Downrigging/Sonar question

[Hack_Fisherman]

Hey everyone, my Brother and I have just started using downriggers with a new Helix 7. 

We are having issues with the cannonball being picked up on sonar. Comically, the first time out we thought the river mouth was totally stacked with fish as the swells had the cannonballs triggering a fish alarm...whoops. We were out Monday when we figured it out and low and behold, we could not locate fish with the riggers up. 

We noticed guys zipping around with front trollers down. Not sure if they were using them with that new isteer or whatever you call it, or if they are using it for a front mount transducer. 

Wondering if a front troller mount transducer will help solve the downrigger interference issue or if there’s simpler measures we could take? 

Thanks in advance

 

[Rizzo]

don't you want to pick up the cannon ball on the screen? I would think that would be important so you know exactly where your bait is. As far as the fish alarm? Just turn that off so it doesn't drive you nuts

[BillM]

Uh, you want to see the balls on the screen...    As for those guys using the front trolling motor, they're using it to steer while the kicker or main does the pushing    Putting them on auto pilot is fantastic. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by BillM

[Terry]

Turn fish alarm off. And you want to see your balls

you know what I mean 

[chessy]

55 minutes ago, BillM said:

Uh, you want to see the balls on the screen...    As for those guys using the front trolling motor, they're using it to steer while the kicker or main does the pushing    Putting them on auto pilot is fantastic. 

getting a boat in oct.  are you seriouse about using electric trolling motor to steer while the 9.9 kicker does the pushing... Why?  been along time since out in a boat 

 

[Hack_Fisherman]

1 hour ago, Rizzo said:

don't you want to pick up the cannon ball on the screen? I would think that would be important so you know exactly where your bait is. As far as the fish alarm? Just turn that off so it doesn't drive you nuts

Thanks we were using the depth counter. We did turn off the alarm and set the notification to large fish only. 

I guess we have to learn to read the signature marks and rely on that

[Terry]

9 minutes ago, chessy said:

getting a boat in oct.  are you seriouse about using electric trolling motor to steer while the 9.9 kicker does the pushing... Why?  been along time since out in a boat 

 

I use my electric as autopilot. I fish by myself a lot and it’s nice to be able to fight a fish and re-rig up and just let the electric follow my track or route or heading depending on how I set it. 
don’t leave home without it 

[dave524]

Just remember your sonar measures how far the cannonball is from the transducer , not how far down it is. 75 feet from the transducer with the cables angled back a bit may only be 60 feet down even though they are marking 75 feet on the screen.  Revisit you high school geometry.

[Hack_Fisherman]

1 hour ago, BillM said:

Uh, you want to see the balls on the screen...    As for those guys using the front trolling motor, they're using it to steer while the kicker or main does the pushing    Putting them on auto pilot is fantastic. 

 Thanks, I wondered if that’s what they were doing 

[Hack_Fisherman]

55 minutes ago, Terry said:

Turn fish alarm off. And you want to see your balls

you know what I mean 

Haven’t seen those since 50lbs ago

[Hack_Fisherman]

4 minutes ago, dave524 said:

Just remember your sonar measures how far the cannonball is from the transducer , not how far down it is. 75 feet from the transducer with the cables angled back a bit may only be 60 feet down even though they are marking 75 feet on the screen.  Revisit you high school geometry.

Excellent point, I hadn’t considered that. I did notice they were pulling back in current

[misfish]

 

2 hours ago, Terry said:

And you want to see your balls

 

2 hours ago, Terry said:

. I fish by myself a lot

 

[Freshtrax]

8 hours ago, chessy said:

getting a boat in oct.  are you seriouse about using electric trolling motor to steer while the 9.9 kicker does the pushing... Why?  been along time since out in a boat 

 

Ipilot... put main in gear bungee steering wheel straight  and the bow mount will keep me in a straight line even in 2 fters .   So much nicer than sawing the the steering wheel all day. 

 

Turn fish id off.  Yo want to see your balls in relation to the hooks and adjust accordingly 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Freshtrax

[porkpie]

On 9/3/2020 at 1:28 PM, chessy said:

getting a boat in oct.  are you seriouse about using electric trolling motor to steer while the 9.9 kicker does the pushing... Why?  been along time since out in a boat 

 

Yes,  get ipilot and it will change your life!

[porkpie]

On 9/3/2020 at 1:35 PM, Hack_Fisherman said:

Thanks we were using the depth counter. We did turn off the alarm and set the notification to large fish only. 

I guess we have to learn to read the signature marks and rely on that

Put sonar to advance mode, turn off fish ID.  Look for hooks and bait. Turn off fish alarms.   Properly set up you should be able to see your cannonballs down 100.

[BillM]

On 9/3/2020 at 1:28 PM, chessy said:

getting a boat in oct.  are you seriouse about using electric trolling motor to steer while the 9.9 kicker does the pushing... Why?  been along time since out in a boat 

 

Absolutely serious.   Built in autopilot.  Set the autopilot and set your lines or land a fish without worrying what the boat is doing.  I use it everytime I'm out solo.

[chessy]

3 hours ago, BillM said:

Absolutely serious.   Built in autopilot.  Set the autopilot and set your lines or land a fish without worrying what the boat is doing.  I use it everytime I'm out solo.

how hard are the terronovas to lift i was looking at the ulltara self deploy cause of my back 

 

[BillM]

I have no issues with my Terrova.  Ulterra is pretty slick but guys do have problems with the auto stow and deploy.   

[AKRISONER]

11 hours ago, chessy said:

how hard are the terronovas to lift i was looking at the ulltara self deploy cause of my back 

 

The new terrovas have a spring loading lift assist so they aren’t hard at all to lift anymore. You could lift one out with one hand 

[Freshtrax]

No issues with our ulterra.   I do inspect and clean once every few months.  Love that thing like a child.  Changed the way I fish forever.   Its especially useful in the rough stuff  or when raining and we have the roof up.    

[Old Ironmaker]

You want to pick up the balls and cables. It is telling you that your electronics is certainly dialed in.  That's a good thing. 

On the subject of elec. trolling motors I priced them for my boat this year. We paid 1/2 the $$$$ for a 16' tinny and 40 HP way back when. Then again I paid 25K for a  3 bedroom 2 bath townhouse in poor condition then too. I was flipping out because I had a $19000.00 mortgage and needed another 5K from the Credit Union for remodel/repairs. Sleepless nights. I have always said us Baby Boomers were lucky to be born when we were. I would love to be in my 20's and 30's of course but when I was in my 20's and 30's not today. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by Old Ironmaker