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Kushtaka
Joined: 17 Dec 2013 Posts: 648 City/Region: Cordova
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 1993
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Photos: Kushtaka
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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rogerbum wrote: |
If you want speed through the water, the best way to get that is to use a gauge you already own - the tachometer. At a fixed RPM, you'll get the same speed through the water regardless of current. You just need to "calibrate" the tach (e.g. learn what RPM correlates with what speed over water). You can do this a couple of ways. Go someplace or measure sometime where/when there is no current. Then SOG = speed through the water. OR - measure your speed over ground with the GPS, turn 180 degrees (at fixed RPM) and do it again. In one direction, you'll get speed over ground + the current. In the other direction, you'll be speed over ground - the current. Average the two (sum/2) and you get speed over ground without the current = speed through the water. Make a little chart of a few measurements and keep it by the helm (or safely tucked away in your brain). |
That's what I do now, but have to accomodate for more drag as the season goes on and the bottom gets a little buhsier!! I use the force mostly and let my downriggers tell me. I can pretty much tell by how far they blowback if I'm going too fast. I'm never going too slowly. |
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Sea Wolf
Joined: 01 Nov 2003 Posts: 8650 City/Region: Redding
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 1987
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sea Wolf
Photos: Sea Wolf
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Another "speed" measuring trick in trolling is to mount a spare rod up further on the side of the boat where you can troll and see a lure/bait similar to the one you're trolling along side the boat and watch the action. You can then adjust the speed of the boat to get the desired lure action/performance.
Of course, there can be a lot of variables between the lure trolled next to the boat and one back behind and below the surface, but you can adjust for some of those, and, since varying the speed and depth of the lure off and on are especially desirable (vs. a monotonous, even speed, straight line, constant depth approach), mixing it up within some limits where you can directly see the results of speed variation can be a real advantage.
It's been my experience that some slow trolled freshwater lures are especially sensitive to speed changes, and small variations can be very beneficial!
MMMV, as usual, use your own judgment!
Joe. _________________ Sea Wolf, C-Brat #31
Lake Shasta, California
"Most of my money I spent on boats and women. The rest I squandered'. " -Annonymous |
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