Downrigger Balls

[Petty4life]

What weight downrigger balls do you use? Do you use the same ones all the time or do you change weights for certain circumstances?

 

[SilverBullets]

I use 8 lb. weights. I use the balls as an attractor, have them covered with 5 different silver tapes...holographic, fish-scale, glitter, etc. Tape applied in 1" squares cut towards the middle to conform to the ball, and coated with clear acrylic coating. Doesn't seem to hurt the catch rate. I troll at around 1.0-1.4 mph, and 8lbs. has less sway back, able to see on fish-finder easily.

 

[Kokonuts]

I use 6# & 8 # balls.

laugh hyst Just remember "Dont Drag Your Balls" laugh hyst

 

[Full_Monte]

I'm surprised...I thought most guys used 10 lb. balls. Phil Johnson recommended 10 pounders. I wonder why...

 

[Kokaholic]

I usually use Eight pound weights that are shaped like a fish, However I also have some ten pound pancakes I use for fishing deeper and for other species

 

[Propnut69]

I use 10# weights also. I prefer the pancake weight over the fish shaped,but I have fish shaped on my boat. Back in the day Cannon used to make a weight that was long and slender .They were just about impossible to hang up. They are hard to find now,sure wish someone still made them. Back when I use to fish exclusively for mack's I was using 14-15# weights. That made for a long day,when you have to crank up a 14#weight a few times a day.

 

[jacksonlaker]

I use 10s if I'm fishing for macs or anything deeper than 50 feet. I use 6s if I'm fishing smaller lures in 25 to 50 feet. The smaller balls really telegraph subtle strikes or hanger-oners. There is more sway back. I will get some 8lb pancakes this winter.

 

[SilverBullets]

For those who use the pancake weights, how do you like them? Is less sway back the main advantage? Can you track them on the fish-finder? I switched out from 6lb balls to 8lb a couple years ago mainly because of the sway back while running ball trolls, and to make sure I could see the balls on the fish-finder.
Hope I'm not getting too far off the subject, but has anyone used a scent dispenser attached to the balls? If so, did it improve your catch rate?

 

[Propnut69]

Hope I'm not getting too far off the subject, but has anyone used a scent dispenser attached to the balls? If so, did it improve your catch rate?

I remember those ,I think they were called trailblazer weights,or something like that. Yes I used them for a couple years,and here is what I found. The water in the flaming gorge was to frickin cold to get the scent to flow. I remember that after trolling for hours with these weight's,the scent body was still full,and the scent would be gooey. In the spring and the fall the water temps were just to cold for these to have any real affect at dispensing any kind of scent. With the newer gel scents on the market,I think that they would flow even less from a scent dispensing weight. One thing about them through,was they sure were pretty. I don't think I caught any more fish,or any less fish using them.If they were used where water temps are a little higher ,then they might work as planned.

 

[TrophyBoat]

we use 10LB balls, they track more true which is very beneficial when fishing bottom structure so that your ball is more vertical and you can properly respond to stucture. A down fall to heavier balls is that they are harder on you mounting device in bad weather, and riggers boomed out. we have actually broke the pins on gimball mounts. We can see all four balls on fishfinder up to about 2mph.havent really felt compelled to experiment with other weights. i have noticed that on some reputable trolling fishermans boats they run those ones that look like a fish.

 

[SilverBullets]

I have read the ones that look like a fish called Shark Weights are supposedly very good...but very pricey! They attract with their dimpled chrome finish, I tried to copy that useing holographic tapes. The scent dispensers mentioned earlier were ones I picked up off the Pro-Troll web site, but haven't had a chance to try them out.

 

[Petty4life]

I have read the ones that look like a fish called Shark Weights are supposedly very good...but very pricey! They attract with their dimpled chrome finish, I tried to copy that useing holographic tapes.

There are fish weights and then there are the shark weights, the shark weights are about $90 and the fish are less then $0 the sharks have a slimmer profile.

these are the shark weights

these are whats considered fish weights

 

[FishHunter]

I use 10 lb pancake weights. There is a little less swingback on those than the regualr ball weights, but still more than I would like. The shark weights may take care of the swingback issue better, but I am not willing to pay $90 for them.

 

[oldguysrule]

When I can get them from my wife worthy12laugh hyst I use 8# for most evrything that I fish. It saves time trying to track at different depths for me.

 

[halojm]

I've only used the 10lb. I know how much blowback they have am too lazy to learn what lighter weights do.

 

[HiTechKoke]

I've only used the 10lb. I know how much blowback they have am too lazy to learn what lighter weights do.

Well the blow back more of course! tongue2 I've settled on 10 lbrs the last two years as well, the pancake variety.