Stacking lures on single downrigger.

[Just1skipper2]

Really dumb question BUT here goes Found thermocline 70'-80' down. Rigged flasher&fly 10' back at the ball then a spoon 10' higher. Whole thing turned into a ball of mono & thread. Can some explain correct way to rig with single downrigger. 

Thank you in advance. 

[13owhunter]

Stack with spoons only or your flasher will rotate on the way up and wind itself around your stacked line. This tends to really make a nice mess of things! 

 

I'd be wiling to bet a lot of us have made this mistake.  I sure have.... 

[Tony G]

I always stacked 20' apart, if you are talking about sliders/cheaters of the same rod you cannot run a cheater on a rod with a flasher it will tangle badly.

 

[Pa223]

Yep been there done that.  Agree on both above 

[greenhornet73]

X2 with flasher spoon combo.  I run a flasher deep on rigger 1 and stacked spoons on rigger 2 with a swivel above the deeper spoon longer than the leader on my cheater if that makes sense so the cheater doesn’t fall as low as the main spoon on the way in

[Just1skipper2]

Thanks for advice.

My take away Don't stack flashers, but a cheater off 2nd rigger line.

[RH93]

I always stack a Flasher/Fly with a spoon above it. Usually 10-15' apart. Never had a tangle. 

 

The only difference in my setup compared to yours is that my bottom line (flasher fly) is 30' from the ball. Top line (spoon) is 50' from the ball. 

[Just1skipper2]

But I thought, the further out behind ball a flasher/fly is, the circle the flasher creates is like 10' diameter or more. Where as flasher tight to ball flasher can only circle a minimum amount. 

Please advise

[greenhornet73]

I’m sorry, I just realized I gave you my cheater program, but the same applies as I don’t run a stacked line above my flashers because it always ends poorly for me at some point either on a hooked fish or when reeling up and finding a birds nest.

[Just1skipper2]

Thanks for everything you advised me. I appreciate it.

Skip

[13owhunter]

The term "stacker" can mean different things to different people.  I am under the impression that the OP is talking about what I would call a cheater which attaches to the line and not a stacker which I would call a second release attached to the downrigger line. Running a stacker with a spoon above a FF can be a good technique and shouldn't have an issue with tangles as it's on a second rod. Often a fish comes in to the attractor and hits the spoon. 

[jbrandt]

In my opinion, if you stack, you always run a risk of a tangle.  I would run flasher all the way down.   Run it 40 back.   Run a naked spoon 20 above 10 back.   

[HB2]

I have stacked for years and there are things you have to watch out for.  

 

If the top lure is not back far enough , it can tangle with the lower line by grabbing the blowback of the top line  so keep a lead of at least 15 ft . 

 

If your riggers are fast when you send a flasher down it will come back towards the ball more than the spoon above  on the way down and tangle with the top line . 

 

When I stack I loosen the drags enough so as to keep the lines tight and there isn't a lot of bow to the line  on the way down to create tangles . My riggers are slow and I still sometimes stop it on the way down every 15 ft or so to let the lines straighten out . Especially if there is a flasher below . Which I don't do anymore because or tangles. 

 

Also a single hook lure on the stacker has less chance to hook the lower on a release . This happens more than I would like . A fish hits the bottom lure and the top lure grabs the line as it clears back . 

 

 

I Usually stack 20 ft apart and run say 1 rigger at 70 . 

 

The other at 80 . 

 

So I have 80 , 70 , and 60 covered and have vertical separation to avoid tangles on turns . Especially running big flashers 

Edited August 3, 2023 by HB2

[Hobo]

What I do is put a winger on the upper rod when stacking.  

[greenhornet73]

I had wingers for my last boat, I need to get another set

[thork9]

What’s a winger.

[greenhornet73]

It’s a plastic plate, almost looks like a planer board but clips onto your rigger cable and pulls your lines away from the boat to spread your downrigger lines apart. 

[Hobo]

A winger to me is a small dipsey or diskette. We used to call them wangers

[greenhornet73]

These are the ones I had:

https://www.marinegeneral.com/product/roemer-winger-plate/

[john pyle]

were do u connect them on the down rigger cable near the ball ?

[greenhornet73]

Yes, attached to the cable then the ball below it.  Use the same releases where you normally would.

[Just1skipper2]

Hey Thanks, I never knew that. 

[john1947]

The ultimate rig for KS.

I used a small metal glow dodger with a squid Short.i ran in 5 ft from ball.then I stacked a small. Silver horde(rattle) 2 ft up this was a cheater line.

)it like the horde was chasing the squid.

I fished just 2  rods back when we used  Loran

Top producer

We called it The Dick Treat special

Named after the famous Dick Treat

A great friend

[LongLine]

When I stack, I put a spoon on the bottom about 20 ft back.  Flasher/dodger is 8-10 ft higher and only 7-10 ft back.  Trick is to let it down SLOWLY.  Flashers/dodgers will not go down as fast as clean spoons.