Trolling weights/keel weights for Trout ???

[BigWaterBigFish]

It's been 30 years since I trolled for trout and back then we use to use leaded line and for different depths, we'd pull out "colors".
Between gas prices, ocean predictions and regulations, time available, I'm not going to be running to the ocean much this summer and thought I would take back up trout and koke fishing ... not a big fan of "long-lining" so thought I would ask IFISH'rs for some tips on using/how much/type of weight to get your lures down ... ?
Thought we'd go out to Hagg or other west side lakes and do a bit of trolling (have boat, have boat payment, need to use the boat to justify having boat).
Banana weights, keel weights, egg sliders, barrel weights with the rubber in the middle - 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 3 oz ... more ???
Second question would be, do you attach the attractors (if you use them) to the weight and then the leader with lure ... or put that more in middle of entire lenght of leader.
Thanks much.

[Doc_Rhen]

Going deep is much more fun with a downrigger. I have never used the "ford fender" or any variety of such hardware on my mainline. I see too many folks dragging a fish around the lake and not knowing it is there. I primarily use top water spoons or sometimes a small dodger off a downrigger, or when the Ford Fender type attractor is the ticket, I put it on the cannonball and attach the release clip to it and the line through that.

[fish-on-bend]

The most common set-up using the toys you are describing is: main line to banana weight, then flashers, leader, and lure or bait. Do a search on this forum for kokanee tactics and you will find more than you can imagine.

[wsuweston]

We troll our hardware on a pole without a downrigger. We just use cannon balls or bank sinkers. It would be a lot more fun if it was just the fish on the pole though.

[joemomma]

weight in front of flasher, 8" to 36" leader. If you ocean fish I bet you got downriggers, use them for koke's and trout!

[BigWaterBigFish]

I do have downriggers, hand cranked, but I feel a little foolish fishing in 30' of water with a downrigger ... now for kokes and Mac's in Odell or Billy Chinook, I'll use those.

[CoonersShrimpboat]

This time of year add a couple split shot above my Wedding ring leader and cast it out and troll, I predict many a fish hooked Friday-Sat-Sunday on this method as well as a flat lined rooster tail or a SLOWWW trolled worm n Split hot.

and the deadly coonshrimp spinner!

[trollin4trout]

I do have downriggers, hand cranked, but I feel a little foolish fishing in 30' of water with a downrigger ... now for kokes and Mac's in Odell or Billy Chinook, I'll use those.

I fish at Haag and lots of other shallower lakes with the downrigger at 5-10ft. if that's where the fish are. It's all about having exact control of how deep your lure is, and being able to have nothing BUT a lure on your line when a fish hits. And Haag by the way is near 100ft. in some places. You won't feel foolish at all when you catch a fish! Jim

[SandySteel]

I do have downriggers, hand cranked, but I feel a little foolish fishing in 30' of water with a downrigger ... now for kokes and Mac's in Odell or Billy Chinook, I'll use those.

Nothing funny about it. You have more control and you drag a lot less stuff making the catching of the fish a good deal more fun.

[roeshambo]

i love using the downriggers makes it possible to use ultra-lite gear. you can make a small fish fight like a whopper.:thisbig: