Downrigger weights. What to use?

[briansnat]

Received a downrigger as a gift from why wife late last year, now I need to buy a weight for it. I'll mostly use it for trout fishing in Round Valley, Merrill Creek and some other smaller north Jersey lakes and reservoirs. I'll mostly be trolling at pretty slow speeds, no more than 3 mph. I'd like to get it down to reach the lakers.

I have no clue what weight to buy. What weight do the downrigger users here who fish NJ lakes use?

[Bicey]

I use 10lb weights at the Valley and 6 lb weights at spruce run. Check and make sure your downrigger can handle the heavier weights.

[JerseyCoast]

Bicey offers some GREAT advice here..... be sure to check the manufacturers suggested limitations!! They are not all the same!

It will depend on where and what your using them for. If in the ocean for bass, I would say 10lbs is about right, but you can go higher, depending.

The currents will make the difference more so than the depths. You can go 80' in water with minimal currents, but not get 30' in water with mad current down below.

There are so many things you can now do. From sending down a little swimmer, to hanging the big stuff down deep. Do some research and check it out. Downriggers are a great item to have!!! They work on striped bass, just as good as tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo!!!!

[Capt. Lou]

Ball type DR weights will scope out a lot easier than slim fish shaped weights .
I've always preferred the style that u can tail bend to allow them to swim out away from boat !
In the ocean ball weights are virtually useless for any high speedi
due to currents & speed !
If slow trolling u can run specific baits off riggers but again UR standard releases may not be up to task ! Use RB !

[Bicey]

Is there many guys who use DR'S in the salt? I use them to catch hybrids and Sweetwater stripers but I don't see many salt guys using them. I know in th Sweetwater stripers are Constantly on the move and trolling DR and trolling allows you to stalk them. I don't fish salt for them and I always wondered why more salt guys don't use them.

[Capt. Lou]

offshore OK mid depth OK many instances bass r close to structure DR's not geared to this style fishery. Fall when fishn r feeding higher in water column they're OK ,not my first choice !

[briansnat]

Originally Posted by bicey

I use 10lb weights at the Valley and 6 lb weights at spruce run. Check and make sure your downrigger can handle the heavier weights.

Thanks for the helpful post.