dogtagger

I agree with Capt Rich on the Chamberlain release. I use them here in Maine, and they work well on small salmon and togue (lakers). Once I get the release dialed in even very small salmon will pop the release. I've never tried the blacks, so I can't comment on adjusting them. I did have to change the vertical adjustment on my Chamberlains this year when I bought new lighter rods (Okuma Celilo Kokanee). They take a little tuning, but once they are set, they don't change.

Thanks for the help with rod suggestions. I ended up with a pair of Okuma Celilo Kokanee rods. They seem to have a nice light action, with the advantage of graphite (ability to see shakers). Best of all, they were pretty inexpensive. My next question is for a light reel to match the rods to. I have been using Daiwa Millionaire reels which are ok, but the drag doesn't have much range, and there isn't a clicker, so I have to thumb the line when letting it down. I'm looking for something small, light with a clicker and a drag that can be set light enough so that a 2-3 pound fish can pull some line when they want. Seems like a lot to ask from a small reel, but with all the great reels out there now, I'm sure there are a few that fit.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm in Maine, and don't have a decent tackle store within reasonable driving range-nearest is Cabela's 2 hours away and they carry a lot of generic stuff. The Daiwa Kokanee sounds perfect for what I do. A five pound fish would be on the large size and a 10 pound laker (togue) is a trophy. I use a mono or floro leader about 6-8' long, usually 8lb, so the 20lb powerpro shouldn't be a problem. I assume the Daiwa downrigger rods are glass, not graphite. Who on this site is selling these rods? I'd be happy to buy from site sponsors. Edit: I just noticed the Kokanee is one piece, shipping must be pretty high on it. Is there a two piece rod that compares?

guys, I have a question about downrigger rods for smallish salmon and lakers. I fish out of a small boat with a pair of Cannon Uni-Trolls. I currently use ugly stick BWD 1101 8'3" light action rod and spooled up with 20 lb power pro. These are decent rods, but my problem is the rod is too stiff, and hooks tend to pull out when the fish roll and jump. I'm looking for a light action rod with slower action about 8' long. I checked out the eagle claw downrigger rod in medium heavy and it was a little bit too heavy and stiff. What else is out there for small fish? I know mono would help, but with braid its easy to see small fish that can't pop the release. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help guys. I ordered an 8lb round ball last night from cabellas. I manage bounce off stray rocks fairly often, so I figure the round shape might hang up less often. The 8 pound ball should have less blowback than my 6 lb'er. And the hum... guess I'll just have to get used to it, since its obvious that the rigger catches a lot of fish I wouldn't catch otherwise. Next thing to try will be otter boards.

Thanks for the reply mickey, the easy troll is rated for 8 pounds, I don't remember the weight of my ball, but I guess 6 lbs. I'll probably go with an 8, but don't know the best shape, ie pancake, or those fish shape things I've seen. The chamberlain works great, It's adjustable down to pretty light pull, I keep mine with the adjustment screw turned out 3.5 turns, which should give me about 0.8 lbs to release it. The small lakers sometimes don't trip it, but salmon usually do. A lighter setting doesn't seem to get as good a hook-up ratio. My rod has 20lb power pro which also helps. Being an in-line brings up another question about balls. Is there a shape that is less prone to the side-to-side track the ball does. I assume the pad type that attaches to the rear of the ball tracks straighter. Anyone try the fish shape weights? I hear ya on getting hooked on fishing LO. I fish saltwater and fresh, and there's only so much time to fish. The only cure is more fishing...

Hello fellow fishermen. I've been lurking here for quite a while, and now have a couple of questions. I've been learning how to use my downriggers this spring (after owning a portable walker for several years), and I'm quite pleased with the results so far, my average catch rate has gone from 1 fish every 2-3 hours to 1 every 20-30 minutes (when they're hungry). I live on a small lake in Maine and fish out of a 16' Lund WG DLX. Our lake has salmon (atlantics) and togue (lakers). Mostly small fish. I just bought a cannon easy troll, much easier to handle than the walker. My first question is, what type of downrigger ball should I get to minimize blow back? My trolling speed is usually around 2.3-2.4 mph, and I'm using a chamberlain release. My second question is there anything that can be done to reduce the whining the cable makes? It doesn't seem to bother the fish, just me. Any way- great web site. I've learned a lot reading through some of the posts. No doubt I'm going to have to make a few trips out the Lake Ontario to give the big fish a try.