Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

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digitroll (ron)
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Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:58 pm

Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by digitroll (ron) »

Having some great success with 3 and 5 color lead segmented with Offshore OR-12 inline boards (one per side) to supplement our riggers on our Fishmaster 196. Utilizing the Simrad Autopilot with the Zig Zag feature at a length of 250 feet and a 30 or 40 degree course change depending on wave conditions allows the boards to speed up or slow down triggering our Landlock salmon bites as the lead rises and falls allowing following fish to strike. Other non-targeted species as well. Thanks Gerry (Gecha) for your suggestion!


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Last edited by digitroll (ron) on Wed May 30, 2018 7:47 pm, edited 8 times in total.
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Wallyandre (Andre)
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Species: salmon, SM, walleyes
Location: Montreal, QC & Port Kent NY
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Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by Wallyandre (Andre) »

Congrats!
I also use the zig-zag a lot, that gives a lot of action w/o tiring the capt.
digitroll (ron)
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Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by digitroll (ron) »

Some great suggestions from our Canadien friends!
Gecha (Gerry)
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Species: whatever crazy enough to bite

Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by Gecha (Gerry) »

We had a great time on the water ending the day with 3 salmons in the box, and over half dozen released.
Thanks Ron for the invite.
Using the Zigzag on the autopilot proved very effective. Most of the hits happened while turning.
Gecha (Gerry North of the Border)
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ThreeBuoys
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Species: Bass,Salmon,Trout

Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by ThreeBuoys »

Just curious, what do you figure the depths you were running with the Lead?
15-24 on the three colors and 25-40 on the 5 colors? Depending on speed and direction .
Gecha (Gerry)
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Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by Gecha (Gerry) »

Lead sinks about 5 feet per color.
Gecha (Gerry North of the Border)
digitroll (ron)
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Re: Utilizing your Autopilot's Zig Zag function to catch more salmon!

Post by digitroll (ron) »

Lead sinks on average 5 feet per color for 30 ft / 10 yards per color out. It's the property of lead in sheathing or core that rises and falls. Coupled with turns it will rise and fall in the column as well as speed up or slow down. We have all seen videos of fish following lures at the ball. It's the change of direction that causes fish at times to pounce. How many times on turns we hook up vs. a straight line or death troll. Using the Zig Zag feature of an AP as Andre said saves a lot of steering wheel twisting manually.
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