downrigger ball on your fish finder

[SteelheadTed]

I saw a youtube video where the maker of the video argued that you should place your downrigger on your boat as far forward as you need such that you can see it on your fish finder.  That way you know exactly where it is and can react to fish as you see them pass under.  This seemed like good advice.  When I placed my downrigger I put it further towards the bow than I had planned to (but still close enough to the tiller handle that I could operate it when alone).  BUT, I don't see it on my fish finder!  My boat is only 16 feet long so I can't go too much further forward without making it harder to run the downrigger based on how the two fixed seats are arranged.

I guess I am curious if anyone else has experimented with this and been successful.  Is it an advantage?

[Stein]

My downrigger is on the back corner of my boat and I can see it clearly on the sounder.

How big of a ball are you using?  Maybe it's too small and it's getting pushed way back at trolling speed.

[SteelheadTed]

My downrigger is on the back corner of my boat and I can see it clearly on the sounder.

How big of a ball are you using?  Maybe it's too small and it's getting pushed way back at trolling speed.

I've been using 15 pound balls, which seems big enough to get a sounding!  I am a newb at all this so I don't discount I am doing something wrong.  I think I have the trolling thing figured out and I mark fish with the fish finder so I think that is working correctly.  I run braid so I am still trying to figure out what the right line angle is since it seems to cut through the water more easily than the cable.

[Angry Perch]

Do you see it on the finder when you balls are dropping at any point? Is your transducer relatively level in relation to the water?

[Stein]

I run 15 pounders as well, they show up like a neon light on the screen, I actually wish I could get them to not show up.  I see both the ball and my release much lighter several feet above it.  When I'm fishing shallow I only see one but when I'm down 100' I can see both of them clearly.

[fishngamereaper]

I see one or both most of the time . depends on what setting I'm running my sonar on.

What depthsounder are you running.  Your gain might be off.

[fishngamereaper]

This is my starboard ball going through fish and the bright red flash behind it is a fishing hitting my lure.  Pretty fun to watch when you get your settings dialed in..

[Crunchy]

I would think if you are picking up your downrigger ball you need to adjust the angle of your sonar.  The rigger wire you be roughly a 45 degree angle from the downrigger towards the boat stern adjust speed to reach this angle.  I assume this is how it was done before all the fancy sonars came out. This would put the ball a good distance behind the boat as you troll.  I prefer to have my sonar pointed a bit forward (towards the bow) to pick up fish and have time to adjust my downrigger depth before I get to the fish.  Not saying there is a right or wrong way of doing it. 

[Stein]

The wire is at 45 degrees at the surface, but it isn't a straight line but a bow shape.  If it was a straight 45 degree line all the way to your ball, the difference between counter depth and sonar depth would be much more.  I can drop it to the bottom in 100' of water and only be off maybe 10' tops on the counter at 2.5 mph.  If it were 45 degrees all the way to the ball, I would need to let out about 140' of line to hit the bottom.

There is also the cone angle which picks up a pretty good swath at 100', depending on which transducer you have.

[Katmai Guy]

Even at 120' depth my cable was never at 45deg to the stern at trolling speed (kings-1.5kph, silvers-3kph).  Might be trolling a little fast?

[Katmai Guy]

Transducer might have to narrow a field of detection also.

[funkster]

My downrigger is on the back corner of my boat and I can see it clearly on the sounder.

How big of a ball are you using?  Maybe it's too small and it's getting pushed way back at trolling speed.

 

Same, I run mine closer to the back corner also using 15 pound balls. This was out at the lake but it looks the same out in the salt at faster speeds.

Fishngamereaper, we’re not worthy, we’re not worthy...🤣 That’s pretty slick man!

[Wetwoodshunter]

Transducer might have to narrow a field of detection also.

+1 transducers mostly come in 12 degrees or 20 degrees.

My boat is not set up to see my downrigger balls, also typically running 100-350 feet of 200 lb braid +15 pound ball when fishing for kings.

The scotty's I use have a line counter on them if you fill it with 450 ft of 200 lb braid it is real close  to your actual depth when I am trolling.

Be real careful if you mount them forward, lots of experienced guys have them there as a second set so they can run 4 downriggers on a smaller beamed boat but it makes it real easy to wrap a line in the prop.

[Crunchy]

Even at 120' depth my cable was never at 45deg to the stern at trolling speed (kings-1.5kph, silvers-3kph).  Might be trolling a little fast?

I never really troll speed, but pay attention to wire angle.  That is how I learned.  I do peek at the sonar and I am in the 1.5-1.8 range with a 15 pound ball.  I take the depth of the water and add 20-25 feet for my downrigger ball depth.

[KFhunter]

while this topic is active, is there a cure for a singing wire?

[funkster]

while this topic is active, is there a cure for a singing wire?

Yep, hook up and bring up the wire, problem solved👍🏼👍🏼

Jokes aside, this is a good question!

[Wetwoodshunter]

while this topic is active, is there a cure for a singing wire?

Switch to braid or use a heavier downrigger ball. I have never heard braid sing. Also, its nice being able to tie on terminal gear and not having to mess with corrosion, rust, and kinks.

[KP-Skagit]

I wish I could get my FF to not mark the downriggers, sometimes it marks so hard it shows my top ball as bottom. Kokanee fishing, with 3 pound balls.

[Stein]

while this topic is active, is there a cure for a singing wire?

Switch to braid or use a heavier downrigger ball. I have never heard braid sing. Also, its nice being able to tie on terminal gear and not having to mess with corrosion, rust, and kinks.

 

Braid is so much superior to wire on downriggers it's hard to even explain until you try it.

[Crunchy]

I switched one downrigger to braid this year and still running wire on the other.  I like the braid better, but not by a lot.  Same basic concept, and will not fray or rust.  Performance wise it is the same, lowers and raises downrigger ball.

[KP-Skagit]

I for one love singing wire. If I could I would play a recording of it to fall asleep to at night.

[dilleytech]

My down rigger with 8# ball set about 4’ in front of the stern and out of the side about 4’ shows up just fine as shallow as 10’. The guy recommending it far forward must fish really deep. Switching from steel cable to heavy braided fishing line will help with the hum but your more likely to snap off a ball and maybe your rod with it.

[Stein]

My downrigger braid is 250 lb and doesn't rust.  I think steel cable is 150 or 180 lb.  I've lost balls due to wire breaking from rusting where you can't see it but haven't ever had braid break.  My guess is the downrigger boom would break far before the braid.  I've actually thought about putting in some sort of breakaway at the ball in case it hangs up because the braid won't break before bad stuff would start to happen.

[NRA4LIFE]

I also run 250 lb braid.  Never looked back from the cable days.  I can watch the balls (12, 15 lbs) all the way down, plain as day.  Not having to deal with terminal kits vs just tying knots rules.  I have never lost a ball with the braid (or with wire to make it fair). 

[SteelheadTed]

My downrigger braid is 250 lb and doesn't rust.  I think steel cable is 150 or 180 lb.  I've lost balls due to wire breaking from rusting where you can't see it but haven't ever had braid break.  My guess is the downrigger boom would break far before the braid.  I've actually thought about putting in some sort of breakaway at the ball in case it hangs up because the braid won't break before bad stuff would start to happen.

I run a snubber for this reason, it's supposed to break at 75 pounds or so, which seems like a good number to prevent the bad things happening.

[SteelheadTed]

Do you see it on the finder when you balls are dropping at any point? Is your transducer relatively level in relation to the water?

No, I don't see the balls on the sonar at any point.  I mounted the transducer myself so I may have some adjusting to do.  I was having a heck of a time with the transducer creating a rooster tail so I had to bring it up about 2 inches.  I'll check the angle, it seems right but maybe it is facing too far back and only looking past the stern and missing the balls altogether.  I'll experiment with the angle.  I have a Humminbird Helix 7 CHIRP SI.

[Stein]

Next time you are on the water, see what angle your boat floats or trolls at.  You can get a level app for your phone or use a small bubble level and coins or something under it until it's level that you can replicate when you get it back on the trailer.

If you moved it up that far your hull may be blocking the pings from going forward to where your downrigger is.

Then, when back at home you can adjust the trailer jack to get the boat at the same angle it fishes at and then either level the transducer or point it whatever way you want.

The ball is a big chunk of metal, it should show up very prominently.  That said, I wish mine didn't show up so well as it blocks some stuff underneath it sometimes and the auto range sometimes locks on it as bottom as someone above mentioned.  The sonar depth and line counter depth pretty much match so it's not any value being able to see it.

[fishngamereaper]

Do you see it on the finder when you balls are dropping at any point? Is your transducer relatively level in relation to the water?

No, I don't see the balls on the sonar at any point.  I mounted the transducer myself so I may have some adjusting to do.  I was having a heck of a time with the transducer creating a rooster tail so I had to bring it up about 2 inches.  I'll check the angle, it seems right but maybe it is facing too far back and only looking past the stern and missing the balls altogether.  I'll experiment with the angle.  I have a Humminbird Helix 7 CHIRP SI.

A properly installed transducer is flat along the same lines of the hull of your boat with maybe a slight degree of rear up. To much Angle will only create problems. If you want a wider cone change your settings or change your ducer. Wider the cone the less detail down deep. I fish a lot of deep water so run a pretty narrow cone. I like to see halibut chasing my gear in 300-400ft of water. And some of the offshore salmon spots the fish run 250-300 ft deep.

Also with braid it helps to re tie a couple times a year. Especially if your bouncing bottom a lot. I switched to braid 4 years ago and will never go back to wire.

[funkster]

while this topic is active, is there a cure for a singing wire?

Switch to braid or use a heavier downrigger ball. I have never heard braid sing. Also, its nice being able to tie on terminal gear and not having to mess with corrosion, rust, and kinks.

 

Braid is so much superior to wire on downriggers it's hard to even explain until you try it.

Agreed, both of mine are braid, I still hear a little singing from time to time.

[Stein]

You need new fishing buddies if you hear singing 😆


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