Reel in fish or cables?

[bottomfeeder]

Scenerio...you are trolling along, alone, with two manual scotty's at 100 feet when a 15 lb spring hits one line...delema...The fish needs attention and the two cables and second line are in the way...how is this situation best handled? With one cable out I can usually manage to reel it in and fight the fish at the same time, but the second is a problem. Ideas?

 

[casper5280]

Leave it alone and keep trolling out to deeper water and out of the way of other boats .Keep playing the fish on the clean side of the boat.It's when you have the double header that you have the delema!!!!

 

[salmon9]

I fish alone alot and find having electric Scotty's useful because of this. I would not worry about bringing up the manuals while playing a fish alone; however, I would try to invest in electrics, you can at least get the one downrigger out of the way.

 

[casper5280]

When I said leave it alone,what I should of said was bring up the downrigger that the fish hit on up first.Then try to keep the fish on that side of the boat.If it is a big fish you might try to bring up the other one a bit at a time then pop it off and get it in the boat.If was me I leave the other gear alone and boat it on the clear side.

 

[Drewski Canuck]

I have fished manual downriggers for a long time. I have went over to Electric Scottys for just your dilema. If you really want fun, try stacking 4 rods on two downriggers, with a double header. As for the best technique, the fish is hooked, and is fresh, and is running. Get the equipment up first. It saves alot of swearing later. Fight the fish in, and start the insanity all over again.

Drewski

 

[Mr. Dean]

Personaly, I like Brewski's, rather Drewski's point of view!!.

Some like it rough...
Others just puke!.
Mr. Dean