Cheater lines

[jth21usa]

Which do you prefer or have better results? Cheater lines on the mono (just a loose swivel to 10 foot leader to a spoon) that goes to down rigger ball or separate set ups to the down rigger cable? I've tried both with very limited results. I have a smaller boat with 4 down riggers so its getting a little crowded back there.
 

Justin 

[Sk8man]

I think you may be referring to sliders and fixed sliders rather than a "cheater" per se. A true cheater is usually thought of as a leader that is located on a Seth Green rig and located about 3 or 4 ft up the rig line and it is long enough to trail behind  and downward from the shorter set of cowbells and resembles something hit and crippled and trailing behind the "school" which the cowbells represent. It can be a spoon or stick or else a wobble troll or peanut. and the leader may be up to 20 ft or more in length. A normal slider on the otherhand is a short section of leader (from 2-8 ft. long) with a spoon and swivel at one end and a swivel at the opposite end. Normally you want to keep the length of the leader slightly shorter than the rod you are using so that it is easier to net the fish without backing up way into the interior of the boat. The end without the lure is attached to the downrigger mono after the main lure on it is  fixed and lowered to the desired depth. The slider "slides" up and down  or locates itself in the belly of the mono line. A fixed slider is a normal slider only it is affixed on the main line in a single desired location on that line after the main lure is lowered. There are numerous ways to do this in terms of the attachment and release used.

 

The normal slider is perhaps most successful when either the thermocline layer is not yet formed, and/or you are fishing deep with the main lure and want something covering varied depths above it. Often steelies , rainbows and landlocks are the main "targets" but s Pacific salmon also hit them even when close to the prop wash of the motor. Although you may spot the slider lure on your depth finder it may often be out of the cone so many times you don't know where it actually is in the water column and this may be especially so when fishing the downriggers in the extreme outward and 45 degree angle position.

 

The fixed sllder can be used anytime but I normally use it when the thermocline is formed and I wish to present the second lure at the top of it or just within it so it isn't "free ranging" and is more predictable because the lure stays at that approximate depth. They both have their place in the arsenal as does the true "cheater"

Edited December 5, 2016 by Sk8man

[Firechief48]

I think Sk8man is right, you're talking about sliders. He's right on with his descriptions, couldn't be explained any better. Now I prefer free sliders, especially when fishing deep. I put flutter spoons on and this is usually where I pick up the steelies although I've had times when the coho bite was hot on them slso.

[Gill-T]

Cohos and steelhead the way the skyrocket to the surface often necessitate a fixed cheater to drive the hook home better.

[TyeeTanic]

Fixed sliders are my preference. 6ft fluoro leader on swivel that attaches to main line off rigger.

[jth21usa]

Thanks guys