M R Dux on line counter reels.

[kycreek]

Good video

[Snubby]

I've calibrated several Shakespeare ATS15 and Okuma Magda 15 reels with the amount of line I normally put on each reel and found them to be close enough to exact that I didn't see it as a problem. When the PTD says X# of feet of line Bait Z will dive X# of feet deep, I'm already letting out a few feet more line because I run 12 pound Trilene Big Game line instead of the 10 pound the PTD calibration is for. I start and run most of the day with 6-10 baits that are rarely within 10 feet of the same amount of line out from far side to far side rod. When I have 2-4 clients on the boat, the last thing I'm worried about is reel calibration and we still do pretty well as it is. The last thing I would do is criticize somebody who calibrates their reels. If a person has the time and want-to, go for it. A very good friend of mine calibrates every reel any time he changes line. I'd say our typical catch over the season will be very close.

I agree completely with the part of calibrating your reels several times and finding out the amount / footage of line it takes to get it close to accurate. I calibrated all 8 of my Shakespeare ATS 15's a couple of years ago and found the magic number, as long as I stick with the same line or diameter I know I'm close to dead on calibration each time I re spool. Using 30# braid that is not going to be very often.

Most just use line counters to get the bait back to where it was and that's in the strike zone on that particular day. That being said crankbaits are a simple technique (on the lakes I fish), the simplest I've found fishing for crappie and it doesn't hold my interest that much anymore due to that fact. I know tons of guys who just use spinning reels or bait casters and make long cast and still catch fish.

On the other hand I know of people who pull cranks for crappie on clear lakes and target black crappie and knowing the exact depth fishing just over the top of brush is a big deal to them. If I was going public with information I would mention to folks that calibration is never a terrible idea. If your reel needs 900 foot of 10# line to be calibrated and you only spool it with 400 foot then yes the number off on depth would be more than fractional from the depth charts published by bait manufacturers. I took the time to calibrate my reels and on top of that to run flats and create my own charts. I've found minor discrepancy in the produced charts, none to make much of a difference to folks targeting white crappie on flats or ledges where not much structure is submerged.

[Tman53]

Good video Doug.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com

[crp4570]

Good job buddy.

[wicklundrh]

Whether you calibrate or not, the key is duplication. The problem you run in to is comparing your numbers to others. There isn't a way to do it unlesd you have a starting point.

Some charts are garbage. Never more than a guesd based on line angle. Unfortunately, angle changes with speed and rate of dive. There is only one company that actually tests dive rates with divers in the water measuring depth of dive based on speed. They are known as the leader. The charts sold with the baits are marginal at best even from them.

For someone that spends hundreds of thousands of hours trolling, calibration isn't a huge deal. We know and understand what the bait will do. On the other hand, for a novice or casual user, having a starting point is always good.