Making and Using Weighted Stacker Rigs [Downrigger Fishing Made Easy]

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Downriggers are an essential tool for many deep water salmon, trout, and walleye fisheries. However, deploying and retrieving the downrigger ball and release clip can cut into valuable fishing time. Additionally, most anglers will only fish one rod per downrigger and may be space limited on their boat. In this video I show you how to use weighted stacker rigs that will greatly reduce the amount of time wasted cranking your downriggers up and down as well allowing you to fish multiple line off the same downrigger.
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- 150 lb mono & crimps amzn.to/3rHm4AZ
- Scotty Mini Clip amzn.to/3EyDMzJ
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[@dk78b2a5]

I was hesitant of excessive rub at the wire Crimp release loop. So I clipped and added a new looped of wire cable through the hole on release and tucked in with the mono and crimped. Thanks for the great videos! Very informative.

[@boattothebelly]

Been using this technique for a couple years. Especially high volume bites areas. We use stainless steel curtain rod clips and 4-5 foot planer board cord. Cheap and effective using a 4-5oz cannonball. Stacking clips are long forgotten on this boat.

[@brucewallace1982]

Thank you for this post. I just made some that are 24" and looking forward to trying them out at Merwin

[@wniner8194]

Very informative! Thanks for taking the time to make the video!

[@salmonslammer9657]

Not that you’ll have to worry about this with stacker rigs but I always take a lighter and melt the end of the mono when using crimps. This will keep the mono from ever slipping through the crimp. Great videos sir!

[@jeffthrower4981]

Afternoon Tyler Thank you for all the tips. Using dropper Riggs from a kayak & Micro hoochies And micro shrimp 👍. I had a best day fishing for kokanee Using the dropper rig 🎣on Thanks again

[@pmm422]

Cool idea, I'll need to take a look at making some of those.

[@boba-mg5md]

Thanks Tyler great tip, works great

[@vinhr1]

Awesome 🎉

[@angelogalloway4693]

Thanks for the information as always great video, I can’t wait to try this, really enjoying your videos and all the information.

[@jonathonleonard6203]

Another great video!!! It looked like you could just run your line through the small end of the duo lock before you crimp it in.

[@dustinsims3188]

Looking forward to trying this, but why cut off the cable the clip came with and add the mono? Is there a specific reason not to use that cable? Love the videos, thanks for putting them out!!

[@spiltmilt]

If for some reason the cable gets wrapped on your mono it will cut it and you could lose your tackle. Not likely to happen with the mono

[@corysceva5661]

Have you tried the planer downrigger stacker. You can set the depth on your cable, when you get git hit the line breaks free from the clip, without the pressure of the line the planer floats up. Hook back up and it slides down to the stop

[@corysceva5661]

Well that answers that. Posted this before I finished watching the video. The shuttle hawk was the one I was thinking about

[@KainOutdoors]

Nice. You mentioned maybe putting a down rigger on that 7 months ago. Did you do a video on it?

[@spiltmilt]

Coming on the @old town channel soon

[@CTVSWhite]

Great videos. I thought this would be a great set up for me. But I have not seen you using them in your new videos. Did they not release as good as you thought they would? I am a big fan of your videos. Thanks

[@spiltmilt]

I use them all the time

[@dananderson3183]

Love your videos, this was a new method to me that I will have to try. On a side note can you recommend a specific Kokanee pole?

[@spiltmilt]

What type of Kokanee fishing do you do? Dropper weights, flat lining, downrigger?

[@dananderson3183]

@@spiltmilt mostly downrigger, maybe 15% flatlining

[@michaelmccune1821]

Have you tried the shuttlehawke? I'll use it with my hand crank downrigger when I'm fishing just one line so I don't have to keep pulling them up and down.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes I discussed it in this video

[@michaelmccune1821]

@@spiltmilt ha ha I started watching and got interrupted, must have missed it

[@slacktide_angler]

Great idea. Ive always been hesitant about doing stacker rigs because the ones I've seen almost always use planers and I dont want that kind of drag. Would I be able to get away with even lighter than 4oz and why not use something like a duolock as opposed to a carabiner? Thanks, I might try this today for springs.

[@spiltmilt]

You can go less might struggle with the release. I use carabineers simply because they are easier to clip and unclip

[@king4brisbane]

...and will wear longer, sliding up and down the steel downrigger cable.

[@chadandersen1119]

Would the upper clips not accumulate on top of the lower clip if your getting hire bites?

[@spiltmilt]

As long as you make your clips the same length I've not had any issues with it affecting release on the lower clips

[@Eric-gi9kg]

Now this is a Great idea. I may have missed this in a past video... But how did you set up your downrigger?

[@spiltmilt]

Coming to the old town channel soon

[@ronreitz2399]

@@spiltmilt Patiently waiting!!!

[@jonlobello7151]

Cool, but I have a question I want to ask you concerning drysuits. Can you get one with a water tight "fly"?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes my Emperor dry suit has a water tight relief zipper

[@jonlobello7151]

@@spiltmilt Thanks

[@Andrew-zp6yq]

how well can you load up the rod with a 4 oz weight?

[@spiltmilt]

For my lighter downrigger rods I have no issue

[@verdeanpetersen8350]

When you are double stacking, can you see the two stickers on your sonar?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes

[@verdeanpetersen8350]

When you double stack, which one do you let back the furthest?

[@tonyh.9957]

Just started watching your old videos, do you prefer fishing for Kokanne with downriggers???? Or without??? I know you went without it for a long time!!!

[@spiltmilt]

I still prefer dropper rigs over downrigger but in some fisheries like Chelan it's tough to hit 100' without a downrigger

[@tonyh.9957]

@@spiltmilt AWESOME that's what I thought!!! Another quick question I know you like to run 3-5oz weight, so does that mean I need to buy a rod rated for 4oz??? thanks for the reply!!!!

[@michaeldilbeck9259]

Tyler, is the reason for cutting the crimp behind the loop and leaving said loop because the 150 pound mono won’t fit in the small hole on the clip?

[@michaeldilbeck9259]

Also, where’d you get the larger bead? Arts and crafts store?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes that is why I crimp there. I tried drilling out the hole once and the clip fell apart. I got the larger beads at a Walmart.

[@michaelr4401]

If your stacked weight releases first have you had any issues with that line tangling with your line running off the downrigger weight?

[@spiltmilt]

No but I make my downrigger release longer than the stackers.

[@michaelr4401]

Thanks, that's another subject I've thought about. Say you put your weight down 50 ft with a 5 ft release and a half ounce dodger. What depth would you really be fishing at, and how would that vary based on weight of dodger, how far line back, etc.

[@Jarom.M]

Are you concerned with tangles if the lower line gets hooked up first?

[@spiltmilt]

I use a shorter setback on the upper to reduce the probability of that occuring

[@Jarom.M]

@@spiltmilt So, what I'm hearing is that your depth change should be longer than your setback. Correct?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes

[@mallyallygramps]

Your link for the Scotty mini clip is broken. Which one are you using?

[@spiltmilt]

Scotty Mini clip amzn.to/3lmbxLz

[@lanikasuyama989]

I was just wondering…what is the purpose of the red bead?

[@spiltmilt]

I find it helps to sluff off vegetation that gets hung up on the release clip.

[@boba-mg5md]

Can u send me a link for the downrigger weights you use , size and make. Thanks Tyler

[@spiltmilt]

This assortment pack is what I use for my dropper weights. amzn.to/3ZOtKly I use much larger weights on the downrigger.

[@boba-mg5md]

@@spiltmilt i was talking downrigger weight

[@spiltmilt]

6 lb

[@justinhopkins5036]

Looks like Scotty has a part number 1180 Mini Power Grip Plus Line Release. Is this basically the same thing, obviously without the weight attached?

[@spiltmilt]

The 1181 is a better choice amzn.to/3EyDMzJ

[@bparr9086]

Sounds similar to a "Shuttle Hawk", except it surfaces after the release..... 🤔🤔

[@spiltmilt]

Except Ive found shuttlhawks won't always dive all the way to the bottom.

[@bparr9086]

@@spiltmilt 👍

[@openmind6969]

@@spiltmilt and even if it does it’s slow. Any weeds on line stops it as well.

[@chrispower3368]

When you're kokanee fishing are you usually running 2 rods like this or what's your usual way you're running 2?

[@spiltmilt]

If they are deep I am stacking like in this video. If they are in the upper 30 or 40' I am running one dropper and one of the downrigger

[@chrispower3368]

@Spilt Milt Productions awesome. Thank you. Is there any rod you'd recommend that I could use for both dropper and downrigger? I seen santiam had one but that's a bit out of my want to spend right now. And I'd like a little better than the eagle claw. Paula peaks is sold out.

[@awwwshucks443]

Couldn't you just see the shuttle hawk ok your depth finder though?

[@spiltmilt]

No because the shuttlhawks created so much blowback when fishing 90' deep I could tell for sure.

[@openmind6969]

@@spiltmilt will try this. Have been using shuttle hawk on kayak second line for a few years and whenever the line on ball gets hit I need to bring both up. Annoying. Won’t the upper like get stuck at lower line impacting how it will function? I like idea that if Lower gets bite you just stack the previous higher to lower water column right and add another line