Boating USA — January 2018

7 6 | B O A T I N G M A G. C O M | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8

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SHORT CASTS

By Ron Ballanti

7 6|B O A T I N G M A G. C O M|J A N U A R Y2 0 1 8

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SHORT CASTS

ByRonBallanti

Fish often concentrate in a

specifi c stratum of the water

column, held there by food,

temperature, and other

conditions they fi nd to their

liking. This can challenge an-

glers who want to keep their

trolling baits or lures in the

zone. While lead-core line

is one way to get off erings to

run deep, downriggers are a

more precise and controlled

way to troll when fi sh are

holding at a specifi c depth.

FOLLOW YOUR FISH

FINDER Use your fi sh fi nder

to look for schools of bait and

fi sh, as well as thermoclines

that often mark as a steady

line between the surface and

the bottom. Any of these can

signal the depth to set your

lines. Monitor the screen to

make sure your downrigger

weights are far enough above

structure, trees or other ob-

stacles to avoid snagging.

TEST THE WATERS Until

you fi gure out at which level

the fi sh are holding, run your

downriggers at diff erent

depths. You can also stagger-

stack two or more trolling

lines on each downrigger by

using adjustable line releases

that clip onto the downrigger

cable. Once you fi nd a pattern

of strikes at a particular

depth zone, adjust all your

gear to focus the eff ort in

this area.

CONSIDER THE

CONDITIONS Don’t rely

solely on the downrigger’s

depth gauge, because boat

speed and the speed/direc-

tion of the current can aff ect

the actual trolling depth of

your lure or bait. You can

often observe the actual

running depth of your gear

on the fi sh-fi nder display and

raise or lower the downrigger

to get into the strike zone.

Lipped crankbaits catch

anything, from freshwater

trout and bass to saltwater

reds, stripers, calico bass

and more. But the triple

treble hooks can be a has-

sle, proving hard to unhook

and snagging fi shermen’s

fi ngers. What to do?

Replace stock treble

hooks with single replace-

ment hooks offered by

manufacturers like Owner

and VMC. These specialized

hooks feature an eye that is

in line with the hook shaft

rather than perpendicular

to it.

Split-ring pliers make

it easier to swap out the

hooks. Place the forward

hook (and center hook, if

there is one) positioned

with the gap bending down.

The rear hook should ride

with the gap pointing up.

This ensures proper action

and fi rmer hookups.

Pinching down the barbs

on these single hooks will

make removal even easier

and protect fi sh from added

injury. Using a knotless

catch-and-release landing

net with a fl at bottom panel

and tight rubber mesh will

also help you keep fi sh

supported and in the

water while you remove

the hooks.

TROLLING TECH The Fish Hawk X4D (fishhawkelectronics

.com) uses a water-pressure sensor and wireless digital data

transmission to provide the precise depth of your downrigger

weight. It also provides water temperature at the downrigger

ball and tells you the actual speed of your lures through the

water using a paddle wheel. The data reads out on a bright

onboard display and can also display via Bluetooth to a phone

or tablet. This technology takes much of the guesswork out of

downrigger trolling.

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) RON BALLANTI (2), COURTESY FISH HAWK ELECTRONICS

DEPTH

CHARGE

SWINGING

SINGLES