In shopping for a downrigger weight I've seen several shapes and sizes as well as costs. I noticed they also are available in different colors. Has anyone noticed any difference that color on a downrigger weight would make? Or is it just a personal preference?
Downrigger Weight Color
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dragonfly
Well-known member
I think it's a personal thing when I was using cannon balls I had black when they got scuffed up I coated them with red rubber didnt seam to make any difference then I switched to pancakes left 1 black and red rubber coated the other diddn't notice any difference now I run 1 15/16'' ss rod that I tapered the end and put an eye in and cut to abuut 12'' to make 10 lbs and wraped one in red reflector tape and the other in silver tape and they both catch the same amount of fish. I fish greenpeter and detroit whitch have a lot of stumps and debre on the bottom and when tomahawking you can get hung up real easy and I switched to this style I haven't hung up sence, they just pull right thru just my 2 cents. dfly
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
I use holographic tapes that show up best for the depth i fish. Most of my trolling is with short set-backs on sunny days betwwen the 40-50' level. The weights get top-coated with uv blast.
dragonfly
Well-known member
tomahawaking is when you are following the ridges and vallys or drop offs and dropping your down rigger quickly to get your offerings down in the valley then pulling up the other side, to get to the fish that are laying in there, instead of just going over it. works for many fish that hold up in the valleys or holes like that. hope that helps. dfly
trollmonkey
Well-known member
I run a green pancake and a black one. I like the green best but it probably is close to even between the two. SuperD the glow wt sounds cool.thumbsup
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
Sounds interesting but wouldn't that require bringing the weight up in the boat alot to charge the glow?
The weight glow duration is longer than any glow lure on the market. The weight rides in my glow box on the way out to the fishing spot and glows for hours. And once the sun is up, it is charged every time you bring the ball up to put on a new lure or reset after catching a fish. As does any glow, it has its time and place to be in the rotation. Hopefully I can share more information about the details of the weight as things get properly set in place for me to do so.
Kokonuts
Well-known member
DR Colors
I made up a lot of DR weights & now my favorite is the 11/4" x 15" round at 12 lbs. It fits into the pole holder for storage and I use a lot of different tapes for colors & even made some with chrome tubing.
When fishing deep 50+ feet the best display for me is still the verticle and horizontial blades. I use a 2' vertical hooked to the cable with 2 blades above the weight and a
3' horizontail with 3 blades comming back from the bottom of the weight. Think of an L shape and use blades from old Ford Fenders or just about any that look good to me!!
Kokonuts
I made up a lot of DR weights & now my favorite is the 11/4" x 15" round at 12 lbs. It fits into the pole holder for storage and I use a lot of different tapes for colors & even made some with chrome tubing.
When fishing deep 50+ feet the best display for me is still the verticle and horizontial blades. I use a 2' vertical hooked to the cable with 2 blades above the weight and a
3' horizontail with 3 blades comming back from the bottom of the weight. Think of an L shape and use blades from old Ford Fenders or just about any that look good to me!!
Kokonuts
Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
I have one of the weights and had good success at the Gorge with it. I would noticed my weight was getting bumped fishing at a depth of about 45' in 150' of water. With a set back of about 20' nothing was taking my offering. 101smily101 After about the 4th bump, I figured out the weight was being slapped. 101idea101 I then change my set back to 3-4' with fishon results. signfishin These glow weights are great. Good job Dave. 101superman101 The one I have is orange which happens to be one of the colors the kokes were after. Its also a San Francisco Giants color. I nicknamed it Matt Cain after the perfect game he threw against Houston. 101ok101
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Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
Also want to add that my other weights when scraping the bottom the paint or coating would peel and get worse as time goes on. So far with these glow weights, I have picked up a couple of minor scratches after dragging across the bottom. The coating is very durable.
Mr. D
Well-known member
It does not matter. I use black or just let them take on their natural lead color if not coated/painted. Fish have no interest in the weight. It's whats attached to the end of the release thats attached to the weight that's important. I've spent many days fishing next to anglers & guides that were using painted, taped or even Shark weights and caught just as many fish as they did using just plain old black or natural lead. It's more of a confidence thing for the angler than anything, IMO..........
Ball weights, pancake weight or a sock filled with gravel, as long as it's heavy enough to do the job will work. If fishing over structure or bouncing bottom, stick weights are the way to go. I use ball trolls if I want to get their attention closer to the weight and don't worry about the color of my balls, "pun intended" PLEASE!!! Good luck, Mark
Ball weights, pancake weight or a sock filled with gravel, as long as it's heavy enough to do the job will work. If fishing over structure or bouncing bottom, stick weights are the way to go. I use ball trolls if I want to get their attention closer to the weight and don't worry about the color of my balls, "pun intended" PLEASE!!! Good luck, Mark
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SuperDaveMT
Well-known member
Kokonuts,
Can you post a picture of your set-up? Is your release above the vertical portion of the ball troll or at the end of the horizontal?
Can you post a picture of your set-up? Is your release above the vertical portion of the ball troll or at the end of the horizontal?
Kokonuts
Well-known member
DR Weight & Release
I put the Release above everything on a short leader.
I have a lot of trouble posting pict's so I'll try to explain it better.
Going Down from the DR cable snap & swivel , attach the release here along with the 2' cable with the 2 Vertical Flashers, attach the weight at the bottom with the 3' cable & the 3 Horizontal Flashers to the bottom of the weight. When I make my 15" x 11/4" round weight's I use a Eye Bolts at the top & bottom to use for the connections.
After every thing is attached reset the DR cable to allow for the extra length or you can leave it as is to show where the Release is but Remember that the ball is a couple of ft. lower. I also make a broom from 3/8 cable about 18" long that can be installed on the bottom of the weight to "SWEEP' the the lake bed, it helps to stir things up when fishing for Macks or Lake trout.
I hope this helps. Kokonuts
I put the Release above everything on a short leader.
I have a lot of trouble posting pict's so I'll try to explain it better.
Going Down from the DR cable snap & swivel , attach the release here along with the 2' cable with the 2 Vertical Flashers, attach the weight at the bottom with the 3' cable & the 3 Horizontal Flashers to the bottom of the weight. When I make my 15" x 11/4" round weight's I use a Eye Bolts at the top & bottom to use for the connections.
After every thing is attached reset the DR cable to allow for the extra length or you can leave it as is to show where the Release is but Remember that the ball is a couple of ft. lower. I also make a broom from 3/8 cable about 18" long that can be installed on the bottom of the weight to "SWEEP' the the lake bed, it helps to stir things up when fishing for Macks or Lake trout.
I hope this helps. Kokonuts
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TroutScout
Well-known member
I couldn't afford replacing expensive weights I lost so I came up with a cheap alternative. I take a dumbell weight from Walmart, they are the hand held exercise ones. I cut off the handle that's between the two weights using a angle grinder cut-off disc. Takes about two minutes per side to cut. I drill two holes for eyelets, epoxy them in place and then paint the weight to keep it from rusting. The color of the weight doesn't seem to matter in getting strikes. The weight I have pictured is half of the dumbell, it weights a little less than 5 pounds. I have others cut from 15 & 20 lb dumbells, you get half the weight of what is stamped on the side of the dumbell. So I get two 5lb weight for about $10.00, two 7 1/2 lb weights for $13.00 etc.
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dragonfly
Well-known member
kokonuts and company I use a mack broom also but I use the chamberlain release( it doesn't seam to false release when bouncing or dropping real fast into holes or when slack lined) and use a 8' cable ext below the chamberlain and clip my stick weight to it when tomahawking or brushing for Mack's I make stick weights out of ss, taper the ends so they don't get stuck and for dbl duty I drill and tap the bottoms to make room for the broom, its is made from 3/8'' cable and I use a 350 mcm butt conn. and press the cable and the bolt together so that it screws into the bottom of the weight and a small section about 10'' up to keep it from totally unraveling. here are some pictures of my battle scared red one and what it takes to make one. you can unravel as little or as much you like
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Strike Zone
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2012
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Kokonuts:
Hi from Strike Zone. I just read your post and found it very interesting. I am curious about something tho. I'm new to kokanee fishing. I was wondering if when you are using those tubular weights if you have any twisting problem since you don't mention anything about a fin on them? Also I can't seem to picture what you are talking about when you say you use a 2' vertical hooked to the cable with 2 blades above the weight and a 3' horozontal with 3 blades on it below the ball? I think I have the bottom one figured out, but not the top one. Are you using a short leader with 2 bladed on it above the ball on a 2 ' leader? Do you use this same weight system in the spring when the fish are close to the surface? Do you think the brush at the bottom helps? Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I'm just trying to learn the correct way to do things. I do have some 15 pound DR. finned balls in natural lead color for fishing out in Puget Sound, but I don't do that anymore. Do you think those big of balls would scare away the kokanee? Thanks so much for any help you can give me. I definately need it.
Denny
Hi from Strike Zone. I just read your post and found it very interesting. I am curious about something tho. I'm new to kokanee fishing. I was wondering if when you are using those tubular weights if you have any twisting problem since you don't mention anything about a fin on them? Also I can't seem to picture what you are talking about when you say you use a 2' vertical hooked to the cable with 2 blades above the weight and a 3' horozontal with 3 blades on it below the ball? I think I have the bottom one figured out, but not the top one. Are you using a short leader with 2 bladed on it above the ball on a 2 ' leader? Do you use this same weight system in the spring when the fish are close to the surface? Do you think the brush at the bottom helps? Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I'm just trying to learn the correct way to do things. I do have some 15 pound DR. finned balls in natural lead color for fishing out in Puget Sound, but I don't do that anymore. Do you think those big of balls would scare away the kokanee? Thanks so much for any help you can give me. I definately need it.
Denny
