TOPIC:

So at this time of year I understand top 1/3 of water colum, When running down rigger say 10 feet down how far back would a dodger and fly be ? Flat lines 30 to 50 ft ? Any input is greatly appreciated.

I usually run my rigger lines 50-60 feet back. Maybe a little longer than some but it works for me. 

i mostly dont like using boards so i use a long dipsy rod on outside and run them back ~110 ft on eachside....then i run 7 ft rods ~65 ft back on each side and then downriggers off the back only ~40 ft...anywhere from 5-15 ft down...mostly 5-8 ft down tho...i keep it simple and can make quick turns and rarely tangle with this set-up unless steve qualiza is on board then my hewes craft looks like a porcupine....its fun to let steve do his thing but would be too muchwork for this lazy vet who has too much fun for his age (73)

You are speaking about dodgers and flies.  i often go 7 & 7 - seven feet down, seven feet back.  That's about as short as I go. Seldom more than 30 feet.  That's the what - here's the philosophy - 

It used to be fly leaders were supposed to be 1 1/2 the length of the dodger - so only 9 inches. But back then, when using D/F the goal was to troll at a speed that made the dodger wobble back and forth and only occasionally would spin around and around.  Who wants to go sub 2.0?  Cranks and spoons are out of the game. At that speed, however, dodgers needed to be kept close to a downrigger because it would wobble and plane off to the side and tangle with nearby lines. But they did catch fish - even running 5 or 10 fee behind a downrigger weight only 5 or 10 feet deep.  

We learned that a spinning dodger would catch fish, however, if the fly leader was increased. Think 3X, these days or around 18".  At 2.5 mph a 6" dodger won't track much different than a spoon or plug.  So, like everything, experiment a bit. It could change from day to day. One day the 7 & 7 could be the ticket, the next day 7 & 27 could be killer.  

One thing I usually do that works for me.  When I'm setting a long lead behind a downrigger, I switch to what I call "bent dodgers"  - Action Flashers, Dreamweaver Z dodgers, Stinger Mini-Flodgers.  Probably doesn't matter, but it gives me confidence.