Took the new DR out for a day of fishing on Sunday. I got the Cannon Easi-troll. I really like it ..except for the release clip. No matter what we did, it either wouldn't release,or I had to yank it to get it released. Headed out to buy a new one today. I managed to catch a huge Koke, however it ended up snapping off one of my double hooks right at the boat. I am also going to coat the lead ball. This horrible hum I'm sure was not attracting any fish within a 3 mile radius.
2013 Arrowrock Fishing Thread
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Captains Tom Nelson and John Kaiser, salmon fishing gurus, and founders of Salmon University, would tell you to not worry about the hum. In fact, they say it attracts salmonoids! I have found that the hum often lets me know I am trolling a bit too fast, but when we fish for coho at fast speeds, it is humming like crazy and no problems. If it bothers you, you could switch to the braided or mono "cables", but I like the regular cable myself. The Scotty releases work nicely, by the way, as do the offshores. Mike
If you are fishing with DR close to the mouth of the South Fork be careful. There is a big island that comes up right in the middle of the junction between the Middle and South Forks. It is about 20' at it shallowest at full pool, probably only about 5-10' right now (haven't been up there yet this year, staying down by the ramp so far). If you stay along the north side in the South Fork arm and the west side in the Middle Fork arm you will be ok but it is a real gear grabber. Good luck and have fun.
sawtooth
IDAHO Kokanee Forum Moderator
Cricket,
If you are thinking of buying more than one release, you can buy a 4 pack of yellow offshore planner board releases and make your own downrigger releases for half the price. I would also recommend making a longer leash on which ever downrigger release you use. The advantage is the longer leash will allow you to bring the release to the boat, so you don't have to hang out over the gunnel. If you are in a canoe or small unstable boat, having a two foot leash is much safer than the short 8 to 10 in release that comes on most releases. I make my leashes out of nylon weed-eater line. I loop one end thru the release, and the other through a snap swivel. I crimp several wraps of heavy copper wire to hold the loops closed. You can make the leashes longer than two feet, but much longer and you have to be careful that they don't get caught in the motor. I like them to be about the same length as your downrigger boom. In your case two feet should be about right. As far as coating the downrigger ball, it is not required, but is a little easier on your boat. I use the rubber tool grip material you would use to coat hand tools with. I bought some at home depot and put a couple of coats on each ball. Works great.
If you are thinking of buying more than one release, you can buy a 4 pack of yellow offshore planner board releases and make your own downrigger releases for half the price. I would also recommend making a longer leash on which ever downrigger release you use. The advantage is the longer leash will allow you to bring the release to the boat, so you don't have to hang out over the gunnel. If you are in a canoe or small unstable boat, having a two foot leash is much safer than the short 8 to 10 in release that comes on most releases. I make my leashes out of nylon weed-eater line. I loop one end thru the release, and the other through a snap swivel. I crimp several wraps of heavy copper wire to hold the loops closed. You can make the leashes longer than two feet, but much longer and you have to be careful that they don't get caught in the motor. I like them to be about the same length as your downrigger boom. In your case two feet should be about right. As far as coating the downrigger ball, it is not required, but is a little easier on your boat. I use the rubber tool grip material you would use to coat hand tools with. I bought some at home depot and put a couple of coats on each ball. Works great.
Sawtooth is right. Coating is nice. I buy the 7# balls that are coated in a green or chartreuse colored rubber. Can't hurt. I remember as a young teen that the charter skippers at Ilwaco and other locales used to paint their props a bright flour. red color. They were convinced that it attracted coho. Who knows. They also knew for a fact that salmon stunned the herring first with their tail and then came back and devoured it. We now know that just doesn't happen. I figure about 30% of what you hear re fishing is accurate!! I have also rerigged some releases. I just use some 50# test and it works fine. In fact, Sportsman's just gave me about 5 yards free, when I asked to buy some. Mike
Allyn a couple of years ago we found the island. Took our gear clean off. We have since then stayed clear away from it. Thanks for the warning though.
I run 2 Cannon easi-trolls, I lost one at Anderson due to my kid in over 100 foot of water. They replaced it for free saying it was probably a faulty clamp also weight and rod holder all free.... That is some of the best customer service I have ever seen, I will run Cannon for the rest of my life because of this. That said there release sucks and I agree with Mike I run Scottys on mine also have safety cables on both so they cannot hit Davie Jones locker, also rigged up safety cables on my Scottys so they cannot hit the bottem. To clarify, I run my bling right off the weight and my release about a foot higher on the cable. BTW the hum does not scare the fish in fact you get so used to it you can hear a fish hit.
I use Chamberlain releases. You can adjust them with a screw and a magnet. They work really well. Just ordered 2 more because one is at the bottom of Arrowrock along with my fish shaped dr weight. Had a nice Koke to the boat and landed a nice Rainbow. Then went up between boat ramp and confluence and caught some little bass for kicks. You can google the Chamberlain releases to see the guys website and youtube video.
kenbarb
Well-known member
Cricket , here is a fix for a couple of your problems: Downrigger hum, replace with 150# Spectra. You can cut the clip off your downrigger wire, make a small loop, tie on the Spectra, then wind it on over the wire. You may need a second person to hold the Spectra spool, it must be wound on with some tension. I did this with my Scotties and it works great. No more hum, no more electric charge going down the wire, very easy to use, smaller diameter gives less blow back. You will never even think about using wire again, you can purchase it cheap from Amazon. Release, I recently switched to the Chamberlin Release, no more pulling small fish around and not knowing it, I did not believe they would work so good, but they do, get the release that attaches to the ball, not the stacker. Go to their website and watch the video.
See what you started.. Ford, Chevy, Dodge..... ROFL!!!!!
nepetbutler
Well-known member
take a tiny piece of magazine paper and fold it in half . Put it on your line then clip release.
bigjohn070
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I have no Kokanee experience but fished the great lakes for decades I always used rubber band for my release clip.
cromedogg33
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Anyone have luck this past weekend of the 15th? After fishing all morning, mid afternoon Saturday and not getting a single bite I gave up. I was the sucker trying to fix his trailer with the tire off the rest of the day. I tried all depths and colors, combos I could think of. The few I talked to said it was slow going. The boat launch and mouth of the south fork were my main 2 places.
I've been lacking in my psts but my last 3 outings have produced nicely. I've been picking them up between 20 and 30 feet and on pink hoochies and various color wedding rings, they have not hit anything more than the other, sometimes they hit using a ford fender and other times its a silver 4 in doger. Sat we caught 9 and we lost 3 or 4. Trolled right off the boat ramp and to thr right towards the dam. Good luck.View attachment 6405View attachment 6406
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metalheadgene
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Sounds like GDub has it dialed.We worked hard for 6 huge ones last sat and a good buddy of mine worked hard for four yesterday.
What part of AR were you fishing?
metalheadgene
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We started in front of the dam and it began red hot with 3 fish in the first hour. Then it slowed we worked hard a couple of horus for the next 2 fish...and then motored to the confluence and worked hard for one fish. Went back to the dam and had a monster break us off (I have never had that happen before) and then it was like a switch was flipped and it just shut off which was right around 3pm.
The area to the right of the boat ramp towards the dam, just been circling out there. My best luck has been early, 6 to 9 in the morning, then the bite would slow down. How ever this weather may have thrown things for a loop. Went out last Thursday evening, couple small trout and one small koke. I'd like to try again tomorrow or but I may wait till Sat morning. Seems like a ford fender or beer can works good early then they would go after dodgers and hoochies later, good luck.
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