07-11-2013, 03:04 AM
Let me try and describe the use of a cheater hook for a down rigger. There are two ways to do it. First you need to create the cheater hook itself. I use 5 feet of leader material and tie a "cross over snap" on each end of the leader. (you could use a swivel, if you do not have a snap.) You attach a spoon or some other lure with little action on one end of the leader using the snap. (RMT spoons, Shasta tackle, needle fish work real well. Triple teazers, Jakes spin a lures have too much action and twist up your line)
The simple method: You attach the main line from your rod to the down rigger release clip and drop the down rigger ball to say 30 feet. You will notice that there is a parabolic curve in the line from the end of the fishing pole to the down rigger release. You attach the cheater using the other snap to the main line and toss over board. The cheater will sink to the apex of the parabolic curve or in other words 1/2 the distance of the depth. So using this method, you will be pulling a lure at 30 feet and 15 feet.
The difficult & most fun method: You attach the main line to the down rigger release. This time drop the down rigger down to 10 feet. Attach the cheater as mentioned above & toss over board. Now this time, the cheater will be located 5 feet above the main line hook. (1/2 of 10 feet = 5 feet) Attach another "clip on" down rigger release from the down rigger cable to the main line. Drop the down rigger ball to 30 feet. This time you will be pulling a lure at 30 feet and 25 feet. Using this method, you will often pull two lures through the same school of fish resulting in double hook ups. Fishing Strawberry this week, I probably averaged 6 double hook-ups each day I fished.
In general, I have found that the cheater hook will increase your catch rate by 50%. I had one day this week that I increased my catch rate 100% - in other words, I caught as many on the cheater as I did on the main line.
Hope this makes sense!
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The simple method: You attach the main line from your rod to the down rigger release clip and drop the down rigger ball to say 30 feet. You will notice that there is a parabolic curve in the line from the end of the fishing pole to the down rigger release. You attach the cheater using the other snap to the main line and toss over board. The cheater will sink to the apex of the parabolic curve or in other words 1/2 the distance of the depth. So using this method, you will be pulling a lure at 30 feet and 15 feet.
The difficult & most fun method: You attach the main line to the down rigger release. This time drop the down rigger down to 10 feet. Attach the cheater as mentioned above & toss over board. Now this time, the cheater will be located 5 feet above the main line hook. (1/2 of 10 feet = 5 feet) Attach another "clip on" down rigger release from the down rigger cable to the main line. Drop the down rigger ball to 30 feet. This time you will be pulling a lure at 30 feet and 25 feet. Using this method, you will often pull two lures through the same school of fish resulting in double hook ups. Fishing Strawberry this week, I probably averaged 6 double hook-ups each day I fished.
In general, I have found that the cheater hook will increase your catch rate by 50%. I had one day this week that I increased my catch rate 100% - in other words, I caught as many on the cheater as I did on the main line.
Hope this makes sense!
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