Downrigging for Macks/fish finder?

[eatsleephunt]

I'm looking for some advice on equipment and technique when it come to downrigging for macks.

My current thinking based upon what advise and experience I currently have is using a Cannon Mag 10. I will probably only purchase one DR for now.

I currently have a mid-grade Lowrance on the console (10 yr old unit). I was told that to target big macks effectively a good finder with a port by the downrigger was key to keeping the bait presentation right. I was thinking of a newer Lowrance with broadband capability.

I will be fishing Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Lake and probably the Pallisades at some point, although Yellowstone is where I go the most. Currently when we troll we use lead core.

[Pygmy]

I am assuming you are trolling fishing for suspended trout...

In relatively shallow ( 100 feet or less) presentation is fairly simple for lakers..Keep it near the bottom and troll as slowly as you can and maintain good lure action... Light, flutter spoons work well on a slow troll, as do dodgers with various trailers such as squids, flies or light spoons..

For suspended fish in very deep lakes, it's often a matter of simply keeping some lures at the depth where your finder marks fish...Lure choice varies from one locale to another, but here in the Great lakes/ Finger lakes popular lures are dodgers with squid or fly, or baitfish imitating spoons or plugs...

[eatsleephunt]

Does adding smells/baits/attractants help the strike frequency for lakers when fishing deeper?

[Pygmy]

It certainly doesn't hurt, although nearly all of my trolling experience has been fishing artificial lures and hardware such as spoons and plugs ....


In some areas, like New England and some parts of Canada, it is standard procedure to troll sewn baitfish or cut bait, either by them selves, behind a dodger or flasher or tipping a lure such as a spoon...