Long lines

[Cody191]

Got a question for all you seasoned long liners. If you we’re starting to get into Lake Ontario trolling from a smaller boat, and wanted to limit long lines to 4 rods what would you do.

 

option one- two set ups of equal length, like 2- 200’ weighted steel and 2- 400’ weighted steel and try to use snap weights to fine tune depth.

 

option 2- have 4 different lengths and hopefully have one that would be useful depending on where fish are. Like 100’, 200’, 300’ and 400’. Guess you could fine tune these with snap weights as well. 
 

What’s your thoughts? I do a lot of inland striper, walleye, trout trolling and like having dual setups when running inline boards so I can mirror image my spread but not sure that’s the right plan for Ontario style fishing. Obviously there’s a much larger water column.

[whaler1]

Will you be running riggers as well?

2 riggers and two dypsy’s will do some damage. 

[Cody191]

5 minutes ago, whaler1 said:

Will you be running riggers as well?

2 riggers and two dypsy’s will do some damage. 

Yes, I run 2 riggers and 2 dipseys now but sometimes I have one or 2 other people in the boat and could get more rods. I also thought maybe during summer when fish are getting hammered from every fire it would help to get things away from the boat. 21’ boat fishes 3 guys pretty comfortably.

[Yankee Troller]

I'd set-up two wire rods (they can be used for #3 & #4 divers at times). Buy a set (or two) of Torpedo Divers. With their chart you should be able to get close to the depths you want. Pair it with a Smart Troll and know exactly where they are. Use an Offshore OR-16 clip to attach them to your wire.

[HB2]

I agree with Whaler 

 

Downriggers are the center of any small boat trolling system , especially for newbies IMO  . I love mine on my 16 ft . Easy to deploy and are precise with depth , no guessing like with dipsys . 

 

If you were to get dipsys , make one a

Braid slide driver IMO . 

 

If you are fishing spring , planer boards are nice . 

 

Some sort of down  speed and temp is a great investment . 

 

[Sk8man]

Two downriggers and two dipseys as the others have said and consider the Deeper Divers for a larger depth range. In the Spring  and Fall when in the shallows the small dipseys can be really effective as well as slide divers. Hardly anyone seems to mention it anymore but toplining can be effective as well with lines run 100-200 ft behind the boat with small amount of weight or if stickbaits used  one or two large splitshot about 3-4 ft above the lure (also helps keep weeds off the lure). Sometimes just one topline added to the mix up the chute and well away from the boat and other stuff works. "Old school" approaches but they still work.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Sk8man

[Cody191]

I appreciate everyone’s replies. I already use everything that was mentioned. I have riggers, wire divers, mag dipseys, slide divers, chinook divers, fishhawk etc. my question was really just about long lines off boards. I’m not a fan of running double dipseys per side even though I know many do it well. I’m looking for a way to get a 5th and 6th rod out or even a 7th and 8th when we have 3 people on board. I’m very experienced with running boards but not so much on Ontario. My question was if you were trying to limit rods would you have 4 different length setups or double up two different lengths. Whether it’s weighted steel, copper or leadcore doesn’t matter to me. I’m more interested in what way an experienced Ontario fisherman would do it and why.

[Sk8man]

Not trying to crimp your thinking but more is not always better. You can run quite a few lines on a wide 20 footer ad I have run 9 on my wide 18 ft and on the Finger Lakes you can usually get away with it but on Lake O when you have 8 lines and four of them long ...even on boards an unruly Chinook or big steelie can make a mess of things in a hurry and then you spend valuable fishing time straightening out and re-rigging. Usually it is more productive running fewer lines but setting them right according to the location of bait, fish. position of thermocline, and conditions.

[whaler1]

I run a 25 foot boat with an 8 and 1/2 foot beam. My normal spread if it’s me and one or two people is two down and two dypsy’s.  Clean and tight have some benefits. I am in the minority however so  give it a shot and see how things work out. 

[rolmops]

Seeing that you use a smaller boat, I would start with otter boats or something similar and run weighted steel or regular steel on both sides. This is to stabilize your rig. As you probably know, that as soon as you move in the boat it will change direction. Having the otter boats minimizes that. Next I would run the downriggers and the dipsies. Again in order to stay on course, I would never have one down rigger out of the water for it will make the boat pull in the direction of the rigger that is in the water.

[rolmops]

8 minutes ago, Sk8man said:

Not trying to crimp your thinking but more is not always better. You can run quite a few lines on a wide 20 footer ad I have run 9 on my wide 18 ft and on the Finger Lakes you can usually get away with it but on Lake O when you have 8 lines and four of them long ...even on boards an unruly Chinook or big steelie can make a mess of things in a hurry and then you spend valuable fishing time straightening out and re-rigging. Usually it is more productive running fewer lines but setting them right according to the location of bait, fish. position of thermocline, and conditions.

I find that more lines out is usually because the bite is poor and boredom sets in. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by rolmops

[Cody191]

Thanks again for all the responses. I get the feeling I’m being talked out of the longer lines. Which is fine. I do fully understand that sometimes less is more. I do fish alone at least half the time so I understand the ease of going with the riggers and dipseys  but I was just looking for ways to get extra lines in the water when I have more people on board. Even if it is only two more.  I do fish the finger lakes also and adding extra lines there would be beneficial. Was just wondering people’s opinion on how many of each length to carry if you were trying to limit rods. Thanks again.

[chinook35]

Another consideration is traffic. If you are away from the pack , long lines are productive.  Trying to run 3-4-5 hundred foot long lines ( weighted steel, copper, etc. ) in traffic is a sure way to donate tackle to the fish gods 

[stlhdr1st]

On 1/16/2023 at 6:19 PM, Cody191 said:

Yes, I run 2 riggers and 2 dipseys now but sometimes I have one or 2 other people in the boat and could get more rods. I also thought maybe during summer when fish are getting hammered from every fire it would help to get things away from the boat. 21’ boat fishes 3 guys pretty comfortably.

 

[stlhdr1st]

Just now, stlhdr1st said:

 

Try doubling up on the riggers...less tangles in the long run

[Cody191]

Do you mean stacking? I generally run a fixed cheater.

[battlehammer]

17 hours ago, whaler1 said:

I run a 25 foot boat with an 8 and 1/2 foot beam. My normal spread if it’s me and one or two people is two down and two dypsy’s.  Clean and tight have some benefits. I am in the minority however so  give it a shot and see how things work out. 

I'm with Whaler-  stealth, sometimes less is more but would like to add if you fish with older people those long lines are tough on them. your loaded up on some solid options for sure.

[steelydan]

On 1/17/2023 at 2:45 PM, Cody191 said:

I appreciate everyone’s replies. I already use everything that was mentioned. I have riggers, wire divers, mag dipseys, slide divers, chinook divers, fishhawk etc. my question was really just about long lines off boards. I’m not a fan of running double dipseys per side even though I know many do it well. I’m looking for a way to get a 5th and 6th rod out or even a 7th and 8th when we have 3 people on board. I’m very experienced with running boards but not so much on Ontario. My question was if you were trying to limit rods would you have 4 different length setups or double up two different lengths. Whether it’s weighted steel, copper or leadcore doesn’t matter to me. I’m more interested in what way an experienced Ontario fisherman would do it and why.

Start with 4 different and let the fish tell you the true answers. 

[whaler1]

First Two years on all I had were two dypsy’s, late 80’s, and I caught a lot of fish. Sometimes I still take the 15 out solo with two dypsy’s and catch fish. 
 

[rolmops]

You can easily run 3 longlines on each side of your outriggers. Running a longline out  the stern is asking for trouble.

I once fished solo about 8 miles offshore, the lake was as flat as glass and the fish did not bite at all. Out of sheer boredom I put a junk line out the hole, a 12 colors leadcore . not 5 minutes later a king hit a rigger line and almost at the same time a steelie hit the leadcore.. The 2 fish managed to make the mother of birds nests out of the leadcore and when they were done doing that, they both broke off.

Edited January 18, 2023 by rolmops

[whaler1]

So easily run 3 on each side off his outriggers is probably three feet apart?  
Clean up in aisle 7. 

Edited January 18, 2023 by whaler1

[Cody191]

1 hour ago, steelydan said:

Start with 4 different and let the fish tell you the true answers. 

Thank you! Kind of how I was leaning. Seems like it would be better to have one rod that’s close to the depth you need than 2 that are a ways off and need large adjustments with snap weights. Also you can only make lines go deeper, can’t make them any shallower so if I had say 2- 300’ ws and 2- 400’ ws and you need a 200’ your out of luck.  Based on reels I already have I think I’m going to set up 2- 200’,    1-300’, and 1- 400’ weighted steel. The shorter ones will also be nice for spring/ fall fishing and steelhead. Eh, it’s only money. 

[rolmops]

23 hours ago, whaler1 said:

So easily run 3 on each side off his outriggers is probably three feet apart?  
Clean up in aisle 7. 

Sorry, I meant to say otter boats which allow you to run lines 20 feet apart.

[whaler1]

I’m more concerned about the potential of not being allowed to rely on natural gas in my home. 

[rod hog]

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