Have some questions

[phil2]

First new to the game fished out of Oswego Sunday would troll east I would need my troll bags. Turn west speed would drop to 1.9 so I would pull my bags and be doing 2.4 or so east no bags 3.6mph. West seemed like I was flying dipseys pulling drag rigger out 50deg?? Current?? Second I had a temp change 250ft 60 ft down over temp line I kept marking fish but couldn't find anything they would hit what were they?

[bottom-feeder]

yes currents can be crazy on this end of the lake

 

60 ft down it could have been browns....steelies ....kings....bass

[phil2]

What should of I had done I don't have a fish hawk. Besides reeling everything in and running West and reset. Should I just keep both bags out to get cable back to 45 degrees and forget about GPS speed. Or add more length to ball to makeup swing?

[Sk8man]

It is hard to give a complete answer your question because there are so many variables involved. The currents run in various directions on the lake and are not just one single entity that is highly predictable. They vary from place to place and in intensity as well as up and down in the water column and over structure where it occurs and in relation to water temperature changes.  If you carefully observe the angle of your lines and become familiar how they act with different types of setups often you can estimate whether you are running against, across or with the current and possibly whether your lures are running correctly. Is this method as accurate as something such as a Fishawk with down speed? NO but it has been used successfully by seasoned fishermen for a long time even prior to all the existing technology. Accurately assessing this is dependent on knowing some of the traits of the lines you are using (e.g. mono, braid, wire, leadcore, copper etc.) specific to their type and diameter for example as they all behave differently in the water and have a different profile in the water column. They each have a different profile in the water and also depending on what you are running with them (e.g. dipseys. spinneys, dodgers, harnesses or lone spoons or sticks). Knowing how each of your rods acts with these lines is also important and often should be a deciding factor in their selection again depending on what you wish to do with them. The rod tip action can also tell you a lot of information about your speed and whether your lures are doing what you wish them to be doing and this is evaluated taking into consideration the angle of the line in the water and the movement of the tip of the rod itself. The downrigger cable angle is likewise an important thing to continuously monitor. Normally I try to keep mine at about a 15-30 degree angle but when you are in strong current and don't have full control over your boat speed and it depends too on what you are using for weight on the riggers this has concerns or issues (e.g. pancake, ball, fish shape, torpedo style etc.) as well as their specific weight (heavier usually less "blowback" ) but each of them differs too because of their shape and this may be more pronounced in current situations too. It also depends on what you are targeting because their are times fishing for steelies, and salmon running fast capable spoons or sticks that I exceed this angle significantly. If you have a good reliable fish finder you need to continuously monitor how your downriggers appear on there and adjust accordingly but there are limits connected with boat speed such that just letting out more cable if your weights are too light and your speed is too high may not achieve what you desire.

I wouldn't forget about GPS speed as it is better than nothing but it doesn't directly correlate with what is going on at the lure level especially in light of the currents you mentioned. It is sort of a relative measure so when you connect with fish using certain setups at a certain GPS speed  it can be productive to return to that speed but you have to realize that things down below (e.g. currents can change  and at different depth with the same setup things run differently). I know I am giving you a long winded incomplete answer to your question but it is important to understand these basic things and to apply them to the situation as you experiment and find the things that work for you in your boat in your situation at a particular time. The best answers to these questions come from experimenting for yourself over time. This stuff is just something to think about in the meantime.   Good luck out there.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Sk8man

[BAZOOKAJOE]

Well said. Listen to the hum of your rigger cables as well as the angle. The louder they hum the faster your down speed. Some days the fish want it fast. Vary your speed till you get a bite and duplicate it. If you feel your down speed is way off change the direction of your troll.

[phil2]

Thank you! I would notice my reels when I get 3mph they will start clicking. Going west they were! And my 10 lb fish was out to 50 deg.

[Xxx]

Well said. Listen to the hum of your rigger cables as well as the angle. The louder they hum the faster your down speed. Some days the fish want it fast. Vary your speed till you get a bite and duplicate it. If you feel your down speed is way off change the direction of your troll.

AAAHH the good OL'Days when well tuned ear could tell by the hum of the rigger cables. I remember the old paper graphs between the graphs and the riggers singing there song, and kings in the net buy the limits. Now we have all these components which 1 would cost more than the whole setup of the older guys, and wer're struggling more then my younger years with dad and pop-pop. LOL