Deploying a fishawk

[WOODY5734]

Ok guys, i just went out and got a new fishawk X4, got it all hooked up and ready too go, how do i target salmon with it i know basicly, temp and speed at my ball, ,but what temp and speed should i run my spoons, flies at too increase my chances of more fish...ive seen that once u find the temp u want u punt ur riggere just above the temp and just below the temp is this accurate or am i wrong, any help would be appreciated

 

Woody5734

[sszoldra]

I ran mine at 2.5 and down around 50 degrees.

[Ric66]

Hi Woody. You won't regret your purchase of a fish hawk! It will really help with the learning curve. Now the bad news. It's not as easy as finding this or that temperature and parking your rigger there. It will depend on many factors such as time of day, season, bait fish, where you are marking fish, is cold water on the top or all through the water column, mood of fish etc. Other guys who know a lot more than me can chime in, but if you are looking for generalities, find out where the thermocline is  and fish in and below as a starting point and down to as low as 42 degree water. For spoons and flies I would say 2 to 2.5, But some spoons can run at higher or lower speeds. Check their action by the boat. For flies I've found 2.2 works but it will also depend on the length of your fly leader. And if you aren't getting hit, speed up and slow down, make turns until you find the right combination. Lot of trial and error. These are just things that have worked for me.

[HB2]

I have found that speed is way more important than temp 

 

I park my probe at 50 deg and  fish above and below that . 

 

Some days you will look at your probe and it will be 50 and then a few minutes later it will be 46 or 56 at same depth . 

 

Research thermocline 

 

This weekend it was 58 surface and 55 down 80 ft as thermocline has not set up yet .

 

I like to troll 2.1 to 2.7 . 

 

It was a  good investment .

 

Protect that probe like it was a newborn baby . Make sure your Downrigger cable and crimps are  perfect . 

 

 

 

[guffins fisherman]

Salmon strongly prefer 48-52 degree water.  The nice thing about a fish hawk is it will tell you where that is in the water column, or if it even exists at that location.  Secondly, and likely most important, a fish hawk gives you data that you can try to repeat once you find what the fish are preferring at that given moment, and then try to repeat it to increase your chances of repeating a catch.  The truth is, the actual numbers the fish hawk gives you don't actually matter.  What matters is the repeatability.  It just so happens a fish hawk tells us the relative speed at the ball and we compare it to surface speed and then try to use it to our advantage.  

[bacatit]

Early in the morning I like my rigs parked at 50 to 55 degrees. If I am fishing spoons I fish faster than most, 2.8 to 3.3 mph. With 8 inch flashers 2.5 to 2.7, with the big paddles usually around 2.5. Pay attention to your turns, if a fish hits on the inside rods of your turn, those lures are going a little slower, on the outside, a little faster. If you are having trouble regulating your speed in a current try trolling across the current.