In what order do you set your lines

[KingMe]

Just wondering in what order do you set your lines, ie, downriggers first, then your boards with copper followed by dipsies, or dipsies followed by your boards. Do you run multiple dipsies and if so, which one goes in first? The reason I ask is I am now running many more rods than in the past and I want to be sure I'm not dropping lines on top of each other.

[Just Hook'n]

I used to do it differently, but have figured out the most efficient and effective was is as follows:

1. Dipseys - start with the dipseys because you just let them creep out with the drags loose anyway. Many times they will take a fish just going back.

2. Downriggers - shoot first, which keeps it away from the dipseys, outdowns second because the dipseys are typically out of the way by then.

3. boards - obviously high lines first followed by mids and insides ( we commonly run 3 a side)

I've not run multiple dipseys per side, but I think if I did I would run the high ones out first and then the deep ones inside of that, then downs, etc.

Best advice I can give you is get on a few other boats to see how they do things and just figure out what works for you based on that learning experience. I've been setting downrigger the same way for years and years. Just last month went on another boat and have adopted their methodology.

[EdB]

Same here but with double divers, we set the low divers first. Once they are down and you start a hi diver outside of them, the hi diver will never catch the low since it will be above and outside it. You have to keep a thumb on the spool and keep them digging the whole time so the hi diver is pulling away from the boat, the key is to not to let them go back quickly. Same when resetting them while fishing.

[KJ pluggin]

Welcome to the site Ken. I like to let my dipsies run out as I set my riggers, similar to what Mark said, then I start setting out boards starting with the outside. For dipsies its easier to run the high diver first and the low diver second. If you run your low diver first you just have to let out the hi diver slower so it doesn't drop down into your low diver and create a huge mess.

[silver one]

Depends.

If I am tournement fishing I will set a rigger first and at the same time let a disey out with the drag set to let it tic back while the rigger is going down. Reason is that alot of times the two hitting the water at the same time will trigger a strike which has happened to me many times while the rod is in my hand. Especially if the fish are high in the water colum. You can usually get your riggers fishing almost as soon as you set down and then let the long lines out. Not everyone does this way but alot do. hope that helps you. good luck.

[Paulywood]

I usually drop low divers in and loosen the drag. While they creep out I set riggers. Then I set out high divers. After that I start setting board rods but usually set the inside boards first. I kind of start in the rear of the boat and work forward. Not sure why, that's just how I do it.

[fishy1]

Ken I also think the order in which you set lines depends on whether you are talking about morning or evening , in the morning I like to set downriggers and divers first then copper or leadcore in the afternoon i reverse the order as you are usally starting out with fish that tend to be alittle less aggressive , just my take.

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

Good replies by all. If I have a long line like a fullcore or a long copper I will let that out at 5 mph before I ever slow down to trolling speed. You get it out much faster at hight speed than at 2 mph.

Some morning you will get hit right away and then your stuck with that board line in the boat until you land that first fish.

Mornings I do my longest core or copper, then get both dipseys going out on the clickers and grab a rigger.

*If something is super hot for you, get that in first first regardless of what you have to put out.

But evening or morning, the first thing in the water for me is my 250 copper at high speed it burns out in seconds and you move on to the next one.

[Spawnwalker]

Depends.

If I am tournement fishing I will set a rigger first and at the same time let a disey out with the drag set to let it tic back while the rigger is going down. Reason is that alot of times the two hitting the water at the same time will trigger a strike which has happened to me many times while the rod is in my hand. Especially if the fish are high in the water colum. You can usually get your riggers fishing almost as soon as you set down and then let the long lines out. Not everyone does this way but alot do. hope that helps you. good luck.

We have a winner.

We did it the same way in tournaments. Like you say sometimes we would have a fish on before we would even reach for another rod. I still set the riggers first to this day because they are fishing faster and it's what I'm use to.

[jimcr]

I will drop in one rigger followed by the probe (bare ) opposite rigger and the divers, last will be the board lines , and with fishing hot this year , many times the boards didn't' get in for almost an hour.

[Nailer]

Welcome to the site Ken.

[Phishy]

for whatever reason, i start on the starboard side...also the lead core side as well as the shallow side...makes sense as i type.

Starboard dipsy, slow creep, starboard rigger ..just get it in, somewhere half way down , but at least 30 down , center rigger also probe rod...40 down....flip over to port side dipsy...slip out, check starboard side slipping, check ball speed, go deeper with starboard side rigger..set port side rigger at leats 30’ down, check depth on both, check water depth, check speed….got five lines in…COME ON FISH!!!

Breathe…

Start slipping riggers and dipsies deeper

Set high board, and progressively work on the boards,

just get the dipsies and riggers in ASAP…I’d rather run with five lines in the dark too shallow than with no lines…

if you land on the fish, deal with it as you can, but keep lines fishing the water, dipsies and riggers set fast, typically faster than a person can reel in a fish, if a dispy fires , set the other if it isn’t already out..

key is to keep all the rods in order so you can set them out ASAP…nothing worse than looking for a line when you should be setting it..Particularly in the dark

[KingMe]

Thanks for all of your replies. I have been off the water for 18 years and just getting back into it. Back when I was fishing we never fished boards or multiple dipsy's so I thought I would take advice from others on this site before I tangle up my copper (again...LOL). Anyway, this is a great site with so many sharing there 'secrets' and making this sport even better for everyone. Again, thanks to all and good fishing.

[fishsniffer]

i set riggers (probe side first),dipseys then boards.just habit at this point..if i have guys who know how to set lines they will be putting out boards while i set riggers

[aprils fool]

Varies from morning to evening but most times we are setting riggers and divers at the same time I usually get the riggers center (probe) first then to the starboard by this time by buddy has a port diver going, then port rigger at same time as starboard diver, provided we haven't had a hit yet. 5 lines in pretty darn quick. Then depending on how many lines we can run / Boat traffic as to what goes next. Most mornings we won't put any birds out until after daylight and traffic thins out some.

I really like the idea of letting the long lines out under higher speed. I think we'll give that a try the next evening trip.

Good Fishing,

Troy

[UBDSLO1]

For myself, I like to drop the riggers first, then dips, then core/copper. Since I take a lot of newbies out, they drive the boat and by the time I'm finsihed setting lines, we've already got a fish on.