knowing the depths of your lure/rig

I’ve never fished where I had to know the depth of my lure, or the depth of my bait rig, but now I’m beginning to fish for suspended fish and I’d like a few tips on how to attain and maintain a certain depth. I know there is leadcore line, and it is color-coded, but how do you know how deep you are, vs. how much line is out? Can you estimate your angle, and triangulate your bait depth? Then there are line counters, but once again, how do you know how deep your rig is? I hear some people do “count-down” with certain types of lures, but about how far down per second does one’s bait go (I suspect I’d have to test each bait). Then if a crank dives to 12 feet and you want to target maybe 20 feet, again, how do you know when you’re there? Thanks for helping a newbie.

The best way to get to know the depth your lure is running, and this works especially well for lead and long lining, is to start trolling in an area with a consistent depth. These areas are found along certain stretches of shoreline and through the channels. Just let out enough line until you start bumping against bottom while keeping an eye on your depth finder. Once you start bumping, reel in a few feet to get off the bottom and take note of the depth you are at and the speed you are traveling. Do this at least one more time to verfy that you did it correctly. Keep in mind that you now know the depth for that particular lure and that you will need to do it again for other lures. Do this without focusing on catching fish. It will only take a little time but its an investment. One other factor to keep in mind that your depth will be affected by wether you are going up or down stream in current areas.

Get the book called “Precision Trolling”… its a great resource, and will answer many of the questions you have. To consistently hit the same depth, a line counter is a must.