Downrigging Under Anchor

[Pete Collin]

Hello All,

 

I went fishing today and got skunked. 

 

Nothing to brag about, but I had the potential to come up with a pretty unique fishing story.

 

The boating conditions couldn't have been better.  Dead flat all day.  I set up a troll to hunt for good fish concentrations.  Chugged along for several miles, and got to one waypoint in a suspiciously short amount of time.  That is when the screen lit up, so I pulled in the trolling gear and set up for jigging.  It was so calm that jigging should have been effortless - no drift bags to mess with.  When I made a few drops, i was puzzled.  Despite being seemingly motionless, the jig would sweep way behind me in just a few seconds.  It became clear that I was in a strong current.  Thinking that anchoring over the fish was the way to go, I threw one out with a couple hundred feet of rope and tied off to the bow.  There was actually a wake behind the stern!  It became clear that jigging wasn't going to work.  The lure would sweep way behind me as it had done when I wasn't under anchor.  What to do?

 

I took my cowbell setup, and held it underwater with the rod tip.  The blades flashed cheerfully and the fly fluttered.  Why not let it down with the rigger, and see if anything would bite that way?  It was like an extremely deep version of "hot-shotting" for salmon, where you hold a lure in river current in a stationary boat.  if it worked, it could be the most leisurely way to catch a bunch.  No steering, no loud motor noise, no fumes.  I set a meatball rig down the other side with a flutter spoon on it.

 

Watching the graph, the bait and blips moved around under me.  They would often go look at the rigger setup.  Twice the rigger rod wiggled like I was getting a nibble.  What to do?  Grab the rod and try to set the hook?  Hope the fish hooks itself?  I could imagine a laker holding in the current below me just like a stream trout sipping bugs.  it could suck in and spit out my fly without any indication on my end.  it would have to be an aggressive lunge that would hook itself or the approach wouldn't work at all.  i took the meatball rig and tried jigging up and down, tried rocking the boat side to side to impart a little action.  Those two tip wiggle nibbles were all i got, but just imagine if it HAD worked!

 

Pete

Edited August 4, 2016 by Pete Collin

[Ryan Moriarty]

interesting storie what if right thanks for sharing.

[Spike_Marx]

Good stuff. It's surprising how strong the currents can be. I think that sooner or later something would take the bait on that setup. Thanks for the report.

[Steve.e]

I'll bet live bait would have worked.

[Todd in NY]

Interesting example of thinking outside the box. I also believe live bait would have worked.

[reeleyz]

How awesome would it be if it worked?!

[fisherman21]

Live bait doesn't work as well as you guys think it would on the big o

[Pete Collin]

I think if they did bite on bait they would hold onto it longer, which would help since the boat's not moving.

[william]

We use them in Delaware river while anchored ,with flutter spoons ,in current , for American shad.They work great!

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[fisherman21]

I bet they would hold on longer too, but they dont go after live minnow like you think they would

[fishmaster13184]

I bet they would hold on longer too, but they dont go after live minnow like you think they would

And why is that?

[fisherman21]

Because we have done it quite a few times, you can watch mark come right up to you minnow and then they won't touch it

[woody 184]

Use Sawbellies and you will be surprised at the action you will have..