Down Riggers In General

[Tim Bromund]

Of course, I also have to say that I almost never run fixed sliders. If the fleas aren't too bad to run em, I usually put out free sliders.

Tim

[FX]

Tim, when do you deploy your free slider?

Thanks,

Shawn

[chowder]

I toss my sliders in after I am at depth with the ball, but before I tighten down the reel, that way the slider runs down to the belly in the main line. Tighten up the line and your all set! Watch your wire dipsy lines when you bring in a double on one of these, be prepared to let them drift behind the boat under tension if they get frisky and start popping out of the water(something about being hooked so close together seems to make them do this more!)If one gets on the other side of the wire things get interesting in a hurry...

[raider44]

Chowder-

When using a free slider, Just take your leader and connect the swivel or snap to the main line or stacker line? And it will free slide down to a depth? I have heard that the free slider will find around the middle line I have heard? And if I read correctly you dont attach your free slider till you have your ball down to the desired depth, say for example 60 feet down. Then attach your free slider, then you tighten down your reels/rods...

Is there any truth to the set-up or the depth that I discussed above?

I just ask because when I have used free sliders I have never caught a fish on the free slider...

thanks..

[Tim Bromund]

Shawn, I deploy the slider after the rigger is at depth and before the belly has been fully snugged up in the rigger rod line. I've heard that it slides down to the belly and I've also heard from people with stike vision cameras that they've seen the slider work it's way all the way down, almost to the rigger release. I think it may depend on the size of the spoon and how much resistence it has in the water. My sliders are almost always smaller, lighter style spoons.

I don't know where it ends up and quite honestly, I really don't care. I DO know that they account for quite a few additional fish over the course of a year and that's good enough for me.

Tim

[L&M]

You can effective change the depth, and distance that a free slider is running from the cable by the amount of tension you have on the main line to the release. Less tension the higher it will ride in the bow of the line and like wise cranking down tight on the main line to the release will cause it to run deeper. Something to think about that work's. Experiment and see what work's on any given day.

[FX]

Thanks Tim and Chowder! I have been attaching the free slider after I've snugged up the line in hopes it would find the "belly" sooner. I kinda prefer the free slider method as it covers a little more water and I have had more success with it than fixed cheaters. Have doubled on skipper kings, but nothing with any serious weight. Looking forward to that though! I do use a mag spoon on the cheater in hopes of it ending up lower on the "belly", but as you said, I don't really care either cause it catches fish.

Shawn

[chowder]

I am not an expert on this, but like Tim , I always use smaller spoons on my cheaters.

[Matthew]

Try this

http://www.torpedodivers.com/trolling.asp#downrigger

[ray koziatek]

Mathew,Great idea . Now some one will invent a SWR rig.