Posted by jas on August 26, 2002 at 12:42:11:
In Reply to: Question posted by Scoot on August 26, 2002 at 11:54:09:
: How do you keep that whole rig from getting tangled up on the drop?? Scoot
I've gone through my share of tangles. But I've gotten better with practice and a little experimentation. Some people recommend for example one length for the leader from the 3 way swivel to the dodger and another for the leader connecting the dodger to the hook. It's going to depend on how fast the drift is, the size of the dodger and the size of the bait. I don't always think about these factors; usually I just put one together and hope that it works, lol.
One thing that really helped me with tangles was using a longer line from the swivel to the weight. I use to use a 6" to 12" max. I've since switched to 12"-24" (sometimes longer). Some people say use a longer leader from the 3 way to the dodger then the dodger to the hook. Some people suggest the same length. I think experiment with different drifts Vs the various combinations of leader lengths (drift speed variables and leader length variables).
Thumb the spool as you're dropping the line down (slowly letting the rig to the bottom). I like to see the rig "swim" in the water before letting it down. What I mean is just allowing the current to sort of display the rig in it's fishing form just prior to dropping it so that the alignment is true. When you wind back up to the surface, treat it like a halibut-just even smooth wind without any jerking.
When you're on the bottom you can sometimes tell if you're rig is ok when you pick up the rod tip, thus moving the rig forward, you should be able to feel the dodger flutter (tip of rod should flutter). The same affect should happen while you're drifting.
Btw, I mix up leader lengths but I usually shoot for something around 3ft from the 3 way to the dodger and 2-3 feet from the dodger to the bait.
jas