Brooder Questions

[Duke 59]

This is my first fall on the lake and I bought my first brooder minnows tonight.  Tomorrow will by my first try with them.  One way I have read about is to free line....I am assuming that means to hook the brooder without any weights and cast them out behind the boat....letting the minnow go where they want.  

Another method is to try to target the minnow to a specific depth if you see the stripers holding at a certain depth.  My question is how do you connect the weight to the line and how much weight is needed?

I know drifting is one approach...but can you also use your trolling motor to move around with the lines out?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated....I'm really excited to try this out and tomorrow looks to be a nice day.

Thanks, Greg

[Ozark Flyer]

I fish an egg slip sinker on the main line above a bead and snap swivel then a length of 15# 100% floro from the snap to a circle hook.  Hook sized to bait.  I keep extra floro leaders tied up and ready in case I break off. I would like to hear some alternates if someone does it different.

[zarraspook]

17 hours ago, Ozark Flyer said:

I fish an egg slip sinker on the main line above a bead and snap swivel then a length of 15# 100% floro from the snap to a circle hook.  Hook sized to bait.  I keep extra floro leaders tied up and ready in case I break off. I would like to hear some alternates if someone does it different.

Ditto except, I use 20# floro which has helps get the rig out of tree tops with out breaking off....The egg sinker is a 1/2oz if drifting and a 3oz if trolling...

40# braid as main line..

[Stump bumper]

On something as small as brooders I will use split shot, one for drifting and three for trolling but I troll really slow. If I want to keep a 6inch gizzard down then I use a 1 oz egg sinker. When stripers are feeding there is no wrong answer, just be there, I have seen fish rise 30 feet to hit a top water then miss and throw a spook 10 feet in the air.

Then there are days when you have bait at every level and they hit a ned rig and leave the bait alone, IMO it is the boat traffic that scares them into not feeding and I catch bigger fish by finding areas with fewer boats.

I also use 20# flouro or tie to 40# braid directly and use saltwater rods to get the fish in fresh and release them since I don't eat fish (I take salmon oil pills). If you can get them up quickly a 15lb striper will dance on top like a 3lb smallmouth and boy is that fun. I have lost too many trophy size fish on 15# flouro and tight drags and just don't take the chance anymore.

Good luck, just trust your electronics and keep your eyes peeled for surface activity. Big shad trying to become air breathers is always a good sign.

 

[Duke 59]

Ok, thanks for the help so far, but here is another question.

 

I went out this morning and went to all the spots I have been marking fish this past week and today not so much.  There was no top water activity and not as much bait present.  I did mark some fish in a few spots, but they did not look like there were very active.  I went ahead and tried fishing those spots.  The tight line set up with the egg sinker worked fine and I know I can control it and it's depth.  I caught two largemouth bass....both just under 15 inches.  

One my second rod, I tried to free line and only had the hook.  I let out line and the brooder took it away....my question is how is that set up supposed to be working?  Does the brooder usually try to go to the bottom or stay on top or anywhere in between.  What is better or different about doing the free line instead of the tight line with sinker?  I did catch another largemouth on this rod as well.

I'm going back out late this afternoon and try again.

Thanks, greg

[Alumacraft190]

Just my own .02 and I’m far from a master angler compared to most on this board.  the freeline is excellent especially when worked in tandem with downlines.  Reason being, my experience and reading is fish will tend to come up in the water column after its food but rarely does it go down.  I have witnessed this many times on a graph where a bait at 15’ gets ate and you see the fish on the graph come up after your bait.  I can’t say Ive seen it the other way, where the fish goes down.  The strength of the free line then is it is fair game to fish at all depth especially in clear water although it isnt as high percentage as say a bait set to 20’ with an egg weight targeting fish consistently marked at 25 fow.  This would be why I always fish 2 free lines and sometimes even a 3rd and 4th on planer boards in my setup of 6-10 rods.

[Duke 59]

Thanks guys for all the advice....I caught my first striper today.....not real big, but 22 inches

[Vinsott]

Great job. Persistence I always say. I'm going myself this weekend and hope to get my first of the season. 

[Stump bumper]

Thanks for the pic, I was out yesterday also but I could't leave all the green fish feeding on top alone long enough to fish for stripers. Beautiful day, running 50 this time of year without a coat was very nice and those green fish were trying to jump into the boat. I saw a few stripers on top, but couldn't get them to hit an A-rig before the bass doubled up on them. Going to have to get out with some live bait and leave the bass rods at home.