Using metered line

I am interested on opinions or facts on how to most effectively ad accurately use metered line. In my case Power Pro Depth Hunter. I have converted a bunch of Abu Garcia 6500 C3 reels from catfishing rigs to long line crank bait rigs. I have put depth hunter on the reels and am using 8'6" and 7' trolling rods. I have caught fish and love cranking.

My question is exactly how do you use metered line? More importantly where do you stop the line to gauge depth and ensure that your crank is running at the depth you want it to? As soon as it clears the reel? At the rod tip? At the water surface?

So if I need to use 65 feet of line out to get my crank down 8 feet were do I set the line markers?

I have gave a lot of thought to this and am stumped. I am also confident that I am over thinking this. My intent is to be as accurate as possible.

Thanks in advance for the help.



Neil

Its no different from any other line counting method, distance is measured where the line enters the water. been using Depth Hunter for my 3rd season now and absolutely love it, lo profile baitcasters instead of huge linecounters is a huge plus for me as well.

That makes sense to me and I have used that method.

You say like any other line counting method. I can't wrap my mind around that. With metered line yes, you can see the color where the line enters the water, but would it not be different accuracy wise with a line counter reel depending on what length rod you using? If your using a 16 foot rod would you not be 16 feet off when your reel starts counting? Meaning you are 16 foot longer from surface of water to crank?

You are correct, to me the depth hunter is way more accurate than a linecounter reel. Too, I think we over think it some, its all to make the process repeatable.
When using linecounters I do zero with the bait at the end of the pole so its measured off the tip.
Only drawback to the metered line is in low light conditions but I have gotten pretty good at measuring from the reel, just deducting the length of the rod, do this all the time on the 18 footers.

If you zero your line at the bait/rod tip, it wouldn't matter how long the rods are .... it's at what angle the rods are, that creates the length of line that you have to add to your overall length of line out.

Case in point: I fished off the back while my two buddies fished off the front, pushing/pulling cranks. They used 14-20ft rods, while I used 7ft rods. They put out 25ft of line to get to the desired depth, while I had to put out 45ft of line to get to the same depth. WHY ?? Because their rods were pointing down towards the water & had very little line length between rod tip & water's surface ... while my rods were pointing UP at about a 45deg angle, making the length of my rod tip to water line about 20ft long (and my underwater line length was then the same 25ft that my buddies lines were). All because of the angle differences in the rods.

... cp :kewl

Rees Guide, CrappiePappy,

Thank you, as that is a very easy way to understand it.

Just so I am clear the most accurate way to measure crank running depth is from surface of water to bait, regardess of angle?

Thanks again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NocEm

Rees Guide, CrappiePappy,

Thank you, as that is a very easy way to understand it.

Just so I am clear the most accurate way to measure crank running depth is from surface of water to bait, regardess of angle?

Thanks again!

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Yes .... surface to bait :ThumbsUp

The "angle" of your rods only dictates how much "added length" of line you have to consider. All the line length above the water just has to be added to the length of line you have below the water, in your overall length of line that's let out. How much line that is will be determined by the angle of the rod vs the added weight &/or diving range of the crankbait.
Most crankers I know are using 2-3oz of weight @ 5' in front of the crankbait (ie: on a 5' leader of mono of a lesser pound test than the main line). Takes less line out to reach the depths you want, but a hung-up crank will usually have to be sacrificed ... because you can't stop your forward motion without taking the chance of hanging more or ALL of them. Our "normal" trolling speed is @ 1.8mph

... cp :kewl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Yes .... surface to bait :ThumbsUp

The "angle" of your rods only dictates how much "added length" of line you have to consider. All the line length above the water just has to be added to the length of line you have below the water, in your overall length of line that's let out. How much line that is will be determined by the angle of the rod vs the added weight &/or diving range of the crankbait.
Most crankers I know are using 2-3oz of weight @ 5' in front of the crankbait (ie: on a 5' leader of mono of a lesser pound test than the main line). Takes less line out to reach the depths you want, but a hung-up crank will usually have to be sacrificed ... because you can't stop your forward motion without taking the chance of hanging more or ALL of them. Our "normal" trolling speed is @ 1.8mph

... cp :kewl

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Useing a weight ahead of your crankbait is pushing not pulling and requires the use of a different depth chart. Here is the chart and instructions for that method. And it is also figured from where the line enters the water Attachment 213205

Here is the chart for pulling ( no weight used )bandits. Attachment 213206Attachment 213206

And here is the chart for pulling ( no weight used ) Arkie 350s. Attachment 213207

Quote:

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Originally Posted by "G"

Using a weight ahead of your crankbait is pushing not pulling

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"G" .... I consider it "pushing" when the rods are at the bow and more or less pointing forward, and "pulling" when the rods are at the transom end of the boat or out the sides (& weights are being used). If weights are not being used, I consider it "longlining" even if the bait is a crank.

It's another one of those "I say Tow may tow, you say Tow mah tow" deals, that can be a bit confusing. Sorry if I'm misrepresenting :Doh:

... cp :kewl

Where the rods are in the boat has nothing at all to do with it....controlling depth by use of a weight is pushing....controlling depth with line out and no weight is pulling. I used to think it like your saying untill I started doing both methods almost 8 years ago.....have fished them with some of the best in the business and have done a ton of reading on the subject. Anyhow lot of folks got different definitions which is ok as long as they catching fish....its all good. But anyway I just posted that because a lot of folks are confused and trying to used the pulling depth chart useing weights and that will not work.

Longlineing normally refers to pulling jigs or roadrunners without extra weight and depth is controlled by length of line out plus boat speed.....slow down to go deep.....speed up to go shallow.

G, I think a lot of that depends on where you are in the country, it's all relative to where you are. A lot of yanks say "dipping" as us folk down south think they got a l inch of snuff in their lip.

I agree with measuring from the water to your lure not rod tip to lure. If you are using a line counter reel then push zero when your bait enters the water. Here in North Caroling most of the lead core line users have a saying "colors in the water". Three colors deep means there were three colors in the water not from your rod tip.