Downriggers....

pablo (nerudo?), I just don't see you putting up with the downrigger, I have to say.

because of your advice and my limited experience from last year,
I am using a sinker release and bait w/ FBR this year. 24oz balls and 30lb spectra.
I will have a double deep six diver as backup if I am ever lucky enough to use up all my lead.
a mooch(joel) style banana sinker for backup if I lose my diver.
a rainbow apex if I run out of bait.

for the lakes, the best thing I tried seemed to be some cord and a weight that you hang off the side of your kayak
with a release.  if you just want to be down 20 feet or so, it works great. now they just need trout big
enough to pop the line from the release, 

something like kokanee where you really want to go deep a real downrigger makes sense.

unless the salmon are in close and easy, the downrigger is going go out of fashion quicky for kayak salmon I think.
and then you can just use an in-line banana weight.

no downriggers for me on the ocean this year.

J

Mooch...hey Mooch! I think this might be your next mooching rod

Ey Pablo....I still have not seen this "mooching" rod that you are talking about. I asked Justin from FW about it and he said you bought 'em all   

My mooching rod: 8 ft shimano clarus med / heavy action  - paired with a Calcutta 401 TE spooled with 20# power pro with 10 feet of 15# seaguar fluorocarbon line I've done well with his set-up...wouldn't change a thing about it 

....still curious about this 10 ft. mooching rod 

He's talking about clarus rods I bought from them

I got this one in Frisco at Hi's last week, 10 1/2 ft and skinny like the river salmon rods that originated up in Oregon

I used to use something close to it for mooching and usually 12lb test to give the fish a sporting chance

ScottThornley

After thinking too hard about downrigging I ended up with a scotty clip Justin at FW recommended  It's simple which is right up my alley

I was looking at my reels and scrapped the idea of going spectra, doesn't seem worthwhile if the fish are above 100ft

I'll just run it off of a 7' ugly stick and Tekota LC


If it turns out to be a manageable setup I'll string the fishing end of things up with 12 or 14lb and it should be a killer arrangement


Here I am getting all worked up about this and the odds of me even fishing this year are slim to none

Oh well it never hurts to dream

jeez these smileys are obnoxious

Paul aka Paulo

both rods on the same side is how you will run it?

Any concerns that you may get cited for fishing two rods for salmon?  I suppose the fact that one of the rods doesn't have a hook/lure should help, but I imagine some DFG warden getting confused.

As for downrigging rods... has anyone else looked at the Shimano Talora rods? They're made of the same TC4 construction as the Shimano Trevala butterfly jigging rods that everyone seems crazy about.   They seem light, sensitive, inexpensive (~$70), and indestructible.

Brian

bsteves

I've been trolling 10 1/2 ft taloras and they're the ticket for a straight trolling setup especially for the $ 

The ones I have are either medium or medium heavy action I'll look tomorrow and let you know Great salmon rod I wouldn't buy anything else Last year with all the silvers around I got to fight some jumpers and it was primo



For this downrigger setup I got a 10 1/2 ft shimano (convergence?) for the fishing end of things It's like a skinny version of a Talora   With a tr100g it's a nice light setup  With a smaller reel I could see fishing steelhead with it

I'm not sweating the 2 rod thing If f&g's around they always come to see me and I'm banking they'll see I'm only fishing one rod If they ticketed me I'd challenge it



jmairey both on the same side The ugly stick should trail pretty close to the yak

The convergence is a nice rod.  Jmairey, this is the rod that I was talking about that I got in the canadian mooching style with the shortened rear grip.  It comes in conventional grips as well.

-Allen

Paul,

One huge advantage of the downrigger is having the weight hanging just barely outboard of the kayaks gunwhale. Are you going to be able to do that with your ugly stick combo?

I tried the stock Scotty release clip with 65 lb spectra from the downrigger to the ball. The plated wire clip kept coming free of the downrigger line, hence the move to a different means of attaching the release clip. If you are using cable, or thick mono, this may not be an issue. I know the powerboaters that are running spectra, are using the 150-200 lb test variety, and don't seem to have the problem either. I just want something that will cut with a sharp glance.

I didn't test the easy-troller this weekend. I will test my setup this week and report. I'll possibly be heading out this weekend, most likely on Sunday.

Regards,
Scott

The plated wire clip kept coming free of the downrigger line, hence the move to a different means of attaching the release clip.

Am I understanding correctly, the 65 lb spectra is slipping out of the safety pin looking clip? 

Scott,

Can't you just use a snap swivel instead of the wire clip and clip the release line to the top of the swivel that holds the downrigger weight?  Or am I missing something?

Brian

The uglystick pointed 11 oclock should be pretty close If not I'll point it straight ahead My rod holder leans a bit left anyway from dragging weight to that side

The scotty clip looks like it'd hold fluoro fine and it's simple My brain thrives on simplicity

I went down to fw thinking I was going to load my reels with spectra but changed my mind in the store


bsteves the taloras I have are medium power and medium-fast action    Primo for salmon   I was just outside fighting an old tree stump with the convergence and it feels pretty good too   

Maybe later I'll hook it to the current Chinese nanny and get her to run down the street 

you really want the weight close to the centerline of the yak.

This was one of the reasons I tried two rods in the trout case, but it was a pain swinging two long rods
around so they could point straight back.

some kind of release that went right through a scupper hole of some sort would be great.

Paul,

You know, maybe we could get our two families together, and see just whose poupou/baumu/aiyi has the most get up and go? How old is yours? Ours is somewhere near 70 or so, so there might need to be some sort of handicapping system.

Brian,

Going direct to the swivel was one idea, but I wanted to keep the ball away from the same depth as the lure.

Regards,
Scott

Scott We met with a lady who was in her 70s and had serious doubts about her being able to lift our little 'Cannonball'

We just hired this one, somewhere in her 50s A real sweetheart so I shouldnt be making jokes about testing my fishing pole's action on her

The stump doesn't make for good simulation though so maybe I'll run it by my wife and see if she'll translate my request

I do that and I'll wind up living under a bridge

Hey why dont you want the ball at the same depth as the lure? I've never used a downrigger before and was planning to just drag 6 or 8 ft back, close enough so I can check it out at the surface before dropping it

It starts sounding trickier than I like things but should be doable with a little attitude adjustment


Paul aka 'Father of Baby Huey' (4mos tomorrow and 25lbs Anybody got any tips how to stunt a baby's growth?)