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lloyds
Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 1724 City/Region: sublimity
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: undecided
Photos: 1996 22 Cruiser (Lloyds)
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject: Downrigger hum |
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In preparation for the annual migration to vancouver island I purchased a Canon downrigger. Currently I have just a 4# ball for the lakes where I fish close to home. That thing hums like a jet ski approaching. Is this normal and is there anything that can be done to cut the noise down? It can't be good for fishing. |
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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: Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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lloyds-
Those were my thoughts, exactly, when I first started using downriggers!
I started a similar thread where the essential points were:
1. Most folks don't think that the noise actually frightens fish, based on their experiences.
2. Some folks think it actually attracts them.
3. The noise still bothers the helll out of some people.
4. You can quiet some of the noise with clamped on dampeners of soft material, but the best solution is to.......
5 . Change out the steel wire for Spectra braided fishing line of similar test strength that makes no noise. (!)
I haven't done this yet, but probably will soon. I'm a little concerned with the possibility that the "rougher" braided plastic line will actually be more dangerous than the braided steel to your hands, should you accidently touch a line that is being reeled in or out---"the bandsaw effect!!! Haven't had any problem with the steel in this manner, but only because I haven't ever touched a moving/reeling wire. Maybe someone else has had an experience with this issue.
Here's a LINK to the previous discussion.
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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Brooks Cooper
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 54 City/Region: Camas
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Coop's Cruiser
Photos: Coop's Cruiser
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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Buy the new scotty dacron downrigger line. No hum, no kinks, won't rust, simple to tie, and it is supposed to last years and years. I've had for about 5 months works great. _________________ Fireguy |
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Big dave
Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 264 City/Region: Vancouver
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Raven Dancer
Photos: Raven Dancer
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:47 pm Post subject: Down Riggers |
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I have fished for many years in the Pacific Northwest and around Vancouver Island. I don't want to tell you how to fish your down riggers or your balls are to small but I have never used a weight smaller then 7#, my favorite size is a 10#, and if the water is running hard and I'm fishing deep I will put on a 12# ball. But like I said that is how I run mine, I'm sure you will do just fine with how you like to run yours. Good luck up north, we will be up there July & Aug.
Big Dave. |
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gljjr
Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 908 City/Region: Fall City
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1982
C-Dory Model: 27 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Migratory Dory
Photos: gljjr
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:47 am Post subject: |
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On my sled, In the past 6 years I have caught far more fish when the downriggers are "Singing" than not. I use 12# balls on my Scotty Electrics and carry 3 extras. I typically change out the cable every other year. I also carry extra snap swivels, pliers and crimps to replace the cable ends while out and a full extra spool of cable too. When you lose a ball you don't want to have to motor an hour back to the marina and hope they have what you need to continue fishing! Been there, Done that! Never again!
I've purchased a "black box" to hook up to the cable but haven't tried it yet. If you switch to the non metal cable you will lose this capability. Just a thought.
With the 12# balls I typically like to run with the cable between 30 and 45 degrees off of verticle. I rarely look at a speedo to guage the speed as I let the downriggers and tackle tell me how fast I need to go.
I also try to mount them such that they will show up in my fishfinder. It is fun to see a fish come take your offering on the finder! I've seen that a couple times.
I imagine that 4# weight works pretty well for light tackle in a lake! I've often thought it would be fun to use one when I'm up in Kamloops and decide to go after Kokanee. I might just pick up a cheapy clamp on rigger for the "Lake boat" and give that a try in August while I'm up there. _________________ Gary Johnson
KB7NFG |
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Redƒox Guest
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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We like that hum!... sounds like home to us :0)
I use 15 pounders on both the Scotty and Cannon, one thing I notice; the faster you go, the more humin ya get. You should never need to exceed 2 knots for salmon... excluding the current of course!
I'm going to have to try that new line! cables get tangled often! One advantage to metal lines though; they produce the right amount of current on the water that attracts fish (!) so I ain't sure what I'm gonna do yet in that regard!
I have a free "Black Box" for someone - it does NOT make a bit of difference on my boat. Only thing that did me good using it was I found out the RedFox already fishes with the perfect amount of naturally generated electricity in the water! |
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lloyds
Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 1724 City/Region: sublimity
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: undecided
Photos: 1996 22 Cruiser (Lloyds)
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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Think I will try the dacron downrigger line. Thank you all for your insight. Yeh, I already heard my balls are too small |
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Not For Hire
Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 347 City/Region: Cadillac, MI
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2004
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Not For Hire
Photos: Not For Hire
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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Downrigger cables don't hum - they sing. That is the singin in the wires you have heard about. Almost out the door for a few days cruise in Northern Lk. Mich.
Regards _________________ Mark S
Cadillac, Michigan |
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Cutty Sark
Joined: 11 Dec 2004 Posts: 462 City/Region: Kenmore, Sammamish Slough
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1989
C-Dory Model: 16 Angler
Vessel Name: TBD
Photos: Cutty Sark
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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I like the hum personally, and remember sound can attract fish, thats one of the things that makes a flasher work, the sound it produces. As Tom Nelson says , Sight, sound, and smell, hit all three for consistent fishing. Beyond that I echo everyone's statements.. except for not trolling faster than two knots for any salmon. I regularly hook into more silvers when trolling 4.5- 6 mph. And blackmouth around 2.5-4mph. And just look at commercial trollers, they tend to go faster than us sporties and get their share of fish. But it could just be location, since I fish in washington state not alaska, so the fish might react differently. But for kings, sockeye, and chums I would agree with slower speeds working well. If you switch to the dacron let us know how it works for you. Good luck.
Sark |
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Sawdust
Joined: 01 Nov 2003 Posts: 1400 City/Region: Oak Harbor
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1984
C-Dory Model: 22 Classic
Photos: C-Salt
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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Back in dark ages when I was commercial - 3.5 to 4 knots worked. Don't want a slab that can't swim faster than that.
My best downrigger hum story is when an Orca hit the downrigger wire - man, ain't never seen wire go so fast and hum so loud. Trashed an old Penn manual too. And all hands aboard had to have double martins to stabilize.
Duster _________________ 1984 22 Classic |
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Redƒox Guest
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 6:46 am Post subject: |
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Too q-well Dusty! that was a great image going on in my nogin reading that I have some Dahls Porpous (bad spellin tonight ) hit my lines once... never again I pray! they would have stolded all the danged expensive 130-pound test on my real, if I had not of cut it in time |
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lloyds
Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 1724 City/Region: sublimity
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: undecided
Photos: 1996 22 Cruiser (Lloyds)
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:53 am Post subject: |
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Guess I will stick with the wire. I fished the lake this weekend and made myself stick exclusively with the downrigger. I caught fish. I actually caught more fish with the rigger than I did last week without it. And when they hit you don't have to be watching, you can tell by the hum when something is on. I hope I never have a porpoise or orca hit one though. That 16 won't handle much of that kind of excitement. Thanks everyone for the input. My questions are answered. Now if I could just figure out how to get the releases to work the same each time. It takes a pretty good trout to spring one of them. |
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Cutty Sark
Joined: 11 Dec 2004 Posts: 462 City/Region: Kenmore, Sammamish Slough
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1989
C-Dory Model: 16 Angler
Vessel Name: TBD
Photos: Cutty Sark
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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Have you tried the pro release? You can change the amount of tension needed to pop it open. I also believe scotty makes a smaller clip for trout. Good luck.
Sark |
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lloyds
Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 1724 City/Region: sublimity
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: undecided
Photos: 1996 22 Cruiser (Lloyds)
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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I have an adjustable one that increases pressure with each "click". I tried it for awhile, then changed to a pro-clip that I purchased because I was told it was for smaller fish, like trout. It is more easily released but there is so much variance in how far in you put the line versus release pressure. Each time is different. Sometimes it releases as I am lowering the ball, which is really a pain. I really got the downrigger for salmon, where these problems won't be problems, but I can see how using a downrigger for kokanee would be the way to go. Just have to get them to release when the kokanee hit. But I am beginning to see how coupling a downrigger with a good fishfinder will rapidly improve your chances of catching. It amazes me how I fished all those years without any of this stuff and still caught fish. |
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Falco
Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 164 City/Region: Flagstaff
State or Province: AZ
C-Dory Year: 2004
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Photos: Bucking Coho
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Pro-clips are outstanding for any sort of non-mono line, eg Fireline as the older "squeeze" or clothespin type clips do not work well with this smaller diameter "slicker" line below about 40 ft at 2-3 knots. The adjustability of the Pro-Trolls is really handy.
As to kokanee - downriggers are the way to go - in particular because you can "follow them down" in depth as the day/sun progresses. Use a smaller clip (even a 2-2.5 inch clothespin style (scotty) with Fireline will work if you are using only a small dodger and small lure like a Macks wedding ring). Either way, I've had no trouble with them releasing the line from a properly adjusted clip. (No snubber either.)
Good luck. |
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