2anton12 Loc: Big Bear Lake, Ca.

Can I troll without downrigger if I know the depth of the trout. 3 colors.

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

Of course! I catch trout all the time (accidentally) while kokanee fishing with downriggers.

Fish Dancer Loc: Guntersville, Alabama

I’m not sure what the 3 color reference is to but I use a Davis Fish Seeker to get my tackle down to the depth I want.

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

Most definitely !
Could not even guess how many hundreds of trout I have caught while trolling, usually have no clue what depth to be targeting until I have caught the first one, using whatever weight (1/2oz ?, 1oz ?, 2oz ? +++?) is ahead of my offering of a worm-tipped Wedding Ring, or spinners, or Flatfish, or Muddler fly, or my "new favorite"-the "Spinfish" (basically a Flatfish that opens up to fill with tuna or ???) and usually a "Willow Leaf Lake Troll" or "small Ford Fender", or dodger blade.
Have never owned (nor do I wish to deal with.....and YES, I have used them on others' boats) a downrigger.

I am however, going to try using the colored lead core line I recently loaded on my one and only level-wind (NOTE---I absolutely detest the moniker and OBVIOUS misnomer of "baitcaster".......ALL REELS, except maybe fly reels, ARE "BAITCASTERS", whether spincast, spinning, or levelwinds---round or not !!) an Abu Garcia Ambassador C-3, for some Kokanee that are 100'+ deep around here in the summertime/fall. I'll have to give it a go, rather than the divers I have or what I consider to be 'overkill lead weight' (anything greater than 3oz.). Good luck !!

I too, am uncertain about that "3 colors" thing....colored line ?, lures ?..... please explain, thanks.

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

I suspect that by "colors", you are referring to how many color sections of a leadcore line to let out when trolling. A typical "color" is 30' long, and sinks by itself to a depth of about 8' when trolled at a speed of 2 mph. So, you can do the math in your head on the fly when fishing. If you are using a graph/fish finder, then you know the depth that is needed. So a 3 color lead will get you down to about 24'. If you troll faster (say 2.5 mph), then the depth will rise upwards to around 20' or so...it is speed dependent.

Example: Marking fish suspended at 35' down. Let out about 4 full "colors" and your lure will end up at around 32' down...just above the fish. Wise to be above the fish because "many" suspended species are looking sideways or slightly upwards when they seek food...not down. If your chosen lure has a diving tendency, then be sure to keep that in mind. Most of the time you will be using a lure that rides fairly level on it's own (spoons, spinners, live bait harness's, et.)

If you run out of "lead line" before reaching a desired depth, you may consider using a nifty contraption made by Luhr Jensen called a "Jet Diver". They come in several depth models, and are coded by numbers 10, 20, 30 and 40... which refer to the extra depth they will impart to take your lure down in addition to what the lead does. Luhr Jensen also makes a clever device called a dipsey diver, which has it's own characteristics and can be quite useful for deep trolling instead of leadcore lines. The incorporation of these sorts of items in your fishing regimen will depend on what you are trolling from...a canoe, a kayak, or motor driven boat. Fishing from a boat is an easy "cakewalk" with this kind of tackle. Fishing from paddle or pedal craft will add a challenge.

Example: Fish are at 80'

Let out 7 colors to reach the 56' mark, and then add a #20 jet diver. Your lure will end up at about 75' of depth.

I do a ton of deep water trolling with leadcore lines. My favorite set up is a dedicated 7 color leadcore, which gets me down to about 56' by itself. Then I choose a jet diver to get whatever else I need. Since I do this via a kayak, paddling resistance becomes very important.

Leadcore lines impart a unique "snappy" sashay styled action when deployed, and they also get your lure a fair distance from the boat...both behind and out to the side when you attach your rod to in-line planer boards.

Sometimes I fish from a boat for salmon and lake trout, which is set up with a pair of downriggers. They are awesome when they assist in plying a wide swath of water (perhaps a 150' wide swath) in an easy way. My simple pattern is to deploy 6 to 8 rods in total (depends on how many people I have on board). Two or four on downriggers go deepest (easy to have a single downrigger be shared by 2 rods - stacking method), followed by 2 lines on "dipsey divers" (which go fairly deep and can "plane outwards" to avoid tackle tangles...and then finally, two leadcore rigs set out even farther from the boat and linked to in-line planer boards. When doing this, and as a courtesy to other trollers, you need to be very aware of where your gear is at under water. That way you can avoid hooking up with fellow fisherman who are doing the same thing in tight spaces. You also, of course, want to keep your own gear from becoming a balled up tangle as well. Your turns will need to be cautious and very wide!

Pardon the long, and yet extremely brief outline of some deep water trolling methods that can incorporate leadcore line. Once you start using it, I suspect that it will become a "go to" method for you!

By the way, although I suggest the Luhr Jensen brand of products because I like them, these same kinds of items are made by others as well. Walker comes to mind and there are others. When patents ran out of some of this stuff, many companies began to do the copycat thing. I am not sure who did what first...so I am not trying to point any fingers!

Best regards!

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

There you go, Fishyaker has your answer.

Fish Dancer Loc: Guntersville, Alabama

Thanks fishyaker for the color explanation. Makes sense to me now.
But it would be nice if the original poster would say thanks for all the information and perhaps explain what he meant so we all wouldn’t have to speculate. Just saying.

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Yes indeed...it would be helpful to know if we addressed the question in a satisfactory way.

Andy cacciatori Loc: Modesto cal.

Well I'll say thanks!!
I also troll once in awhile with some of the set up you you talked about and just learn a few more.
So thank you Brother.
Your never to old to learn!!
Andy
Bassman

fishinphil

just get the answer straight from the horses mouth...i mean , the person who said it in the first place.......

2anton12 Loc: Big Bear Lake, Ca.

I’ve heard 6’ per color ie.

Red 6
Blue 6
Green 6

Total depth 18’

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Good point about the lesser sink rate with leadcore lines. I believe that there are several "line strength" ratings on just how beefy each leadcore line may be. I have seen 18lb test, which appears to have the 5/6' sink rates, and 27 lb test, which has the 7/8' sink rates...depending on your troll speed and chosen lures. There may be other leadcore line ratings and design improvements out there to be considered as well.

The heavy lines tend to be a good choice when deep water trolling for very large fish (like salmon), and the lighter lines may be a better choice for trolling for bass, walleye, and trout. The reel choice you make will dictate just how much line will fit on your set up.