downrigger help

[killer]

This weekend will be the first time ive used a downrigger for kokanee how far above a school of fish should I be trolling thanks ahead of time for the help

[trollin4trout]

I ALWAYS troll at the depth they bite at!

Sorry- couldn't resist :grin: I can never make much rhyme or reason out of kokanee. I try just over the top of the school first, then drop down in 10 ft increments, until they hit or they don't. Then I switch lures and start over until I find what and where they want it.

Maybe some smarter experts at these finicky fish will teach us both something! Good luck and let us know how you do. Jim

[timinthegorge]

I agree with Trollin4trout. I do the same thing. I cruise around and try to find out approximately where fish are in the water column, and start above where I think they might be and then start lowering the DR by 5 to 10 feet.

And my favorite terminal tackle is the pink "kokanee killer".....

[greenbuttskunk]

one important thing to remember.If you are marking fish at 40, you will need more than 40' of actual wire. This is due to the angle of the wire/ball. It's never vertically below you. Depending on boat speed and the size downrigger ball. Kokes this time of year are generally 40-50', so try adding 5-10' to those numbers. Keep adjusting till you find them. If you have a good plotter, you'll actually see the balls path and can make adjustments. Also important is to troll like a drunken sailor, making many erratic "S" turns. This will allow one side to either drop a few feet and slow down, or lift and speed up. You will increase your catch ratio this way.
Good luck!
GBS