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Jr and I have decided to bite the bullet and get two copper line rod and reel setups, fishusa.com has some good prices on okuma gear combos pre rigged, was thinking a 300' copper setup with 30# copper, but, not sure how far that will get me down at 2.8 or so, would like to use them for inland steelies which we seem to hit best at 40' down, when the kings get much below 60 we usually move to a different fishery, hate fishing deep in a little boat. Wondering what you all think, any pointers on gear, and is it possible to break the copper up
In sections on one real so you can change up how much your running?

Don't have much experience with 30# copper, I run 45# on the 300-450'ers.


If memory serves me correctly you get 1:5 ratio on 30#, so you could get to 60 with a 300'er.

I've also never run multiple sections of wire on a spool. I'd think you could eff yourself quick, say running 150 and then your backer and then another 150 and more backer...you could end up with 600-700ft of line out and only be fishing 45-50fow

We normally run dipsy's and riggers for that water depth.


Sorry not much help, hopefully Bill will have some good input.

The Cold Water forum on MS will have good tackle advice too.

So what exactly is a copper set up? You guys run some crazy shit up there.

Copper fishing line, like leadcore. It sinks a little faster and somehow magically cat he's more fish

Shit!! And I bitch about the cost of a spool of braid!

The fuck you fishing for?

300 yards or so of braid backer, then 100-500' of copper then a mono or flourish leader

Salmon, steelhead, browns and skemania

DeadEye_Dan wrote:The Cold Water forum on MS will have good tackle advice too.

I might call capt Dave that I chartered with last year and see if he'll hook up, maybe I'll get two rods and four reels so I can have a shallow and a medium, think a 100 or 150' could be deadly in steelies and big walleye in some of our inland lakes around us

Flightstopper wrote:So what exactly is a copper set up? You guys run some crazy shit up there.

The 30# copper line sinks at a rate of 1' for every 5' of line.

So you can run down riggers and the like right off the back of the boat and then run your planer boards off each side and with the sink rate your baits will be running in a big V with the boat at the point of the V, without getting fouled in the lines at the back of the boat.

Southerners don't know what planer boards are

Do you run dipsy rods?

Not inland southerners but some coastal ones do.

Yep, one per side with 30# power pro, usually a teaser tuna combo or flasher and fly combo on the Dipsy's

jehler wrote:Southerners don't know what planer boards are

Great. You can explain that.

DeadEye_Dan wrote:

jehler wrote:Southerners don't know what planer boards are

Great. You can explain that.

I showed guys in Louisiana and they still didn't grasp it

Gotcha. And with a couple copper lines you can double your chances.

jehler wrote:

DeadEye_Dan wrote:

jehler wrote:Southerners don't know what planer boards are

Great. You can explain that.

I showed guys in Louisiana and they still didn't grasp it

Really? It's such a simple concept

We typically run two riggers, 2 dippsy, 2 planers with torpedo divers. If we have a third on the boat we will stack the riggers or run a couple shallower planers way out for steel, 8 rods is all we can handle

Wanting to ditch the torpedo divers l, although some days they are top producers

It's all about having options. If you don't have any copper, you can't run it.

Boat goes in on Friday!

Here's my bit.

Copper is a pain in the ass, no way around it. You mentioned buying two. I would never under any circumstance try running two copper rigs. We have it because when the kings go deep, it usually becomes our heavy hitter, and we need meat in the cooler. Botton line we run it only because when the bite gets pokey, it can be the difference between a five fish trip and a ten fish trip. If I was fishing for myself, and meat wasn't and issue, no way i'd mess with it. We do it out of need, not because we like to. If the fish are coming fast enough (if we can count on 4-5 bites an hour), the copper stays on the rack. When it's going down, copper is too much to deal with, and you will spend more time dicknig with it than focusing on your rigs that are getting bites.

When we do run it, (kings are biting 70 and deeper) we run our four riggers, two mag dipys with the big dive rings (depending on current), four big birds with 12 oz balls usually out 200ft or better behind the board, and the copper out the chute. Our copper is #45, and I think we start with 400ft on a spool, but that ends up getting trimmed down as you get tangles. We have a mega-ass load of #80 power pro backing on ours. I'll let all the copper out and stick the rod in the holder, when I see that the knot is touching the water (all the copper is in the drink) I'll start letting out line into the backing, counting the levelwind passes on a Shimano tekota 800 (no counter, not needed). Anywhere between 10 and 30 passes, whatever it takes to get bites (are you starting to see why I don't like this?).

It makes for some truly savage strikes, though. Those kings really torque that bitch over good with that copper line. Sure wakes everyone up.

Closing remarks.

1) Hookup ratio is poor. If we hook 50 percent of our strikes on copper, we are doing good. I've dicked around with every drag setting, some days they get the hooks, some days they don't. Loose drag is better than tight drag. Like I said, they torque it over good when they hit, if the drag is too tight, you lose them everytime. Tighten drag as needed while fighting the fish.

2)Two coppers is out of the question. Save the money and the headache, just get one, if that.

3) Do not use it in less that 100 FOW. And only when you can't get a bite above 70 feet.

4) Once you put that bitch out, you're married to it. Have rod holders available to move it around as fish come to the boat. Always being watching it, copper tangles are the worst tangles.

5) No more driving like a tin boater. Big, gradual turns, if you think you're turning too sharp, you are.*

6)Find a diagram that shows how to tie that mother-lovin knot, and keep it on board. You're going to need it.* (the knot joining copper to braid)

7) Ten feet of mono leading from the copper to your terminal tackle is plenty.

8) Put it out last, setting boards and jet divers with it out is high science. Try avoiding it at all costs.*

9) Let it out slow, or she's going to back up on the reel. If you are setting the copper, that's all you are doing.*

*Just let Jr. do it.

jehler wrote:Wanting to ditch the torpedo divers l, although some days they are top producers

I've never put a torpedo diver in the water, and I don't know a single serious charter guy who does. We run big birds with lead balls. We call it a "weapon". Very common up and down this shore and very effective.

We do run the shit out of dispeys. Typically four in the water at all times unless the fish are really, really deep.

jehler wrote:We typically run two riggers, 2 dippsy, 2 planers with torpedo divers.

Sounds like Joe Dirt talking about firecrackers to me.

bill herian wrote:

jehler wrote:Wanting to ditch the torpedo divers l, although some days they are top producers

I've never put a torpedo diver in the water, and I don't know a single serious charter guy who does. We run big birds with lead balls. We call it a "weapon". Very common up and down this shore and very effective.

We do run the shit out of dispeys. Typically four in the water at all times unless the fish are really, really deep.

We run then toroedo's off planer boards, guys here run the copper off planer boards as well, have seen two coppers and two leadcore off each side if a boat

Maybe we'll start with one, I'm not looking for anything real deep, just another option for when they are downrigger shy

Bill,
When I fish on another friends boat we run 6-8 copper rods, 3-4 dipsys, pound and a half ball, and two riggers. Pretty rare it causes any problems just have to run them far enough apart and steer clear of the crowds. We'll fish in 70' also. But our lines also vary in length. 30' 70' 150' 300' 450' with a couple rods of each length depending on conditions. Sometimes it's all they hit on.

I'd say stick with the 45# so you can split them into shorter lengths and still get good depth. You can find rod combos all spooled for less than what you can put it all together. Skip swapping reels and just get an extra two rod combos.

This sounds insanely expensive.

It works out to be about $90 a pound for salmon.