Tips on Counting Down to Depth

[srv1990]

Appreciate input/tips on counting down to depth.  I don't have a boat and do most of my fishing from the bank.  The boat I do use occasionally doesn't have any electronics.  Is there one, general rule for counting to find your depth?  Do concessions need to be made for lure weight and/or line?  Or water temperature?  Thanks, TC.

[Raul]

1/2 oz sinks at 1 ft/sec.

[Rebbasser]

I'm with Raul-a good rule of thumb is 1 foot per second.

[Chris]

(from a post I did on Fall/Winter fishing)

Countdown baits: You know those PITA (Pain in the butt) bass that suspended out in deep water? Well, this is a way to get them to bite. Not always but it does work. Mark the fish on the graph and count down your bait to their depth. This is not a dead on accurate way to hit the depth but if you work at it the bait will be close enough in the zone to tempt a strike. This is when I break out the countdown Rapalas. I cast the bait beyond where I had them marked and count it down to the zone. As the bait falls strip out line other wise it will swim to you under the tension of the line. After you count it down to the zone start reeling at a slow pace and about every 10 ft of line recovery count it back down 2 ft. Another way to work the bait is to cast it beyond the marked fish and engage your reel then raise your rod to a 11 o'clock position and count without reeling. Let the bait fall with tension on the line then start reeling when it counts to the depth you need. Watch for your line to tick (Its a bass). The third way is to cast it to the bass let it fall and raise your rod then follow your lure with your rod as you reel. Your bait will jig up and down much like a spoon.  

[CBedo]

Usually with anything 1/2 oz or less, 1 foot per second is a good rule of thumb.  Anything 3/4 or over, go with 2 feet per second.

A far more accurate way is to make a cast to a spot where you actually know the depth.  Then count down how long it takes before it hits bottom.  Then you'll have more confidence in counting down to other depths.  (

[srv1990]

Thanks all for your input.  This gives me a good baseline to start with.

TC

[Marty]

Sometimes you don't need to know depth or sink rates. Say you're fishing from the bank and want to retrieve just above the weed tops. Count down until the lure hangs in the weeds, say, for example, your count is 7. Subsequently, count the lure down to 6 and start retrieving. Even though you don't know the sink rate or the actual depth, you've used the countdown method to fish your lure where you want to.