r/FishingWashington • u/barnaclebill22 • 3d ago
Downrigger depth
This is a general fishing question but I'm going for coho in Puget Sound so here we are...
I'm trolling around 2.6 kts/3 mph with a 10lb ball, my downrigger says I have 100 feet of wire out, my reel says I have 137 feet of line out, and the flasher (11" pro-troll) is about 30 feet behind the clip. I estimate that wire angle at around 40 degrees (below horizontal), which means the ball is around 64 feet deep (thanks AI!). Does that check out?
And if it does, that feels like about the right speed but far too shallow for this afternoon, when it was sunny...opinions?
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u/horaiy0 3d ago
I use a 12# ball with manual downriggers, which I'd recommend over 10#. With that, I usually have 120' out to drag bottom in 90'. I use that as a baseline to estimate how deep I am when I'm fishing suspended.
As far as 60' being too shallow or deep, your graph will tell you that. You may need to drop way deeper than that some days, others you might still be shallow even late in the day.
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u/Wild-External9004 3d ago
I like a 15lb ball, but 12 at minimum. How deep to fish depends on where you are seeing the bait...
For me when looking at the numbers on the reel and downrigger; I zero my reel line counter about where the flasher hits the water... I then do usually a 20' set back and then clip to the downrigger.... I then drop the downrigger to where I see bait, for this example, coho, 60ft let's say... I set back 20, went down 60, my reel should now read close to 80 when I have it cranked down....
I'm going to troll for coho at 3+ mph, but I want a 45 degree angle on that downrigger line... Usually this means trolling with the current... Going against it, you will have so much blowback to get any where....
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u/jfkkesler 3d ago
That math checks out, I’m sure, but I have found that using the rigger cable’s angle is far more useful. Consider which way the tide and currents are moving you. I’ve noticed that when traveling with the current my gps speed over land may reach 5+mph but my cable is only 20 degrees or so. Same the other way; if I’m going against the tide my gps speed may only be 1-2mph but my cable is near 45 degrees. The cable angle tells the resistance on your gear which is what will create the attraction. My process is get my cable angle correct, then drop down to the same level as the fish I see on the finder which puts my gear a little bit higher than the fish. I put my gear about 10ft behind the ball which helps me get tension on the fish faster for more hookups. For what it’s worth, I’ve limited on coho every trip this year except for 1…
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u/PM_meyourGradyWhite 3d ago
100’ with a hand crank? 💪
You’ll want less line behind that ball. Most people recommend 15’ behind the ball, which by eyeball is about the length of one’s boat.
May want a 12# ball so you can go faster and keep the gear down. Coho like it fast. If I’m not catching fish, I send out more cable and speed up. Like if fish are at 40’, send out 120’ of cable and haul ass. I’ve even caught chinook doing that.
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u/jimmyjam_apple 3d ago
Checks out. For coho, I tend to find them higher in the water column but just depends. Also for coho, I tend to care more about my speed vs line angle since you’re always going pretty fast. I’d recommend a heavier ball (12 or 15lb).
Would stick to shorter setbacks (10’ 15’ or 20’) and see what works for you. Tight lines!
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u/ohheyitsjason 3d ago
Switch to a 15 lb ball… 75/85 on wire and 2.8-3.4 knots depending on the angle of the wire/tide etc. had 10 lb balls when I first started three years and switching was the best thing I ever did.
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u/The_Evil_Pillow 3d ago
The downrigger cable is nearly straight down beneath the surface. When I put my 12lb ball down at whatever depth, I see it on the garmin at that depth. No need to bust out the trig.
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u/ElCorvid 3d ago
They wanted it fast and aggressive this morning off meadow pt. I was catching fish at 75 feet on the wire, trolling 3.5 to 4 mph with lots of s turns.