The copper line is a fishing tool that allow a person to control the depth of their trolling lure. The copper line works due to the fact that the depth at which the copper line sinks is based off both the length of the copper line and the speed of the boat towing the copper line. If a person release a measured length of copper line from the boat, the copper line will allow the lure to swim at a specific depth in the water column.
Thus, copper line allows for a person to control the depth of their fishing lure without the use of downrigger or lead weights to reach the depths that they desire to fish. This ability to control the depth is useful in that the fish that a person is targeting often remain within certain depths in the water column. The depth at which the copper line sink is based upon the length of the copper line and the speed of the boat.
How to Use Copper Line to Control Lure Depth
If a person releases shorter lengths of copper line, those lengths of line will remain more closer to the surface of the water column. If, however, a person releases longer lengths of copper line, the copper line will allow the lure to reach deeper depths in the water. Additionally, if the speed at which the boat is traveling is decreased, the copper line will allow the lure to travel to greater depths.
If the boat increase its speed, however, the depth of the copper line will decrease. Thus, a person can use a chart to determine the depth of copper lines of specific lengths at specific speeds of the boat in order to ensure that the depth of the lure is within the target depth for the fish species that are being targeted. The length of copper line that should be used for fishing at specific depths is depend upon the species of fish that are to be targeted.
Fish species such as lake trout and chinook salmon live between fifty and eighty feet of depth, for instance. Thus, longer lengths of copper line should be used to fish for these species. Steelhead and coho fish, in contrast, live in shallower depths than lake trout and chinook salmon.
Walleye and brown trout live in even shallower depths than steelhead and coho. Thus, shorter lengths of copper line should be used for these species. Additionally, using a sonar fish finder to determine where the fish are locate will allow a person to select the appropriate length of copper line to set the lure to the depth of the fish.
Four factors will impact the actual depth at which copper line sinks to. These factors include the length of the copper line, the speed of the boat, the action of the lure, and the strength of the water currents. If the lure has high action, it will create additional drags for the copper line, which will cause the copper line to sink to shallower depths.
Additionally, the water currents may also impact the depth at which the copper line sinks. For these reasons, the depths indicated on the copper line depth chart are only an estimation, and the actual depth may be more accurately measure with a probe. To rig the copper line, a person should use a line-counter reel to measure the length of copper line that is cast into the water.
In many cases, individuals will first spool the backing onto the line counter, and then they attach the copper line to a quality swivel. Additionally, a person should attach a short fluorocarbon fishing leader to the end of the copper line to prevent the fish from twisting the copper line. For best results, use a trolling rod that can handle the weight of the copper line but still has enough tip sensitivity to detect if a fish has hit the lure.
A person should maintain a steady boat speed when using a copper line to fish for various species. Even a small change in boat speed will impact the depth at which the copper line sinks. For instance, a half-mile-per-hour change in boat speed can cause the line to drop several feet in depth.
If the boat changes speeds, the depth at which the copper line sinks will change, which may cause the lure to move away from the fish that are being targeted. Thus, a person should use the GPS speed indicator for the boat rather than the paddle-wheel sensor to monitor the boat speed. If a steady boat speed is maintain, the copper line will work in the same way every time the boat passes over the same area.
Not all lures are created equal when utilizing copper line setups. For instance, spoons is effective at various depths because they create flash in the water yet do not create excessive drag upon movement through the water. Stick baits sink to remain closer to the surface of the water, and thus are best use with shorter lengths of copper line.
Flasher and fly combinations are often found and caught in the middle depths at which species like salmon and lake trout live. Additionally, the action of the lure should match the speed at which the boat is traveling with the copper line; if the action is too much, the lure will create drag that may impact the depth of the copper line. Finally, there are adjustments that can be made during the fishing process to account for the changing conditions of the fishing environment.
For instance, various factors may change the depth at which the copper line sinks to; the size of the lure, the boat speed, and the strength of the current will each change the depth at which copper line sinks to. Thus, a person should often check the sonar to determine where the fish are located. Based on the location of the fish that are being targeted, a person can adjust the length of the copper line.
If copper line is adjust frequently, it is more likely that the line will remain at the depth at which the fish are located.