Speed at the ball

[Hotdog71]

Hey guys,

Is there any way to get the speed at the ball without dropping $400 on a Sub troll, Depth Raider or Cannon SnT? I just finished my first year on the big lake and I'm still working on gear, but was hoping to find an alternative to the expensive purchase. Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks.

Bob

[boomerang]

HEY...i am not trying to be an ASS....but if you can figure out something better and CHEAPER let me know.....id buy 2 of them.........i dont know of anything out there but the products you mentioned..

[Priority1]

One thing you can do is watch the cable blow back. Going against an underwater current, it can be noticeably greater. You may not know the speed @ the ball but you slow down a tad.

Another way to get by without this tool is to fish near some charter boats or other experienced fishermen. Try to find out what they are running, how far down, and by paralleling them you can adjust your speed to match theirs. Some captains are very tight lipped about giving information. Other captains will be happy to help you in any way possible. I have heard request over the radio for the thermocline depth. I have a Fish Hawk that came with my boat, and I have given this information out before.

The speed and temp @ the ball is a great tool, but having this tool is NOT necessary to become a good GLs fisherman.

[GLF]

Back in the late 70's when I started salmon fishing with my father, he had a device that mounted on the side of his boat. On this device, there was about a 3' wire that you attached a sinker to, and put in the water. There was a needle on the device that showed you how fast you were going.

I feel that knowing your speed in which ever direction you are trolling is a key to success. Underwater current can be a key factor. 2.7mph on a gps is 2.7mph on the surface. It does not show you how fast your baits are moving under the water. Some more expierenced people can tell how fast a boat is going by the bend in a diver rod. I want to take all of the variables out of the equation. I will be adding a speed and temp probe to my boat this winter.

[boomerang]

FRANK......ive heard some guys say they watch the dipsy's to tell them the speed they are running.....do you know anything about how this is done?? what they are looking for....etc...ect.....ANYBODY feel free to chime in and share!!! THX!!!!

[Hotdog71]

Thanks for the replys. Frank, I had another fisherman tell me about the downrigger wire last year and it helped a lot. I was hoping their was some electronic gizzmo I had missed. At current prices I just can't justify the outlay of cash. We, my Dad and I, did ok last year. We boxed 28, fishing mainly on weekends from July to September. Until I become independently wealthy I guess I'll be watching wires.

Does anyone know if you can plug in a sub troll probe into a kingfisher tournatment and use that gauge instead of the one for the 900 model? Both are made by Moor, I just dont know if they're compatible.

If anyone has any other ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks all,

Bob

[tgafish]

FRANK......ive heard some guys say they watch the dipsy's to tell them the speed they are running.....do you know anything about how this is done?? what they are looking for....etc...ect.....ANYBODY feel free to chime in and share!!! THX!!!!

Guys know what their dipsey rod looks like when they "normally' catch fish and that's where they'll start. Keep changing speed and direction until you hit fish. Once you hit the fish take note of your direction, surface speed and angle on your dipsey rod. Then try to recreate those things to catch more.

[Priority1]

Yes the bend in the Dipsy rod is another way to judge the speed. Rods are different so it's something you learn as you go.

Another way to tell if you are going too slow or fast is the zigzag course. If you start hammering fish on the inside Dipsy, or even on the inside out and down, on a slight turn you can deduce that your straight away speed is a little fast. And just the opposite will be true if the outside Dipsy starts taking fish. Walleye fishing or Salmon fishing, I seldom steer a straight course. When things are not happening drive like a drunken sailor. A change up pitch is sometimes called for.

[2UNREEL]

I did alot of experimenting with my speeds this last year. My gauge findings were so spurratic that I'm not sure what to believe. I purchased a sub-troll 900 last fall and only got a chance to use it one time and I'm not even sure it was reading right. I always started the day by calibrating my speed to a dipsey diver with a spindoctor at the surface. With the rod in the rod holder, I watched the spindoctor untill it rotated once per second. Then I noted the bend in my rod. Once I knew how the rod needed to look to achieve good rotation of the spindoctor I let the line out to where I wanted and adjusted my boat speed to get the rod bend right. This method presented excellent results. I was adjusting throttle speeds all the time but it payed off. Next year I will calibrate my expensive equipment and have it tell me what I need to do, but I always have a back-up plan.