Downriggers vs Dropper Rigs for Kokanee

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Targeting Kokanee at depth can be accomplished by using a downrigger or by using dropper rigs, typically composed of a sliding weight run forward of your dodgers or gang-troll and lure. Each technique has certain merits and pitfalls. Here I compare the two on a local Kokanee lake.
Learn how to make weighted stacker rigs here: • Making and Using Weigh...
Tackle featured in this video:
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-Technistrand Bumper: bit.ly/3hrFzZD
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- Santiam Fishing Rods: bit.ly/3e8ItAK
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- RAM Extension Arm: www.rammount.com/part/RAP-114...
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[@matthewackerson7861]

Absolutely the best Kokanee fishing channel on KZbin. This channel has saved me many days of frustration on the water and has helped me be more successful. Thanks

[@PhattyBarnett]

P.S. Your content is so good, I click 'like' as a reflex before watching the video. Some of the best fishing teaching content on KZbin, hands down.

[@PhattyBarnett]

Glad you showed off the stacker rig. That is exactly how I use them. After watching your video on how to make them, it made perfect sense for me. It is especially handy if you are like me and have kids in the boat and manual downriggers. Pure gold.

[@troypattillo4100]

And just as I had given up hope, POW!!! You broke out the stacking gear. Great vs tutorial and that landscape although unfriendly and harsh makes this vid that much more enjoyable! Thanks for posting...

[@ahhdat]

Always enjoyed your videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@12restoration]

Awesome! I might add DR to kayak after watching this.

[@HuyFishin]

Awesome job with the video! Learned a lot from you

[@Phishrman]

Thank you for another great video. I have caught some Kokanee at Lake Berryessa this year with all the knowledge you share. You are a fantastic teacher. Please keep it up. I can't get enough of your content.

[@boattothebelly]

Glad you’re getting out! Keep showing me what I’m missing with your kayak and I just my trade in my Hobie Mirage Oasis tandem for an Old Town! Loving the downrigger addition on yours!!!! So many applications

[@selbyhueywazes2968]

Thanks for all the info. Been fishing alot in my life ,but learned alot from you

[@rickw9169]

I don't know if you have tried the Shasta Tackle Shuttle Hawk for your downrigger; but, its another way to get your downrigger rod down without pulling the ball. They actually work fairly well. Your video really makes me glad that I put electric downriggers on my boat. Cranking the ball gets really old especially if the line comes off the release on the way down.

[@spiltmilt]

I’ve had mixed success with Shuttle Hawks. They seem to better on cable but hang up on the braid I use

[@kayakfishingwisconsin]

I tried a down rigger back when I paddled, that was not a good method because I had to stop of course and risked getting wrapped up. But seeing this setup will definitely make me rethink all that when using my autopilot 120. Love the mounting location and attachment. I used a 6# pancake style just to get a little less blowback. Great video!

[@richardpogue4959]

Love the V Lock I use them for down riggers on my Duckworth easy on and off. I will have to get another set as soon as I get my Old Town 120 Autopilot. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@bentrod4255]

Like any tool, the downrigger has its place and time. I’ve really enjoyed using mine on Cutthroat when they’re hanging 40’ and deeper. Definitely not necessary all the time, but nice to know exactly how deep your gear is set. Nice video Tyler.

[@kayakfishingwisconsin]

The quality of that rigger is way nicer than the one I had used.

[@shaggs5093]

Great advice like always. It was cool seeing you out there on Sunday. How about a video on best settings on the helix for kokanee?

[@renotimberwolf2139]

Thank you for the link. Downrigger time... :)

[@landonf4066]

Nice, me and my dad have tried Kokanee at American lake, we have only caught trout😔. Me and my dad normally troll at about 35-10 feet deep with 3 way swivel to your main line, 30 pound mono 3 feet to dodger or lake troll, then 16-8 inches with 14 pound mono.we use leader cannon ball weights.

[@derrickdeeds9386]

Been planning on getting a downrigger for my pontoon soon!

[@reapergrim76]

Awesome!

[@PinoycanAnglers]

Nice one bro..fish on

[@brucetrout3482]

Another great tutorial. Hey Tyler, how do you tell the difference between male and female Kokanee? By their Kokanuts! Yeah, probably not an original thought but I had myself a good laugh when I thought about it! Lol

[@jonlobello7151]

Tyler, disregard that other comment I made on the previous video because you answered all my questions in this one.

[@TwoStageTrigger]

Down riggers make it easier to reel in the line since you don't have to reel in the weight with the fish. But the dropper rig is a lot easier to fish from a kayak but, only when you have electronics to tell you where the right depth is. I use downriggers from my boat, and dropper rigs from my kayak. The boat is 13 feet long and will swamp if a ski boat drives by, and the kayak is a 10 foot long sit on top lifetime that i actually feel safer on in big water. When to upgrade to a PDL kayak i might put mounts (scotty rod mounts) on it for my scotty down riggers.

[@Badkharma21]

I went exclusively to the DR as I fish many small trout/ salmon lakes. Leadcore and droppers just take out too much line. I can let out 50 ft on DR rod and stay fishing smaller lakes. Also the DR outperforms just about any other way of fishing deep during summer when fish here at 40 ft plus

[@carlapeck3916]

thanks

[@830pc209]

Great videos. Love the content. Have you used a Shuttle Hawk in combination with the downrigger?

[@dougshoup593]

Been waiting for a video like this. I'm making this comment before I watch the video. My bet hands down is on the downrigger. Hope I don't look stupid at the end....

[@dougshoup593]

About the results I expected, but the downrigger had a huge advantage with the fish holding that close to the bottom. Love the idea of the stacker clips. Might have to try them. My downriggers are set a little more forward and I normally bring them up while bringing in the fish. I've lost a few having them get tangled in the downrigger line. Nice video.

[@panchopachangas4450]

Do you have any videos on what trout look like on the sonar or how to find them with the sonar? I am new to fish finders and trout fishing so I don’t know what to look for. Ive had some success but i think it’s been more luck than skill. Thanks Tyler!

[@blainecraig4445]

Great video. I agree with Bo. Shasta Tackle Shuttle Hawk works great. Goes down your Downrigger line and releases on bite without having to bring your Downrigger ball up every time

[@spiltmilt]

I've had issues with Shuttlehawks catching on the braided line I use and getting to the extreme depths I fish on Chelan.

[@bo5258]

@@spiltmilt re watched that how to make it video , great stuff,, i could even used my snap on weight i used for line trolling . ...., thanks

[@travis6923]

Incredible quality of video and content. Question do you think your v downrigger setup would fit the same in the 120pdl? Mine shows up this week can’t wait!

[@spiltmilt]

I do believe it would just push it back a touch more on the unangled section of stern wall and mount on the left side of the kayak to make it easier to reach the handle

[@basstard4639]

Hey bud. Can't thank you enough for all the info and tips. Before I started watching you videos I would go fishing hoping I would catch anything. Now I can go out and confidently say I'm going to catch fish. I went out to riffe lake with my friend and his dad and impressed everyone with the flasher set up I learned from you. Thank you so much. You have made fishing a fun relaxing experience. I have ptsd and it means the world to me to be able to go out on the water and fish . Couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks again.

[@spiltmilt]

That's awesome man! It's all about spreading knowledge and arming you with the skills to have a fun productive day on the water

[@craigambroson2482]

Thanks for the teaching. To get started with flashers do you have a few favorite colors?

[@spiltmilt]

Silver Moon Jelly. Pink/purple net wings, brass/nickel, and chartreuse/orange

[@stankfaust814]

Another great viodeo. in an instance where you have fish feeding up higher, isnt a downrigger still superior as you can you see the depth of your terminal tackle right on the fish finder display and therefore fine tune your presentation?

[@spiltmilt]

Superior in that you have greater confidence in depth but dropper rigs can still outfish the downrigger as they will hunt a greater variety of depths

[@mistrtwstr2479]

I watch all your kokanee videos. Good stuff I wish you would identify the lake you are fishing on though.

[@spiltmilt]

Spectacle

[@fishfool9934]

What a fantastic video! What lake were you for this?

[@spiltmilt]

Spectacle

[@taylorstassens9834]

Have you looked into using a shasta shuttle hawk for your downrigger? Makes things nicer because it comes up when you release your line and dives down when you hook it back up, dont have to mess with stacker rigs that way and can just leave the ball down period.

[@spiltmilt]

I have had issues with my Shuttlhawks in the past. I prefer the stackers

[@renotimberwolf2139]

What lines do you have on both reels? Make, type, lb's test, link perhaps?Thank you as always!!

[@spiltmilt]

Maxima 10 lb Ultragreen

[@ShenpaiWasTaken]

Would you add a downrigger to a PDL system or would that be too much of a hassle? Looks great on the autopilot. Thanks!

[@spiltmilt]

I think a PDL would be a great platform for a downrigger.

[@yashrajborse]

Tyler, How do you accurately calculate the line in feet to target a depth? For e.g. if I want to target 40' depth how much line should be out with 4 oz weight. What are your thoughts on trolling divers for kok fishing?

[@spiltmilt]

I use this calculator to estimate depth liveprecise.com/tdepy.html I don't like divers because they don't perform well at slow Kokanee speeds and add too much drag on the fight

[@yashrajborse]

@@spiltmilt Thanks for sharing the link and your thought on diver use.

[@mallyallygramps]

I don't have kayak but that V-Lock system looks like just the thing for my aluminum boat. Is the braid you replaced the downrigger line with heavy fishing line braid or something else?

[@spiltmilt]

Its just Tuff-line 150 lb braid

[@richvandam1967]

I used my downriggers for kokanee and Upper Columbia Chinook last year. This year im wondering if lead balls would be a better option for kings ive heard that it makes it easyier for many but I want to get your thoughts on it as well. Thanks

[@spiltmilt]

A lot of folks run droppers for upper Columbia River Kings. I like It because the awesome hooksets.

[@richvandam1967]

@@spiltmilt So would you think its better for me to go the lead ball route this year?

[@adamwarrick2970]

Is there a chart you go off of for dropper weights vs line out? I remember you mentioning something in a prior video, but I can't find it. The chart I have says 100ft out with 2 ounces is only 25ft down? Doesn't seem accurate?

[@spiltmilt]

Its probably somewhat close if you are going 1.5 mph

[@Youmissedthejoke26]

I may have missed it but I don’t see a link for the downrigger mount. I modified a Scotty system to work on my hobie but that it a pretty cool system. Can you post that please?

[@spiltmilt]

v-lock.com/

[@larryanderson216]

I know that lake!

[@king4brisbane]

With the downrigger, is the procedure to let out your line to desired distance, and then clip into downrigger, then lower downrigger to desired distance? Thanks.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes that is the correct procedure.

[@michaelr4401]

If roughly 54 degrees is the temperature Kokanee prefer I'm intrigued to see you catch them at 40ft this time of year, but also marking them at 15ft but not as active. I'm assuming at 40ft the water is well below 54 degrees. Do you have any theory on why they are that deep and so active there?

[@spiltmilt]

I think they were feeding on chironomid larva (midges). Their bellies were full of them

[@BC-ue3ku]

Does your fish finder pick up the stacker weight? I tied a downrigger ball to some 80lbs braid and dropped to the depth I wanted and tied it off. Don’t even need the actual downrigger 👍 and if the sonar will pick up the weight in the stacker then you don’t even need a real counter. I use the sliding weight dropper rig though. It’s so convenient and easy to swap out the weight and boom right back to fishing.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes you can see the stacker rig sliding down the downrigger cable.

[@Andrew-zp6yq]

Have you noticed any difference between UV painted lures and those that aren't for kokanee? Would make a good vs video

[@spiltmilt]

I have not.

[@dustinrhodes1091]

Curious to know how you get an idea of how deep the lead is?

[@spiltmilt]

I use the rule with 100' of 10 lb mono line I am getting 10-15' drop per ounce

[@SC-hc7vy]

can you provide v locking plate link? thanks

[@spiltmilt]

Tell them Spilt Milt sent you v-lock.com/

[@tomthecat9780]

What type of kayak is that? Looking for one.

[@spiltmilt]

AutoPilot 120 from Old Town bit.ly/2BWCX6e

[@carlapeck3916]

how many pound cannonballs do you use on your dowwnrigger

[@spiltmilt]

4 or 6

[@vulcanez]

Bet that boat started following you. 😉

[@spiltmilt]

You know it.

[@Energiz0r1]

Where is this at?

[@deej9367]

A lake.

[@sov19871987]

Did you try divers?

[@spiltmilt]

I have for Kokanee. Lousy landing ratios.

[@deej9367]

I've had good luck in the past with divers on salmon. I think the salmon hook themselves better because of their weight. Hook up ratio with kokanee was horrible.

[@jakedogfish241]

Divers really slow down a lightweight craft.

[@joeys7519]

Your not scared the ball will get hung up that close to the bottom?

[@spiltmilt]

Not really I pay attention to the fish finder and make adjustments

[@bo5258]

shutle hawk - it does work- own two not make them :)