Copper hook ups

[Haftime]

I tried trolling 300 ft of copper off a big board this summer and had 4 hits. The two landed were tiny but two hits were smashers but they dropped off shortly thereafter. Only got to try it once and I am excited about the prospect of doing it again as 25% of the fish we turned hit that 1 rod. Is there a tip, trick or technique I need? 

[bout time]

what are you using for releases to hold the copper? I usually "bury" the copper towards the back of the release. you can see a shaker on the line but it takes a bigger fish/harder strike to release. I use big Scotty releases and they work well

[phil2]

Yes sounds like releases i uses amish clips with heavy rubber bands. Or scotty pinch pads when running meat. 

[Haftime]

Mueller 

   27

20 amp

They are a round pad with what I thought was good tension. Guess I know what to get me for my birthday  

Thanks for the advice.

[Yankee Troller]

Some days that's the way it goes, so don't beat yourself up over it right away. We use Scotty pinch pad releases when trolling coppers off big boards. We clip the release about 6" up from the copper knot on the copper line itself. It works for us. Some guys are afraid to clip onto the copper and half hitch a rubber band to the copper and clip into this. I've never tried it, so I can't offer an opinion.

[dry net]

I just set up my first copper and want to get this right. You can clip or half hitch a band directly to the copper? I always thought it had to be to the backing. If that's the case it just made my 300 more versatile. Thanks for the response.

 

[Yankee Troller]

6 minutes ago, dry net said:

I just set up my first copper and want to get this right. You can clip or half hitch a band directly to the copper? I always thought it had to be to the backing. If that's the case it just made my 300 more versatile. Thanks for the response.

 

 

We do it with no issues.

[Legacy]

On 1/4/2021 at 5:59 AM, Haftime said:

I tried trolling 300 ft of copper off a big board this summer and had 4 hits. The two landed were tiny but two hits were smashers but they dropped off shortly thereafter. Only got to try it once and I am excited about the prospect of doing it again as 25% of the fish we turned hit that 1 rod. Is there a tip, trick or technique I need? 

 

Losing fish it part of the game. IMO most fish get lost on copper because guys dont use their drags enough and tend to horse fish with long lines. A fluoro leader, copper, and braid backing have just about zero stretch. Once a fish is hooked I tend to over loosen the drags and let them tire themselves out. 

I also like tight releases... scotty planer board releases all the way

[Legacy]

On 1/5/2021 at 4:57 PM, dry net said:

I just set up my first copper and want to get this right. You can clip or half hitch a band directly to the copper? I always thought it had to be to the backing. If that's the case it just made my 300 more versatile. Thanks for the response.

 

 

Attach to the backing... Scotty planer board releases work great on braid backing. Short coppers (for example 100') I put about halfway in the jaws, big coppers (for example 400') I put all the way in the jaws. Some days current or rough water might cause false releases with bigger coppers so in that case use the "lock" on the scotty release for a better hold.

[Sk8man]

I know this may sound simplistic but it is something often overlooked - make sure all your hooks are sharpened. Carry a file onboard and sharpen on three sides of hook going toward the hook point.

[Haftime]

14 hours ago, Sk8man said:

I know this may sound simplistic but it is something often overlooked - make sure all your hooks are sharpened. Carry a file onboard and sharpen on three sides of hook going toward the hook point.

An easy thing to forget. 

[scobar]

Scotty pinch pads are what I use for all coppers. With big 400/500 lines I can easily adjust the depth I want to run them at with a SmartTroll in line, telling what depth the point is at. This way I don't have to count marks on the copper and more or less guess what depth I'm at. The SmartTroll's do have a price attached, around $1,200 to start, but with the limited amount of time I have to fish they are well worth the cost. You can run up to 6 in line and signals back to your Android  device.

 

 

[Gill-T]

I bury the backing in two Weldon pad releases. When a kings hits your line it twangs like a bowstring!

[Haftime]

6 hours ago, Gill-T said:

I bury the backing in two Weldon pad releases. When a kings hits your line it twangs like a bowstring!

Never used Weldons but I will check them out.

 

[Gill-T]

FishUSA and eBay has them

Edited February 7, 2021 by Gill-T

[Haftime]

An update.... Using Scotty releases and I'm having a good year with the copper. Thanks o all who posted.