Question for all you trolling experts

[kschupp]

I need some help from all you trolling experts out there. I'm new at this trolling game and am trying to learn all that I can. I've been through the trolling 101 thread in the Mississipie formum and I don't think that I've seen this talk about. When trolling with live bait, (crawler harness etc) how can you know what depth your rig is running at? I'm using a 7 1/2 foot cabella's depthmaster trolling rod and depthmaster II dm20a line counter reel loaded with stren hi-vis gold 10lb line. I don't have any downriggers and don't plan on sinking the bucks into that. Thanks for any info you guys can give.


Kent

[wilbur]

Your just gonna have to test. Go to 15fow at the speed you want then let out line a little at a time to see when you touch bottom. Make a note of how much line you let out.

[jimp]

depth obtained is dependent on various factors such as speed, size of line (4/6/8/10lb), weight of your lures, possibly even the rod action. Even the height of your rod tip above the water affects your depth acheived to a small extent. If you're happy with your 10lb line, find some shallow water, 6' for example, and troll over it until your lures drag/bump bottom, note the amount of line out and your speed, current, wind, size of lures,etc. Then find some 10 or 12 FOW, and do the same thing, let out enough line to drag/bump bottom. After you get several different depths noted, you can determine other depths based on what you have actually done. Speeding up will bring the lures up in the water column a little bit, while slowing down will cause the lures to go a bit deeper. You can fine tune your numbers over time, a gps and variable speed TM will be a big help.

[Little Skeeter]

Get a line counter. Easiest way to keep track of line amount at depths.

[jeepguyjames]

I heard a walleye guy on the last FLW tourney on tv say that ....1oz at 1 mph, your depth will be half the line thats out....ex if you have 50ft of line out you should be running at 25ft......thats what he claims........

[Little Skeeter]

Line type and thickness also buoyancy effects depth as well, especially with crankbaits. Heavier line = more buoyancy, thus needing to either add weight or speed.

[Dutch552]

I usually will only fish a live bait harness on a bottom bouncer rig. The only advice I could give is trial and error. Line diameter, weight and speed will be your 3 determining factors on trolling depth.

[Ben B]

trial and error really. or if you like math, Pythagorean theorem

[Crappie 1]

<div style="margin-left:40px">I need some help from all you trolling experts out there. I'm new at this trolling game and am trying to learn all that I can. I've been through the trolling 101 thread in the Mississipie formum and I don't think that I've seen this talk about. When trolling with live bait, (crawler harness etc) how can you know what depth your rig is running at? I'm using a 7 1/2 foot cabella's depthmaster trolling rod and depthmaster II dm20a line counter reel loaded with stren hi-vis gold 10lb line. I don't have any downriggers and don't plan on sinking the bucks into that. Thanks for any info you guys can give.<br>
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<br>
Kent <br></div>

Get yourself a Trollers Bible, got to any good sized sportshop and ask for it. It will show you almost every lure and how far to let them out. It will take the guess out of trolling...Might even find it on line... Precision Trolling by Mark Romanak

[bdorman]

Hi Kent,

See http://www.crappie.com/crappie/main-...pth-chart.html if it answers your question.