK3080]

tj,

 

any update or fix on this?  I am having same problem with my port rigger.  weight keeps wanting to pull in towards starboard.  tried three different weights and all the same.  starting to think i have a bad twist in the cable.  Didnt think it was a big issue until i tangled rigger lines down 120 on sunday, that was messy.