It is considered one of the most popular and productive ways of fishing in large water areas. The basic principle of this method is the free towing of the tackle, with the bait tied to it, following the moving boat. This method of fishing can cover a very significant part of the reservoir.
In most cases, fishing at a depth of 6-14 meters requires the use of additional devices to lower the bait to this depth. The most widely used among fishermen is a device called a downrigger, invented over a century ago by Canadian fishermen Scott and White.
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Trolling with a downrigger is a small winch with an arrow extended forward, at the end of which there is a block for passing the cable, with a sinker fixed at its end and a small holder for fishing line, placed a little higher. The other end of the cable is wound on a spool attached to the base of the device.
What is a downrigger for?
The principle of operation of the downrigger is also not difficult. The fishing line with the bait is threaded into the holder and fixed in it. The cable with a sinker and tackle attached to it is lowered to the selected depth. It is noteworthy that the rod with a reel on which the line is wound is not attached to the device in any way, and is installed in a glass specially designed for this, which securely fixes the stick. When the boat starts to move, the bait on the stretched fishing line starts to play, and the heavy weight, near which the lure is fixed, does not allow it to emerge, forcing it to move at a given depth.
Many fishermen, not knowing the relief subtleties of the reservoir, prefer to first find out at what depth the fish is now. To do this, test baits are thrown to a depth of 5, 10 and 15 meters. The lowering accuracy is adjusted by means of a rope length counter.
Another extremely necessary accessory for trolling is a powerful one, thanks to which you can not only survey the river bottom, but also measure the depth of the reservoir. Due to the use of the device, the bait, lowered to a considerable depth, is at some distance from the boat. This gives the boat enough maneuverability, and makes fishing a truly exciting and unforgettable entertainment.
We have already gotten used to the English term “trolling”, which has recently entered our fishing lexicon. The word "troll" in the dictionary is interpreted as "fishing by towing a hook with bait in the water." At first, our anglers associated trolling with the traditional “path”, fishing on which was known in many regions of Russia long before Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev.
But as it turned out later, trolling is a whole system of several independent methods of freshwater and sea hunting for predatory fish. The trivial “track” in this series is the most primitive type of such fishing, involving a large element of chance or luck, when the angler finds fish parking lots in a purely empirical way and cannot control the depth of the bait without a noticeable error.
But in many water bodies, especially in the middle of summer, situations often arise when the success of fishing directly depends on the accuracy of the wiring at a strictly specified depth. Our colleagues on the North American continent have long been looking for ways to improve the efficiency of trolling gear.
More than one original idea was incorporated into various devices for conducting natural and artificial baits - outriggers, gliders, deepening plates and other systems that help baits go at different depths, and fishermen - to catch as much of the reservoir as possible.
But of all the trolling devices that have appeared on the European fishing tackle market over the past few decades, all records have been broken by the downrigger as the most effective assistant angler ever created by vigilant design thought. The concept of a downrigger is by no means new.
Back in the early 19th century, on the Great Lakes, the Indians used primitive downrigger designs for fishing. And the first real downrigger was patented as a commercial fishing tackle and was used on the US West Coast for deep sea fishing. Later, it was successfully applied to sport salmon fishing on Lake Michigan.
Three downriggers on one boat
An exact description of the ancient downrigger has not been preserved, only the fact is known that the first structures consisted of a load resembling a window frame in shape, lowered to the required depth on a strong cable with trolling lines tied to it. Salmon hunters began to improve the process of fishing, and new knots began to appear in the downrigger mechanism.
One of them is a large wheel from a tricycle mounted in the stern of the boat. The tire was removed from the wheel rim and a cable was wound instead of it, a frame weight was attached to it, which was lowered and raised by pedaling. This fixture was rather crude, but it was it that became the basis for the polished downrigger system in use today.
So, what is it - a modern downrigger, how do they catch it and what advantages does it have? Simply put, this is a device that allows the fisherman from the boat to present the fish with artificial or natural bait at a depth adjusted to a centimeter, and this depth no longer depends on the size, weight and shape of the bait chosen by the angler.
The central mechanical part of the downrigger is a small winch, on the drum of which a thin cable is wound. The end of the cable is passed through a pulley on a rod or boom. A heavy load is attached to it through a swivel. This whole structure is attached to the stern or to the sides in the stern of the boat.
In addition, one or two tubular rod holders are mounted on the downrigger body or next to it on board. You should not use more than two rods with one downrigger, otherwise the whole rig will turn out to be too cumbersome, unmanageable. And there is still a danger of overlapping woods when manipulating the load.
A special clip-clip for fishing line is attached to the load on a small leash. A fishing line from one of the rods is attached to the clip. About the distance from the attachment point to the bait, the choice of which depends on the fishing conditions, we will discuss below. By rotating the winch, the load and fishing line with the bait are lowered into the water. This operation is best done on the move of the boat, so that the fishing line with the bait immediately, without getting confused, stretches behind the stern.
The second clip is installed directly on the cargo cable above the load, the fishing line from the second fishing rod is inserted into it, also leaving the required distance to the bait, and then the load is lowered to the required depth.
Adapter for attaching a clip with a leash to a cable
The brakes on the reels (for fishing with a downrigger, multipliers are better, although the usual “inertia-free” ones work well) while lowering the load, they are weakened, but not to the limit, but so that the line goes under a slight tightness, without breaking out of the clip clip and at the same time the same time without forming a large arc in the water column between the rod and the clip during the movement of the boat.
The downrigger is usually equipped with a load lowering depth counter. In the simplest models, the meter scale is replaced by marks placed directly on the cable with a waterproof marker. When the load reaches the required depth, the drum is blocked. Now you need to wind the lines on the spools of the reels to such an extent that the rods bend into tense arcs under the action of tension between their tips and clips.
Now everything is ready and you can direct the boat along the route planned for fishing. Lures come at two levels, and the angler knows exactly at what depth. When a fish takes one of them, it will rip the line out of the clip. At the same time, the rod will instantly be released from tension and straighten sharply.
As a rule, at this moment there is an automatic hooking, and the angler only has to correctly bring the fish to the surface on the line released from the clip and take it to the landing net. The task of the angler is also facilitated by the fact that on the rod rig itself there are no unnecessary interference in the form of sinkers that complement the bait, as in normal fishing, since the downrigger takes over the function of accurately “pointing” the wobbler or vibrotail to the target.
Therefore, the chances of the fish to get rid of the hooks are much less. For downrigger fishing, it is better to use rods with a soft action. In this case, even with a fairly strong tension between the tip of the rod and the clip, the line is released only when you bite.
Otherwise, you will have to clamp the line harder, and then a medium-sized fish simply will not be able to pull it out of the clip, and the bite will have to be determined by the tip of the rod weakly twitching from the jerks of the predator. At the same time, the angler himself releases the fishing line with a sharp movement and then fights the prey. But the effectiveness of the downrigger will almost disappear, and it will turn into a regular “blind track” if you do not supplement it with an echo sounder.
Thanks to the echo sounder, you can accurately determine at what depth the fish is kept. According to his testimony, you can clearly set the depth of the baits and, ultimately, serve them to predators “on a silver platter”.
In addition, the echo sounder will help determine the structure and topography of the bottom at the place of fishing. The metal load is reflected on its screen as a solid line, so it is not difficult to guide the bait along the bottom - it is enough to raise or lower the load in the direction of travel, clearly following the bottom relief. The echo sounder will inform the angler about other useful facts, but the main thing is at what depth the fish is.
The speed of trolling depends on the type of bait, and on the depth of fishing, and even on the manner of attack of the predator. When catching a live or dead fish in a rig, they try to give it the most natural movement possible, and a very low trolling speed is appropriate here. Artificial lures lead faster. But we must remember that as the speed of the boat increases, the downrigger cable deviates more from the vertical.
Since the trolling speed is low with a downrigger, it is better to use an electric motor for fishing in lakes and reservoirs, and a gasoline one just to get to the place. Another important aspect of downrigger fishing is the behavior of the lure while trolling. What wobblers are used when trolling trout fishing you will find out -
Experienced anglers, before starting fishing, check the course of a particular bait visually, next to the boat, choosing the most effective speed for it, and hence the speed of the boat itself. If the bait is of a diving type, the depth of its movement should be taken into account when setting the load, especially when fishing is carried out near the bottom.
For example, a wobbler that dives 3-4 m during normal spinning wiring when trolling with a downrigger can go the same 3-4 m below the point at which the fishing line is clamped. Another issue that will also have to be decided based on fishing experience is the length of the fishing line from the clamp to the spinner. This question is no less important than the previous one. General rule: the more careful the fish, the greater the distance from the lure to the clip should be.
Some manufacturers include charts with their downriggers to help determine the optimal length of line release from clamp to lure for different types of fish, and even the water temperature at which these fish are most active. For example, Walker downriggers offers to fish pike perch with a bait release from 12 to 18 m at a temperature of 12 to 18 ° C, pike - 2.5-18 m from the clamp at 15-19 ° C, salmon - 2-24 m at 8-14°C and so on.
By the way, by the temperature of the water it is quite possible to determine where the fish is. The temperature may indicate both the places of concentration of food organisms and the physiological barrier that the fish cannot overcome. Typically, water temperature drops with increasing depth.
Downrigger in action
(a) - clip for fastening on a cable
(b) - clip with a leash for fixing on the load
In the middle of summer, anglers are faced with the thermocline phenomenon, when the wind, mixing the upper layer of water, makes it uniform in temperature, and in the lower layers it drops sharply. The upper, warmer layer contains more oxygen dissolved in the water, it contains more food for peaceful fish, and it, in turn, attracts predators.
Knowing what temperature fish prefer, along with measurement data at various depths, makes fishing more targeted. The simplest solution is a thermometer, which measures the temperature right at the side of the boat. As an option - a temperature sensor mounted on the hull of the boat.
But, of course, the most accurate temperature data can be obtained from a sensor mounted on the downrigger load, the signals from which go to the boat along a special cable coaxial with the load cable. But this is already from the area of \u200b\u200b"bells and whistles" to the downrigger, which you can do without. The largest downrigger manufacturers on the North American continent are Walker, Cannon, Big Jon and Scotty.
In terms of design, products from different companies differ somewhat from each other, but in terms of design, all downriggers have many similarities. First of all, it is, of course, the winch drum. It holds a sufficient amount of braided stainless wire rope (with an approximate test of 70 to 90 kg). Downrigger weights come in a variety of shapes and colors and typically weigh between 2.5 and 4.5 kg.
The weight of the load is selected depending on the depth of fishing - approximately 500 g is added for every 5 m of depth, and the maximum weight should not exceed 7 kg. If the downrigger drive is manual, then fishing at great depths is a rather laborious task, but this primarily applies to sea fishing, where electric models are more often used.
The electric downrigger raises and lowers the load using a 12 V motor. The current required for its operation is minimal: about 6A for a 4 kg load. Electric downriggers are usually equipped with an automatic switch that is triggered when the load reaches the boom when it is lifted.
A characteristic for all models without exception is an arrow. This is a rod made of steel or aluminum with an adjustable length from 0.5 to 1.5 m, along which the load cable runs. At the end of the boom there is a pulley and a buffer that protects the boom from being hit by a rising load. Manufacturers offer a range of clip models used for different fishing conditions depending on trolling speed, load weight and so on.
Traditionally reliable clips are produced by the Italian company Stonfo. To understand with what force to clamp the fishing line so that it is released only from the jerk of the fish, and not from the resistance of the bait as it moves through the water column, the angler will be able only with the acquisition of at least a little experience with a downrigger.
bite moment
Walker downriggers offers its own clamp design, in which the fishing line is not fixed between two flat parts, like a clip, but is wound on a small reel. Depending on the fishing conditions, the fishing line is wrapped around the reel from one to five times. The last “peep” in downrigger fishing is a miniature TV camera mounted on a load or on a line next to it.
Walker Line Locking System
The angler can now see on the 25-inch screen as the fish attack the bait and land on the hooks. Then these shots can be played over and over again in the company of friends as an actual confirmation of fishing exploits. Of course, such pleasure costs money, and the camera is more applicable in clear sea water.
For the first time, I myself had to verify the effectiveness of a conventional downrigger with a manual winch when catching zander on Seliger. It is not so easy to find fish on the large stretches of the lake; sometimes it is even more difficult to catch it. With an echo sounder and downrigger, the chances of catching a predator on artificial bait increase several times.
Once, my partner and I had to iron one of the stretches on an electric motor for a long time in search of a walleye that did not want to discover itself. Several "trackers" who met us this morning only shrugged, and by no means in order to show the size of the fish already caught.
Finally, when we were moving in splendid isolation over a large underwater plateau spread out at a depth of 15 meters, single silhouettes of fish began to appear on the echo sounder screen 5 meters below the boat. Having placed the load a meter lower, so as not to scare away potential trophies, we fixed the fishing line from two rods in the clamps on the cable.
One bait - a wobbler - went exactly at a depth of 5 m, others - a “locomotive” of a vibrotail and a wobbler - 70 cm higher. Downrigger with two rods. was placed at the stern, and four more rods along the sides worked like ordinary “tracks” with wobblers and silicone at the ends of the lines. The immersion depth of the lures on them was determined, as they say, “by eye”.
The very first call of the boat over the fish standing in the water column brought a couple of bites and one pike perch. What kind of tackle did you take the fish with? Guessed! Of course, the one that we were able to draw to the depth we needed with the help of a downrigger with an accuracy of up to a centimeter! Then more bites and perch pulled out of the depths were waiting for us, but this was already a matter of technology.
And by the evening, the local oral fishing radio reported that the biting on the lake for everyone that day was “well, just nowhere”, with the exception of two eccentrics who were very lucky. So think, gentlemen, fishermen, to have or not to have, or rather, to catch or not to catch ...
Experienced anglers are well aware that not always the fish is near the bottom. Moreover, there are many species of fish that avoid bottom areas altogether. The main objects of trolling fishing are representatives of the noble - by the nature of their behavior, they are rather pelagic fish, in contrast to pike perch, which prefers to be at the bottom. The main horizon on which the majority of salmonids in deep waters rests is the upper half of the water column. If the actual depth at the place of fishing is 100 m, the lower limit for salmon will be at around 50 m. And the habitat of the char, which is sometimes called, is clear and cold-water lakes with great depths. Only during the spawning season, the char is selected to "shallow areas" with depths of 10-20 m and a pebbly bottom. Usually palia can be found at depths of 20-70 meters. There are rare catches of this fish at much shallower depths, but they are episodic.
Paliya, salmon and trout (trout) are widespread in many lakes of northern Russia, but Scandinavians and North Americans (Canadians and Americans) have succeeded much more in catching them. In these vast regions, located on different shores of the Atlantic, salmon fishing is equally popular. Trolling is no less popular. Fishing conditions are also similar. In Scandinavia, salmon ponds are the Baltic Sea. The Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, Lake Saimaa (Finland), lakes Vättern, Vänern and Mälaren (Sweden). Each of these reservoirs is unique in its own way, but they also have much in common.
Across the ocean, on the border of the United States and Canada, a wide variety of salmon species live in the Great Lakes. Fishing conditions, despite the significant distance between the regions, are largely similar. The same huge water areas, great depths, clear and oxygenated water. The fish constantly moves after the food both along the horizons and in the water column. The conditions for catching and the habits of fish living in the Canadian Great Lakes, Scandinavian reservoirs and reservoirs of northwestern Russia are largely similar. Western anglers long before the advent of trolling in Russia faced the problem of catching fish in those periods when it sinks to great depths. So far, there are no baits that can reach depths of more than 15 m without additional help. Of course, you can catch with sheer lure, which allows you to lower the bait to a considerable depth. Many marine predators are caught in this way: cod, saffron cod, mackerel, halibut and others. But this is no longer trolling.
Knowing that the fish are only a few meters below the working depth of the lures, experienced craftsman anglers began to make all kinds of devices that allow them to deliver the bait to great depths. But at great depths, in addition to salmon, other fish can be found. One of the frequent guests in the catches of trollingers is pike perch, much less often, but still there is a pike, in the open spaces of the sea from time to time there are bites of cod and garfish. With the growth of achievements in trolling, the desire of anglers to improve the comfort and practicality of deepeners grew, so their various modifications and all new devices began to appear. If the first deepeners allowed to increase the working depth by only a few meters, then with the advent of modern systems, anglers catch almost any depth without problems. All this increases the chances of catching a larger trophy
Types of deepeners and their modifications
Deepeners can be conditionally divided into two categories: mobile and stationary, although this division does not fully reflect the true state of affairs. Mobile deepeners are devices that can be easily installed on the tackle and just as easy to remove. In turn, this group is divided into two subgroups: those who work due to the mass and those who work due to the form. The first subgroup is the simplest. In fact, these are just additional weights that increase the working depth of the bait. For ease of use, these lake trolling sinks have a maximum weight of 150g, although there are no hard limits. The fact is that the greater the mass of the load, the worse the tackle works. In my arsenal there are weights of 50: 70 and 100 g. Sometimes I have to hang two weights on one tackle at once, but even in this case it is rarely possible to lower the bait to a depth of more than 25 m. m. but this depth is often not enough, so additional loads cannot be considered universal.
The deepening of the second subgroup, the so-called Dipsy diver of various modifications, works like the blade of a diving wobbler. It is attached to the main line, and during wiring it creates powerful resistance, sinking to a depth slightly exceeding the horizon, which the bait reaches with the help of additional weight. This type of deepeners are widely used in cases where the fishing depth does not exceed 25 m. Both the Dipsy diver and the load are a large load on the tackle; both devices are limited in working depth, both make it difficult to recognize a bite and distort the sensations when playing medium-sized trophies. They differ only in the fact that the “weighted” dampeners are faster and easier to install and remove from the tackle, which cannot be said about the Dipsy diver modifications. The positive aspects of mobile deepeners include lightness, mobility, low weight, size and cost, due to which they are widely used among many beginner trollingers, but they do not allow you to confidently control the course of the bait at the desired depth, regardless of the speed of the current or other external factors. When anglers realized that the true trophies were hidden from them at great depths, trolling boats were overgrown with more complex stationary devices.
Downriggers
These stationary devices are widely used both in Scandinavia and in North America. A downrigger consists of a coil with a cable wound around it and a heavy weight. For the convenience of anglers, an electric reel drive, a meter that counts the length of the released cable, systems for attaching the downrigger to the side of the boat, and additional holders for rods were additionally introduced. The weights, too, have undergone various changes over the decades. Downrigger makes available to anglers great depths, the achievement of which depends only on the weight of the kettlebell. In addition, the device is convenient and easy to use and does not interfere with the playing of fish. Of the shortcomings, I note only the relative bulkiness and rather high cost. A powerful downrigger can only be installed on a spacious boat, since it takes up quite a lot of space. Of the manufacturers, first of all, it is worth highlighting the brands widely used on the Russian market: Scotty, Vector, Canon.
The models of each of them have their own characteristics, but the gradation on the scale of cost is usually the same. So the least expensive models lack an electronic drive, have a coil of a smaller diameter and, consequently, the size of the weight (that is, the maximum available depth), a small rod extension; they do not have a cable release counter. Traditionally, downriggers are placed on special turntables that are attached to the railing or directly to the side of the boat. With the increase in the cost of downriggers, additional options are added, indicators are increased. The most expensive models are equipped with an electric winch drive, a mandatory counter in meters or feet. The length of the cable is much longer, and the design itself is stronger and stronger, which allows the use of larger weights and opens up access to greater depths.
The equipment of the downrigger includes special clothespins; with their help, the tackle is attached to the cable, at the end of which there is a weight. A turntable is also purchased separately, usually including special holders for rods. All this only increases the final cost of the device to 25-35 thousand rubles. Up to three gear can be used on one downrigger at the same time, but more often anglers are limited to two. In those situations where fishing makes sense only from great depths, the number of gear involved is of key importance. In most cases, two downriggers are installed on one boat, but some anglers practicing deep-sea trolling install three or four of them.
The range of available depths depends largely on the weight and shape of the load being applied. The first models were in the form of a ball and sailed heavily when moving. More modern ones have a streamlined shape, and in addition, they are additionally equipped with a special stabilizing tail. The average downrigger model without any difficulties allows you to lower the bait to a depth of 50-60 m, which in most cases is quite enough for catching salmon, trout, char, pike perch or fairway pike.
But can a downrigger be considered a universal tackle, convenient and applicable for everyone? Of course not. There are a number of factors that do not allow calling it an ideal sink, although it is only with its help that trollingers are able to purposefully catch char, achieve success in catching salmon in those moments when they are at great depths
Gear placement principles
Earlier, I talked about the different gear arrangements when using a glider system. In fact, in most cases, gliders and downriggers work simultaneously and complement each other in search of working depth. One of the glider layouts was marked with the Latin letter W. Downriggers fit perfectly into this scheme, and in this case, the use of surface baits running in the wake of the boat is envisaged.
If we consider a specific arrangement on one cable, then the lower clip is most often placed in the immediate vicinity of the weight, the upper one - at a distance of at least 2 m higher along the cable. When greater depths are fished and it is possible to arrange a sufficient number of spinning rods at the stern of the boat, the number of clips can be increased. But it should be remembered that in the case of a fish biting on the lower tackle, entanglement of the remaining gear is possible. Therefore, many experienced anglers recommend immediately removing all other gear involved.
Experienced anglers never treat one downrigger as a separate state. In other words, if there are two or more downriggers on the boat, each of them will cover a different range. The starting points can be the bottom or the thermocline, the boundary of suspension and clear water. The vertical is sometimes very long, in practice we only assume in which conditional sector the fish is located, and therefore the greatest coverage allows you to quickly check your guesses.
The use of "mobile" deepwaters in such schemes is also appropriate, but only in combination with gliders or lures walking in the wake. Additional deepeners, which we call mobile, are never used in tandem with a downrigger. First, because it is not necessary. Downrigger allows you to reach almost any depth. And secondly, we only approximately understand the working depth of the bait loaded with a mobile deepener.
Being engaged in the arrangement of gear, one should study the bottom topography and the change in depths well. The statement “the fish swims along the bottom”, is undoubtedly based, but in trolling it is extremely rare to catch near-bottom areas. Using a downrigger on uneven bottoms can result in serious hooking and loss of weight, time, nerves and often a significant amount of line. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to study the water area in advance, especially since modern electronic charts allow this. Undercurrents, changes in water density, speed of the boat often change the depth of the kettlebell. How much the depth of its actual position corresponds to the meter readings can be understood by the angle at which the cable goes into the water relative to the boat.
Tackles located closer to the side of the boat, but mounted on gliders, are very often equipped with various modifications of mobile deepeners. I most often use cargo deepeners by installing them on both sides of the two closest gears. For example, if we take as a basis the actual depth of 50 m and the classic arrangement of gear, then the scheme will look like this (view from the stern from left to right): 0.5-1.5-7-12-25-35-1-2, 5-30-40-10-8-1.5-0.5. This digital code contains simple information indicating the depth of the bait. So the numbers 0.5 following in this order the first four positions on the left and the last four positions on the right (0.5-12 and 10-0.5) correspond to the gear working on gliders. In this case, the baits closest to the side of the boat, going at depths 7; 12; 10 and 8 are equipped with additional mobile deepeners. Lures operating at depths of 1 liter 2.5 m occupying the middle of the "arrangement" are in the wake of the boat. Lures corresponding to the depths of 25 and 35 m work in tandem with the left downrigger, and baiting depths of 30 and 40 m, respectively, with the right one. Thus, it is clearly seen how wide opportunities open up for the angler. The indicated depths are approximate and should not be taken into account in practice. In fact, the depth range depends on many factors. If the angler is sure that the fish is in the lower layers of the water, for example, below the thermocline located at a depth of 18 m, then absolutely all baits can be lowered to the working range. Conversely, when fish are hunting at the surface of the water, there is no need to significantly deepen the bait. This scheme can be considered "classical" and corresponds to the Latin letter W.
Tactics and technique
In this and previous articles, I have repeatedly touched on the topic of tactical and technical actions of the angler. Deep-sea trolling is the main fishing only in certain situations, much more often the use of submersibles is aimed at expanding the boundaries only in the vertical plane. Speaking of tactics, first of all, it is worth mentioning a number of factors that have a significant impact on the approach to fishing.
When deciding how deep to lower the downrigger weight and how much weight to install, there are many nuances to consider. Calculate the density of water, of course, you can, but. as a rule, this is “higher mathematics” for anglers, and therefore much less attention is paid to this factor that affects the depth of the bait. Another thing is the speed of the boat. Depending on the type of fish the angler is targeting, the speed of the boat may vary. In addition, depending on the time of year, a specific reservoir, water area (outer banks or coastal territory), external factors (current, waves and wind), the speed may also change. As the speed of the boat increases, the pressure on the weight increases and the resistance of the water begins to push it to the surface. It is impossible to avoid this, but it is possible to significantly reduce the effect of water by using weights of a more "aerodynamic" shape and greater mass. When working with a kettlebell, it is imperative to leave a margin of at least 2-3 from the bottom. In northern Ladoga and Lake Onega, the bottom topography is unstable, with depth differences of several meters. Serious depth jumps are necessarily marked on the sailing directions, but minor changes may be hidden from electronic charts. A hook in trolling is a particularly unpleasant phenomenon, let alone a situation where such emergency situations lead to the loss of weights.
The placement of baits is most often done on the basis of assumptions about the sector where the predator is located. The initial data are taken from the thermocline, echo sounder readings about the presence of accumulations of small fish at a certain depth, and temperature fluctuations in water. The thermocline is now shown even by not too advanced echo sounders. The temperature boundary of surface and deep waters often attracts the inhabitants of the deep sea. It is worth catching both the upper boundary of the thermocline and the lower one. Accumulations of small fish are confidently recorded by modern echo sounders equipped with powerful sensors. Predatory fish are most often located either below the fodder flock or, conversely, at a shallower depth, above the flock. In accordance with this knowledge, baits should be placed. Modern echo sounders allow anglers to obtain information about temperature changes in the water column. These changes can be influenced by several factors: air temperature on the surface, waves, currents, and a river flowing nearby.
Depending on the time of year, the mood of the fish changes. So, in early spring, when the average water temperature is close to zero, even cold-loving representatives of salmon look for places with warmer water. Such areas are most often near the surface, but in some places warm masses of water can be found at considerable depths. In summer, the situation is reversed. When the water temperature is generally around 14-18~C, salmon try to find areas with colder water. Knowing this, the angler can place the maximum number of lures in the area of interest to him. The movement of fish in the water column can also be influenced by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, the strength and direction of the wind, current, oxygen saturation, and other factors. In most cases, fishing has to start with experiments, and this is where the previously described W-shaped gear layout helps, which allows you to view all layers of water at the same time.
Flasher + Downrigger
There was once a hypothesis based on practical experience that predatory fish are more likely to respond to the bait in a situation where there is competition with other predators. It was necessary to create artificial competition. As a result of the experiments, such devices as a flasher and a dodger appeared, differing only in the nature of the game. They were supposed to create powerful vibrations in the immediate vicinity of the bait, attracting a predator from a greater distance, provoking it to compete. And the combination of a flasher and a downrigger is due only to the possibility of using the former in deep-sea trolling. In those situations when a large predator hunts at great depths (from 10 m and above), a flasher or dodger is placed in front of the bait installed on the downrigger. Its size and nature of fluctuations depend on specific conditions. Today, this is perhaps the best device that really increases the chances of catching a trophy, as well as the number of bites, but there is also a side effect in this: in just a few hours of such fishing, a significant piece of fishing line is “killed”.
Bite and fight
When the bait goes in tandem with a "mobile" deepener on a glider tackle, it is no different from the usual "glider" fishing technique. In the event of a bite, the fish are also brought to the wake of the boat, and other gear is quickly selected from the stern to avoid entanglement. With downrigger gear, the situation is not more complicated. At that moment, when the fish attacks the bait, the fishing line jumps out of the clip connecting it to the downrigger cable, at this moment the spinning sharply unbends, at the same time hooking the trophy. After a bite, thanks to the force of a moving boat, the fish gradually rises to the surface. During this time, it is worth removing gear operating in the wake stream. When using a downrigger, after a bite, there are no intermediate links between the bait and the spinning rod that distort the sensation of fighting (as is the case with the use of mobile deepeners). As with glider fishing, the movement of the boat is stopped only in the event of a bite of a particularly large fish. The fighting technique is a classic pumping out, which is helped by the action of the rod and a good
A downrigger is a winch with a manual or electric drive, with a cable and a load at the end. Designed for deepening the bait.
When and why should you use a downrigger?
Firstly, a downrigger is almost always used in cases where it is necessary to draw a decoy deeper than 15 meters from the surface. This is how they catch deep salmon (for example, palia) or large pike perch. Of course, it is possible to lower the bait to depths of more than 15 meters without the help of a downrigger, but in this case, control over it is lost. And if the depth of the reservoir at the place of fishing is about 50 m, and you need to go deeper by 15 m, then only a system with a downrigger will surely be able to do this.
Secondly, it is not necessary to use this system at such great depths. If the bait needs to be guided through a 10-meter depth, then the downrigger will help you here too. Moreover, without it, only a rather large wobbler or a wobbler of the “fat” type can dive to these depths. But the Minnow model will not descend to these depths on its own.
And with a downrigger, you can use any kind of bait: a small light oscillating lure, a “plastic” trolling oscillator, a “minnow” wobbler, etc. That is, the own deepening of the bait no longer matters.
Third advantage- the possibility of maneuvering in depth. If you saw a fish on the echo sounder at a depth of 10-12 m and it suddenly moved to 15-17 m, then it will not be difficult to rebuild the downrigger. And you don’t need to exhaust the gear and change the bait.
What kind of fish can be caught with a downrigger?
Everything that you catch with ordinary spinning. In the northern regions, these are most often certain types of salmon, as well as pike perch. There may be catfish in the south. Of course, there is no point in catching perch with this method - too much time is spent on “charging” the gear. But when catching trophy fish or when bites do not follow very often, this tackle is quite suitable.
In Russia, downriggers are still represented by only two or three manufacturers, the leading one of which is the Canadian company Scotty. She has the widest assortment, and prices from "budget" to quite high. Therefore, we will analyze the device of downriggers using Scotty as an example.
Downrigger Characteristics
1. The main feature of the downrigger is the drive. It can be either manual or electric. The first one is more reliable (there is, in fact, nothing to break), but it is not very convenient to use it at depths of more than 10 meters. Since the load at these depths is almost always from 4 to 6 kg, each time it is simply tiring to carry it up and down, and even for a long time.
Mostly manual are quite compact models. Although there are exceptions. Hand models are intended for relatively shallow lakes and rivers when trolling at depths of 5-10 m. Hand models are also used when catching trophy fish, when only a couple of bites can be expected per day. Electric models - for greater convenience. They can be used both at shallow depths and at 50 m. Either a conventional battery or a boat power supply system is used as a current source.
2. The presence of a cable counter. This system is required. Of course, you can track the depth on the echo sounder (if the echo sounder sensor is installed at the stern and has a fairly wide angle, then the weight will be visible as a strip on the screen). But it's better to have a counter. Scotty models have a counter installed on all models older than 1050 (inclusive).
3. It is also necessary to have a quality roller block at the end of the downrigger mast. Still, the load here is considerable and the cable is metal. But on modern systems, the rollers are of quite satisfactory quality.
4. The downrigger mast can be either single or telescopic. The second is necessary for a more distant removal of the cable from the side of the boat and from the motor propeller. That is, the need for a telescopic mast is determined both by the craft itself and by the installation site. Keep in mind that a telescoping mast is less strong than a one-piece mast, and therefore it is not recommended to use too heavy weights on the telescope. But such a mast holds 5.5 kg freely.
5.Mount. There are quite a few mounting options. Some boats have special platforms on the sides in the stern area. Usually the downrigger is already equipped with a fixed mount. However, for smaller models and for rental boats, it is desirable to have a clamp. But clamps are suitable only for small models - no older than 1050. It is desirable to equip more powerful models with the so-called turntable. It allows you to deploy the downrigger boom along the side while moving from place to place. If you want to install the downrigger on the railing (a pipe running along the side of the boat), then there is also a special clamp for this.
6. Cargo. Perhaps, what Scotty sins with is cargo. They have ordinary balls with a loop for fastening, and only the smallest load has a semblance of a “tail”. However, weights with a tail will be more suitable, preferably not spherical, but similar to a drop or the so-called “pills”. They do not twist the cable and have a more streamlined shape, which affects the angle of deviation of the cable from the vertical.
7. Availability of holders. As a rule, one or two rods are mounted on one downrigger. You can install more, but not at the beginning of mastering this fishing. Almost all downriggers, whether Scotty or another manufacturer, are already equipped with one or two holders. On small models, the holder is mounted directly on the boom. If desired, you can also put the second one here. Larger models, mostly electric, have two holders on a special platform on which the downrigger itself is attached. If you use more than two rods, then all the rest can be installed in separate holders located side by side on the board or stern.
Other gear for downrigger fishing
1. Clips. Two types of clips are used - cargo and cable. The task of the clip is to fix the fishing line and, when biting, release it for playing the fish. The cargo clip has an ordinary carabiner at one end of the fishing line, which is attached either to the carabiner of the cargo, or to a special hole in the tail of the cargo. Usually the downrigger already comes with this clip. At the other end of the leash is the clip itself. The length of the leash can vary from approximately 0.5 to 2 m. A cable clip differs from a cargo clip in that instead of a regular carabiner, a special clip is installed on one of the ends of the leash, which fastens on the cable and moves along it only with a decent effort. Therefore, we can fix the second bait above the load, at any distance from it. There is also a third type of clips, they have the same clamp as a retainer on the cable, with which we fix the fishing line from spinning, and an ordinary carabiner holds the leash on the cable.
The size of the clips themselves can be different. The larger it is, the larger the clip is designed for larger baits, that is, the fishing line in it can be fixed more strongly. There are clips with variable clamping force, but they are much more expensive than usual ones. Scotty produces three types of clips: power grip plus mini, power grip plus and original snapper. The first ones are more suitable for small light spoons or small wobblers, the second ones can withstand fairly large baits, and the third ones have rubber (rather than plastic) sponges.
2. Spinning rods. For downrigger fishing, specialized rods are used. They have a very "flimsy" upper part and when hooked with a bait for an obstacle, they bend strongly. At the time of the bite, when the fish pulls the line out of the clip, the spinning straightens up, thereby signaling a bite and taking out the resulting slack. Most often these are either fiberglass or composite rods.
3. Lures. As mentioned above, your own lure depth in downrigger fishing does not matter. Or rather, the absence of one's own deepening is desirable.
4. Wobblers type "minnow" or any other with a minimum depth. The size can be any. The larger the bait, the more powerful the clip should be.
5. Trolling oscillators. They are made of thin metal and due to this they work even at the minimum wiring speed. The size, again, is any, from a couple of centimeters when fishing for lake trout to 20 cm for catfish or trophy pike. A separate group are plastic oscillators. Having a minimum weight, they work at very low speeds, but they retain an attractive game even when the speed increases. A characteristic representative of this group is Pro-Troll products. These lures are used for salmon fishing.
- It is very interesting that when fishing with a downrigger, a very strong sound is heard. When we swim, it feels like a bird is singing nearby - it's a tight rope ringing. On the sonar screen, we see the symbols of fish. In general, the downrigger is good because we can very effectively catch minnow wobblers, which by themselves cannot be driven to great depths, but with a downrigger it is quite simple. Minnows show very good results, especially in walleye, because walleye loves narrow-bodied fish.
http://www.ruboman.ru/2013/02/01/lovlya-s-pomoshhyu-daunriggera.html - If you are a fan of catching zander, pike, perch, then without a downrigger, you risk being left without a full-fledged catch. That is, you, of course, will catch fish, but not as much as you could. Anyone who has tried to catch walleye trolling with a downrigger knows the torment with frequent lifting of cargo and bait, when undersized pike perches peck, too small to pull the line out of the clip .
http://rybalka-info.in/index.php?id=132&Itemid=71&option=com_content&view=article - In my practice of fishing with a downrigger, I have used various lures. Catching on small bladeless wobblers with a stable game made a vivid impression on me. However, narrow small spoons were more suitable for catching zander. I do not give preference to any one predator, I like it when different fish bite. In addition to Mepps spinners, Muran, weighing 3-5 g, equipped with flies of various colors, worked well on perch and pike.
https://fishingplanet.ru/library/osenniy-trolling-s-daunriggerom/ - Some manufacturers include charts with their downriggers to help determine the optimal length of line release from clamp to lure for different types of fish, and even the water temperature at which these fish are most active. For example, Walker downriggers offers to catch pike perch with bait release from 12 to 1*** m at a temperature of 12 to 1***°C, pike - 2.5-1*** m from the clamp at 15-1** * ° C, salmon - at 2-24 m at ***-14 ° C and so on. Downrigger.
http://fishcom67.ru/spinning/daunrigger - In the sense of pike perch, he caught both at 14 and 16 m, but into the floor of water from under the boilers (but again, the wobbler needs to be driven under the boiler with something else, again the downrigger is needed), from the bottom he doesn’t want it yet. This is already about P.S . At the same time, I do not consider myself a beginner in fishing, as I normally catch on the track or on the cast and on wobblers and poppers and pieces of iron. but with a downrigger, in general, some kind of hat. drive it like...
http://www.rusfishing.ru/forum/showthread.php?p=5122195 - According to the author, it is generally accepted that fishing with the help of such a system is designed for sea fishing and for very large bodies of water. But it turns out that you can catch with the help of trolling with a downrigger on the inland waters of Central Russia and even on relatively small rivers. This system allows you to catch such well-known fish species as: pike, perch, zander, as well as catfish.
http://uspehfishing.ru/video-rybalke/bratya-shherbakovy/trolling-s-daunriggerom -
http://www.rusfishing.ru/forum/showthread.php?p=5262835 - Tell me, is the downrigger effective for catching pike, pike perch, catfish at depths of 5-12 m on the Dnieper and reservoirs? Is it needed at all? What bait is better to use? Peter, let's not comment, at least this time. You have your own opinion (hang at least a sledgehammer on the line, it’s purple for me), I have my own, I’ll fish with a downrigger ..
http://www.rusfishing.ru/forum/showthread.php?p=5263981 - Speaking about Lake Erie, we can say that trolling fishing with a downrigger of various fish here follows almost the same scenario, only the depth of the lure is different (in accordance with the preferences of the target), and sometimes - lures. steelhead salmon, zander are best caught in those areas where rocky outcrops predominate. As lures, I prefer spinners: NK2 ***, Michigan Stingers and other "iron". Working depths are variable - from 25 feet (7.5 m)...
http://mesto-kleva.ru/blog/master-klass/1066.html - Yes, and on lakes with an average depth, where on summer days pike perches are well caught at their usual depth, keeping close to banks and rocky ridges, in late autumn, "fanged" go to significant (in general, maximum for a reservoir) depths. You can extend the zander fishing season by "lowering" the bait by 15-25 meters. You can hardly talk seriously about catching pike using a downrigger.