Trolling Speed Indicator

[Time]

Just wondering if anybody has ever seen or tried one of these:
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0012326014883a.shtml

Made by Luhr Jensen, the weight hangs about 3 feet under the water surface, and the gauge indicates speed through the water, not over the water (most speedometer gauges) or over land (gps).

I'm thinking it could be a handy rig to monitor speed of the tackle in shifting wave, wind, and tide conditions.

 

[explorer185]

Seen a similar thing that sailboats use. They use these to get more accurate speed readings. They take them out of the water for less drag and put them in when they want to know their speed.

 

[SIR]

Sounds like yet another thing you'd need to pull out of the water when you get a fish on to avoid line wraps.....

I'd buy into the concept for smaller lakes but in the ocean there are lot's of times when we go diving where the surface current and speed can be 180 degrees and several knots different than the current even 60' down so I'm not sure this would help much in an ocean setting around islands, points, reefs or pinaccles....

To give me a feeling for surface currents and wind drag on my canopy I just watch the GPS speeds on my up/down current trolling pattern at the same rpm and the delta gives me an indication of current/surface wind.... but then I mostly ignore that and just adjust speed to get the angle of my downrigger lines right as that gives me a resistence indicator which tells me when my flasher/lure action is right. Do ya buy that?

 

[blueorca]

More gadgets.....
Look at your gear, it will tell you whats happening below.

 

[Time]

Thanks Blue and Sir, you're probably right in that it is just another gadget that's not really needed. Just trying to get a handle on the actual speed the gear is moving at. Using 10 pound cannonballs I try to keep the wire at about a 20 degree angle from the vertical. Too fast, too slow, who knows.

 

[beak]

I agree with blue orca a funny thing I got a new islander last christmas so i put it on a 10'6 lamiglass.But I couldn't get the speed right when watching that rod in the holder .So I had to go back to my old meat pole HDR just to get things right again.Go figure $800+ rod and reel but I cant use it but I guess practice will maybe make perfect.LOL

 

[Time]

Know what you mean Beak. Sometimes I'll rig up my old Eagle Claw trolling rod with 4-6 ounces and a flasher. The throbbing tip tells me when the speed is correct.

 

[alley cat]

I generally go by the hum of the downrigger wire through the water , no noise , too slow , high pitch , just right , deep hum and heavy vibration , too fast !

AL