Kayak downriggers and trolling for trout

Cool video.

the shuttle hawk is basically a planer diver on a wire?  Cool.  I'll have to try that.

If you leave your downrigger cable down when playing in a fish, be sure to keep the fish well away from the downrigger cable.  It's a huge hassle if the fish dives under your kayak and manages to wrap your fishing line around your downrigger cable a couple of times.  You'll probably have to grab your fishing line and haul the fish in hand over hand.  Once you land the fish, in order to get your fishing line unwound from your downrigger cable, you have pull in your lure hand over hand, drop it on the other side of the cable, let it stream out behind you so your fishing line won't get tangled, and then repeat the process until you get your fishing line off the downrigger cable.

To avoid this hassle, I pull up my downrigger weight as soon as I get a fish on.  Here's how I do it: as soon as I get a strike, I reel in line quickly and get tension on the fish.  At the same time, I pedal my kayak forward quickly.  Then I let the speed of the kayak keep the fish under tension, and start cranking up my downrigger weight.  I leave the fish well in back of my kayak, and thus well away from my downrigger cable, during this process.  If the fish runs forward, I may need to stop cranking up my downrigger weight for a minute to reel in fishing line to get tension on the fish again. When I get my weight up to the pulley on my downrigger, I stop pedaling and  turn my kayak towards the side the fish is on, so my fishing line is approaching my kayak at right angles.  Then I start playing the fish in towards my kayak.

Awesome video, makes me that much more excited about the trout opener at the end of the month!

If you leave your downrigger cable down when playing in a fish, be sure to keep the fish well away from the downrigger cable.  It's a huge hassle if the fish dives under your kayak and manages to wrap your fishing line around your downrigger cable a couple of times.  You'll probably have to grab your fishing line and haul the fish in hand over hand.  Once you land the fish, in order to get your fishing line unwound from your downrigger cable, you have pull in your lure hand over hand, drop it on the other side of the cable, let it stream out behind you so your fishing line won't get tangled, and then repeat the process until you get your fishing line off the downrigger cable.

To avoid this hassle, I pull up my downrigger weight as soon as I get a fish on.  Here's how I do it: as soon as I get a strike, I reel in line quickly and get tension on the fish.  At the same time, I pedal my kayak forward quickly.  Then I let the speed of the kayak keep the fish under tension, and start cranking up my downrigger weight.  I leave the fish well in back of my kayak, and thus well away from my downrigger cable, during this process.  If the fish runs forward, I may need to stop cranking up my downrigger weight for a minute to reel in fishing line to get tension on the fish again. When I get my weight up to the pulley on my downrigger, I stop pedaling and  turn my kayak towards the side the fish is on, so my fishing line is approaching my kayak at right angles.  Then I start playing the fish in towards my kayak.

I have never pulled my downrigger up when I get hooked up. I have never had a fish get wrapped. Is this actually a problem?

the shuttle hawk is basically a planer diver on a wire?  Cool.  I'll have to try that.

And, how deep can you fish with a shuttle hawk?

the shuttle hawk is basically a planer diver on a wire?  Cool.  I'll have to try that.

And, how deep can you fish with a shuttle hawk?

I have taken mine to 80, but it seems to work best at 65ft and up for me. It also depends on your line diameter.

The depth limit on the shuttlehawk is the same as your imagination.

it does increase blowback and drag the further down it goes though.

The depth limit on the shuttlehawk is the same as your imagination.

it does increase blowback and drag the further down it goes though.

I'm pretty sure that's incorrect provided that the laws of physics still apply.

If you leave your downrigger cable down when playing in a fish, be sure to keep the fish well away from the downrigger cable.  It's a huge hassle if the fish dives under your kayak and manages to wrap your fishing line around your downrigger cable a couple of times.  You'll probably have to grab your fishing line and haul the fish in hand over hand.  Once you land the fish, in order to get your fishing line unwound from your downrigger cable, you have pull in your lure hand over hand, drop it on the other side of the cable, let it stream out behind you so your fishing line won't get tangled, and then repeat the process until you get your fishing line off the downrigger cable.

To avoid this hassle, I pull up my downrigger weight as soon as I get a fish on.  Here's how I do it: as soon as I get a strike, I reel in line quickly and get tension on the fish.  At the same time, I pedal my kayak forward quickly.  Then I let the speed of the kayak keep the fish under tension, and start cranking up my downrigger weight.  I leave the fish well in back of my kayak, and thus well away from my downrigger cable, during this process.  If the fish runs forward, I may need to stop cranking up my downrigger weight for a minute to reel in fishing line to get tension on the fish again. When I get my weight up to the pulley on my downrigger, I stop pedaling and  turn my kayak towards the side the fish is on, so my fishing line is approaching my kayak at right angles.  Then I start playing the fish in towards my kayak.

I have never pulled my downrigger up when I get hooked up. I have never had a fish get wrapped. Is this actually a problem?

Yes.  Kokanee are particularly fond of charging under your kayak, and thus are particularly likely to wrap your fishing line around your downrigger cable, but other species do it as well.  If it happens to you a couple of times, you will definitely get sold on the idea of pulling up your downrigger weight before you bring a fish next to your kayak.

I have never had a Kokanee wrap up in my cable. I have caught a lot of them too.

I've never had an issue with the shuttle hawk and leaving my cable down either. If I had a hobie I might bring it up. Only time I move my weight is to adjust depth.
 I think I have a bigger chance of losing a fish while trying to keep tension with one hand and cranking with the other,than I do keeping both hands on the rod and bringing the fish in.

I have never had a Kokanee wrap up in my cable. I have caught a lot of them too.

What's a Kokanee ? 

I have never had a Kokanee wrap up in my cable. I have caught a lot of them too.

What's a Kokanee ? 

They leave a bunch of those arched marks on your fish finder when you see them.

I have never had a Kokanee wrap up in my cable. I have caught a lot of them too.

What's a Kokanee ? 

Those are the fish with whiskers right?? 😅🤣

I personally dont like shuttle hawks unless its on a boat.

i've only had one instance where a fish swam under the boat and tangled both of my downrigger lines. It was a total pain in the ass, and because of that I only fish one downrigger now. So if I hook a big fish i could pull my downrigger line up