Question on Downriggers and Bandits aprox. 1.2 to1.5 mph

[Bamatroller]

The OP was asking about running a crank close to the bottom off a rigger. It's just easier to keep your crank from plowing bottom if you use a stacker release and a trolling app. Your cannon ball becomes your lower limit. Example, take a crank that at 20' back runs 8' down @ 2.3 mph w/10# test. Place your stacker 10' above the ball, that way you can run your ball much closer to the bottom and have a known distance above the bottom for your crank. If the ball touches bottom, bring it up a hair, keep your crank running clean.. I didn't have a trolling app back when I used to run riggers a lot. It was trail and error. I don't even put my riggers on my boat anymore unless I go east to fish and that doesn't happen much. This is something to try on a slow bite day when they are sulking on the bottom. It's not part of my regular program.

I see what you’re saying now. Good method. Thanks for the info.

[GatorBait]

great method!!!! and will use. I"m going to set up the LIVE SCOPE to monitor baits in Real Time and should be able to really dial in the special one or two foot depth above fish that I desire but will have to invest in another 126sv garmin display to monitor that... $$$$$$$ momma hit the ceiling on that move lol

[slimshady]

You should be able to see your cannon balls on the graph anyway, so you will know how far off the bottom they are running. You can do the same thing only without a stacker. Use the trolling app and find a setting that will run 10 feet down at a certain distance back and then run your cannon-balls 12 feet off the bottom. That way, you don't risk snagging a cannon-ball on the bottom and the baits are running below the cannon-balls, which may spook the fish as they come through.

Guys use a modified version of this for steelhead that some call the SWR "Secret Weapon Rig". They run 5 colors of lead-core off the cannon-ball with a spoon attached. That gets the spoon further away from the boat, gets it below the cannon ball and the lead-core has a dampening effect on big waves, making the presentation more natural in rough water. The same would work with shallow diving body baits for walleyes. Cheers!