If $1400 was not the object would running a DigiTroll 10 (with bottom tracking) set at 5 ft off bottom and a 30 ft lead to a harness be a premier option?
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If $1400 was not the object would running a DigiTroll 10 (with bottom tracking) set at 5 ft off bottom and a 30 ft lead to a harness be a premier option?
Drop one off and I will give it a try and let you know. P.M. Me for my address.
I don't think it would be as productive as you think. I got downriggers and a FishHawk speed/temp probe last year for salmon fishing. For walleye fishing, I like to use the FishHawk to monitor the 'down speed' which is the speed through water however deep you set the downrigger weight. You'd be surprised the speed differential between the GPS speed and the speed 15-20 feet down. Sometimes it's a 1mph difference. I believe having an accurate down speed allows you to troll in any direction and maintain consistent speed. Using a speed probe does increase your walleye catch, in my opinion. Anyway, since I have a downrigger going for the down speed, I typically set the ball about 12-15 feet above the bottom and either run a Perfect 10 60 back (dives an additional 9 feet) or 2 colors of leadcore with a worm harness (2 colors is 60 ft and sinks 10 feet below the downrigger weight). I did this all last year, and running this 'bonus' line close to bottom produced only a couple walleye for us. It did, however, keep us entertained with very large sheephead, catfish, and some unseen fish that broke the line. I'll do this again this year just for the 'big fish' aspect of it. There truly are some big sheephead and catfish lurking near the bottom and it doesn't make me angry to catch non-target fish. I had big plans for this setup thinking I was going to pick up some large walleye lurking at the bottom. It just wasn't the case. The setup you're describing would be similar except you could run the ball closer to the bottom since it's bottom tracking.