Stackers and Cheaters?

[Brimstone Troller]

So I'm still in the early phase of setting up my boat. I'm wondering if I run 2 riggers and stack 2 rods on them will I be able to run cheaters? Or will I have issues with tangles all the time?

Thanks Jacques

[nhjim]

wouldnt recommend both together. we stacked rods for awhile but think do better with 1 rod per and either fixed or sliding cheaters. frees up to run some lead or diver rods

[Wallyandre (Andre)]

wouldnt recommend both together. we stacked rods for awhile but think do better with 1 rod per and either fixed or sliding cheaters. frees up to run some lead or diver rods

Whats the difference between a slider and a cheater vs 2 rods?

[Crazy Ivan]

Stacking two rods on one rigger works great and you can even get a fixed cheater on the top rod if you are running the rigger deep enough. If the action is good and the bottom line keeps getting hit it can get old very quickly having to reset the entire down rigger.

[Wallyandre (Andre)]

Stacking two rods on one rigger works great and you can even get a fixed cheater on the top rod if you are running the rigger deep enough. If the action is good and the bottom line keeps getting hit it can get old very quickly having to reset the entire down rigger.

Thats what I do

[Brimstone Troller]

I'm trying to not run 4 riggers, because of cost and space, but want to be able to get more rods in the water when the family is in the boat. I also use slide divers. I will probably end up running 4 of those so I can still get down and a little bit of spread. I want to be able to run up to 8 rods deep. Then I can also mix it up with some planer boards.

[Adkhare]

We’ve ran 8 rods and it looks great but from experience 2 riggers with cheaters slide or fixed , 2 dipseys or 2 planers and you have plenty to make a mess already

[digitroll (ron)]

Interesting subject. Recently listened to a Podcast on an Oswego NY captain and he mates on the Cold Steel a 38 ft boat. They never run more than 8 rods all season even with 3 rods a person on Lake Ontario. 3 Downriggers on the boat. They never addressed cheaters. In Michigan they call cheaters "Add a line".

Fixed cheaters or sliders seem to cover it well on 2 or 4 riggers. And a couple of mini Big Jon discs or Slide Divers. In the Spring small inline boards instead of the big masts or mast with big boards also makes it a lot easier in most cases when you have two people or licenses in a boat.

Any time you can avoid a mess thats a good thing as Adkhare points out. There becomes a point of diminishing returns for putting all that gear and 3-4 guys in a small boat with licenses to cover all that gear in the water at times.

Once in awhile I will run 4 riggers if it's rough here or this deep program as of late with 50-120 feet of cable out. June-August I will run 2 riggers and 2 Slide Divers.

Lake Ontario we run 4 riggers and 2 Dipsies for 2 licenses. We never run cheaters in Ontario. No need to so much action on the main line from the releases the cheaters just get in the way. The same with copper or lead off boards I just leave that stuff home. I don't own any copper rods.

In most cases I just have 1 guest in my boat with 2 licenses total.... no fighting over the comfy chair. LOL

[ChessieMan]

I run 2 riggers and 2 dipsys - tried stacking and didn't have the skills or patience - when the fish are up, the dipsys can be deadly - especially if you learn to use the combinations of disc size and distance back - and when a dipsy rod get "SLAMMED" - there is an instant rush.

[bigfish]

On Lake Ontario we do run cheaters
And we at times do run sliders
Every piece of equipment has a time and place
And the number of rods in the water depends on a bunch of factors
#1 being conditions
#2 time of year
If we are fishing in 6 footers less is better
If we are fishing deep 150’plus. Naturally we run less because you have less gear to reach those depths
Spring or fall it’s common to have 14-18 rods in the water at times.
Captain Andy bliss mates on the 36’ egg harbor COLDSTEEL. Owned and operated by Captain Tom Burke.
Each boat does their own thing. Their own program