Line counter reel

[K1500]

I do a fair bit of vertical jigging and was wondering if anyone has used a line counter reel to more precisely control depth, especially when fishing for suspended fish. Sometimes I have trouble ‘seeing’ my jig on the sonar.
 

The clip on line counters seem to be geared towards measuring line when spooling and not fishing. The Okuma Magda series is around $50-$60 or so. 
 

I’m open to any thoughts or suggestions. 

[redmeansdistortion]

You can find Daiwa Sealine reels used for that same price, and they're much higher quality than the Okumas.  Not that the Okumas are bad reels, but they're a nightmare from a maintenance standpoint.  They are made differently than other conventionals and very difficult to put back together.  The Sealines by comparison are much higher quality and a breeze to work on come maintenance time.  Another option is to run multi-colored line.  It changes color so many feet so you have a good idea of how much line you have out.

[MickD]

I have found line counter reels very helpful in trolling for salmon, getting the lure  into the effective zone repeatedly once it's determined.  This is not down rigger trolling, but just trolling a diving lure.

 

I would expect that for vertical jigging they would be  very valuable.

[desmobob]

I'm thinking you should be able to adjust your sonar to be able to see your jigging lure.

 

When I'm ice fishing, I sometimes use very small panfish jigs... sometimes really tiny.  I can always adjust my portable sonar to see them, whether it's my old-school Marcum flasher or new Garmin Striker Plus.  

 

It seems like it should be very easy to see a larger jigging lure like one used for bass fishing.  But I guess if your transducer is mounted at the stern and you're jigging from the bow, that might not be the case...

[J Francho]

 

 

38 minutes ago, desmobob said:

I'm thinking you should be able to adjust your sonar to be able to see your jigging lure.

This 100%.

 

Set the chirp sonar to 83 Hz and you should be able to see it just fine.  If you are deeper than 20' you can go to 200 Hz and see it.  I can see the weight and bait on my drop shot as two straight lines if it's a bit off the bottom; one line on the bottom.  A jigging spoon should appear as a zigzag line on the bottom, with each rip a vertical line and the fluttering descent an angled line.

[bulldog1935]

I mentioned this on another thread 

 

 

[J Francho]

I simply enjoy watching metered line pay out as I cast.  It's mesmerizing, lol.

[K1500]

Thanks for the tips and feedback and feel free to keep them coming. I will play with the finder (Lowrance HDS Live 7”). It is on the stern and I am usually fishing off the front. I also have the finder at the helm and fishing off the front I can’t see it anyway. My cheap hook unit on the front doesn’t seem to see the jig. I am sure adjusting the sensitivity would help. I do see it on the HDS sometimes and the vertical up/down jigging. I probably need to turn the sensitivity up. 
 

I am happy to hear my thought process on the value of a line counter isn’t too far off. I have a dedicated vertical jigging rod setup with my oldest reel, so trading out reels doesn’t cost me anything other than the reel.