Originally Posted by
apb
Wrote this up a while back for someone else. Based on downrigging for stripers and hybrids.
Here are a few basics to help you get started. I mostly use bucktail jigs (doll flies) with curly tail trailers, however, plugs and live bait also work. Usually troll between 1.8 and 3 mph, but know of others who troll up to 4 mph. Pick the area that you want to start trolling and drop the boat speed to the speed you wish to troll. Let out line from the reel (40-100 feet depending on depth and water clarity), with the reel out of gear and the clicker on, place the rod in the rod holder and attach the line to the release. If you are also using a stacker (allows more than one rod per rigger), drop the downrigger ball 10 feet and set up the second rod. Using more than two rods per rigger is probably not wise. Drop the ball to the depth that you want to troll. After the ball is down, put the reel in gear and take up all slack line. Your rod should be doubled over (like you are fighting a fish) when enough line is taken up. If there is too much slack in the line, the release will not trigger correctly. Keep in mind that when you are using stackers, the deeper rod should be on the outside (i.e., furthest from the boat) and the shallow rod on the inside (i.e., closest to the boat). If a fish hits the shallow line, you will have to bring it over the deep line at some point. If the deep rod is on the outside, this is much easier. Done the other way will result in more tangled lines.
A couple of factors that you want to keep in mind; as you increase the boat speed or length of cable out, the ball will rise some so that the depth shown on the downrigger depth meter is not the actual depth of your lure. Also, depending on what lure you are using and the length of line out, your lure will also sink a few feet. Treat the depth of the ball as water surface for calculating the actual depth. If you are using plugs, use shallow runners as it is easier to determine depth. I use a depth o troll meter to aid in determining the actual depth that the lure is out (has two graphs one to determine actual depth of ball and the other to determine depth of lure).
Most of the time with stripers and hybrids, they hit hard enough to trigger the release. Short fish will not always do this. In these cases, you may notice your downrigger cable swinging somewhat or dragging further back. The rod may also bounce somewhat. In these cases, you will have to reel up the downrigger to check the line and release the trigger yourself. If the fish releases the trigger, the rod will fly up and you will usually hear it. Grab the rod and take up the slack line as quickly as possible. The deeper you fish, the more slack line and the greater the chance of losing the fish. You do not need to set the hook. If you feel the need to set the hook, wait until you feel the full weight of the fish first. If the fish does not trigger the release, reel up the downrigger while keeping tension on the rod (may take two people) and trigger the release yourself.
Couple other hints. You should always be moving while using the downriggers. When fighting a larger fish, you may need to decrease boat speed, but do not stop. Hanging up a downrigger on the bottom or snagging several lines can take the fun out of things. Also, most downriggers have some type of clutch or brake. Never tighten this the whole way. If you do hang up the ball, you want the cable to give some rather than causing damage to the boat or rigger. After running the downriggers a couple of times, you’ll get the hang of it. You should also try avoiding tight turns, especially if you have a lot of line out. If you turn too tight, lines will cross and things will get ugly. Make wide turns. You should also try to troll in a sort of zigzag pattern. More like a S-shaped pattern. This will cause the jigs to speed up and slow down, makes them not trail right behind the boat, and also allows you to cover a little more water.
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