TOPIC:

how many guys stack down riggers and if so is there a better time of year to do it. i was going to try to limit my boat to 2 down riggers. thanks  

Fixed sliders and free sliders are what everyone uses off rigger rods. A pinch pad is what is used for the fixed slider. You don't need them right now since most action is in close and shallow and use of downriggers are not needed. When the fish move a little deeper when water warms is the time to use them. Mike

*raises hand*.  I have always stacked downriggers, and have even added sliders to the stacked rod on occasion.  Usually once the fish move deeper, I'll just run sliders in spring, but once pushing offshore I'll stack at least one if I'm seeing 15-20' bait balls or bigger.

I've run sliders and stacked or pinned sliders since the early 70s

I run sliders in the spring as well. I've caught a lot of fish with the rigger set at 10ft and the fish hit the slider. You can see your lure and see the fish hit if you happen to see it. I always run sliders

Any time I'm fishing my riggers below 15' deep I use free sliders.  May and beyond is normally when I use fixed sliders since I'm fishing a bigger water column.  That being said, I have run a free slider for kicks with the rigger at 6-8' deep and have seen salmon hit it at the surface.  Also, you don't need 4 downriggers by any means unless you have a grease addiction.  

Thank you everyone, when you say sliders do you mean rings with weights & releases that slide down the cable. and what kind of lead lengths are you using. I have a couple of the spring clips that lock onto the cable, i was going to add pinch pad releases to those.  

Attach the leader to your main line with your snap swivel. You can have lengths 4 to 6' whatever you prefer throw it out with your spoon on the other end and it should go halfway down your main line.

These allow you to run 2 rods off of one rigger. 

thanks, that's what i was thinking of.  

Try sliders first and once you get used to them and if you still feel the need, go with stacking. Remember, sliders don't count against your rod limit - stackers do. Use the spare rods for other sets, extra Dipseys, leadcore or weighted steel line.
Slider is a length of line 3 to 4 feet is plenty with a snap swivel on one end and a lure on the other. Usually a spoon, but I've used spinners, dodger'fly' and plugs (not deep divers, but jointed rapalas will do just fine. Set the rigger to depth, attach the snap-swivel to the fishing line and let it go. Depending on speed, lure, zodiac sign and other stuff, it will settle somewhere in the middle 3rd. If the rigger is set at 30, slider will be 10 to 20 deep, good enough to catch fish.
If the thermocline is 60 feet down, and you set a lure right at 60 with a rigger, that 20 to 40 foot down slider won't get many hits. You can fix that, by fixing the slider - short for "affixing."
One easy way is with a #16 rubber band.
Set the downrigged lure. lower the rigger 3 or 4 feet, then affix the rubber band to the fishing line 5 or 6 feet above the water. Snub it tight so it doesn't easily slide up or down the line. The rubber band is now 8 or 10 feet above the downrigger release. Send the lure down to the thermocline or a bit lower and the slider will be several feet above it, but still in the strike zone.
Sure, a few fish are lost because of the slack line before the swivel slides down to the lure at the end of the main line, but most people figure the slider bites are bonus fish that probably wouldn't have bit period if not for the slider.