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Topic: Down rigger not popping free with fish on.  (Read 922 times)

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DRT Yakbah

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Yesterday I was at Berryessa and ended up catching a trout that was on my down rigger setup but didn't pop free. I had to manually pop it off and that's when I noticed there was a fish on. I have no idea how long he was hooked up but he had no fight in him and came up like a log.

Later on I had a single short strike that popped it off. It seems weird that a fish that weighed over a pound and a half and was getting dragged around couldn't pop it but a short strike could? I don't know what to think. I am using a 4lb ball and am just barely clipping it to my line.

Any ideas or tips?


Uminchu Naoaki

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Yesterday I was at Berryessa and ended up catching a trout that was on my down rigger setup but didn't pop free. I had to manually pop it off and that's when I noticed there was a fish on. I have no idea how long he was hooked up but he had no fight in him and came up like a log.

Later on I had a single short strike that popped it off. It seems weird that a fish that weighed over a pound and a half and was getting dragged around couldn't pop it but a short strike could? I don't know what to think. I am using a 4lb ball and am just barely clipping it to my line.

Any ideas or tips?
Are you still using the one that came w/!?
Switch to mini snapper?
but even I'm using mini most small kokes or macks can't pop off...


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E Kayaker

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What kind are you using. I've seem some that are adjustable and some that vary depending on how deep into it you clip the line. If it's the second kind, could you have had it closer to the front part of the time?
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=42846.msg470404#msg470404

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.  ~John Buchan


ThreemoneyJ

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The weight of the DR ball has nothing to do with the release.

There are several different release types. If I'm using a "jaw" clamp type I like to use the ones with a longer lead, then I don't crank my rod down too hard (too much bend) so that I can see the rod tip bounce if I get a fish and it doesn't release.

Or now I use a "chamberlain" style release which has adjustments for pressure to rod and pressure to line. It's super easy to fine tune. I would suggest looking into one of those.
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pmmpete

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I use braided line on my downrigger trolling rods, so I used Blacks downrigger releases, which are clip style releases, mounted on top of my downrigger weight.  They work much better than pinch or clamp style releases with braided line.  You make a loop in your fishing line, twist it 6-10 times, and clip the loop into the release.  Blacks releases are simple and durable, and will last for many years of heavy use.  They can also be adjusted easily and precisely.  For example, when fishing for kokanee I point the thumb screw adjustment to 12:00 o'clock, and when fishing for lake trout or other large fish I tighten the thumb screw up to 5:00 o'clock.  This reliably gives me the release tension I like with no experimenting.

If you adjust your release to release too easily, you'll get false releases, or your line will pop out of the release when you try to put tension on your rod.  If you adjust your release too release too hard, you'll see the tip of your rod bouncing around when you get a strike, but will need to pop your line out of the release manually.  I like to adjust my release in between these extremes.  I don't mind if sometimes the tip of my rod bounces a couple of times when I get a strike before my fishing line pops out of my release, because I think that helps set the hook.  If you set your release very light, as soon as the fish chomps your lure the line pops out of the release and tension goes off the line for a couple of seconds, which may give the fish a chance to shake the lure.  However, when fishing for small kokanee, you may want to set your release lightly because small kokanee have pretty soft mouths, and if they jerk too much against the downrigger weight, it may enlarge the hook hole enough to let them throw the hook when they start thrashing around like hummingbirds.  However, in my experience, 15"-18" kokanee don't have particularly soft mouths, and if I play them in steadily and keep them underwater until I bring them to my net, I get pretty good retention rates even if the downrigger release is set moderately tightly.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2017, 08:56:50 PM by pmmpete »


RacinRob

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Pete is correct in that sometimes you don't want it to release till you pull it out. If it releases right away there is a ton of slack in the line and a fish can easily toss the hook with the slack. I prefer in most cases to have to make the release let go. I would rater see the rod bouncing then be able to release it, and reel fast to take up the extra slack in the line. The longer the setback the lower the chance I want it to release on its own. If you are fishing right on the ball releasing is usually ok.
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E Kayaker

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Looks like the fancy releases have to mount to the ball. I like using the shuttle hawk so I don't have to raise the ball every time.
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=42846.msg470404#msg470404

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.  ~John Buchan