J.D.

Lures and reels are sold...

2-downrigger rods:   1- 8'3" Light Action,  1-8'6" Medium Light Action,  $10 each

PM me... pick up near Braddocks Bay

    PeaLaunch Rates
    Peak Season   April 15th-October 15th $10 weekdays $18 weekends
    Off Season   October 15th-April 15th $6 everyday
    Season Launching Pass $219k Season   April 15th-October 15th $10 weekdays $18 weekends 
    Off Season   October 15th-April 15th $6 everyday
    Season Launching Pass $219

Purchased from here many times, great products..

https://www.ebay.com/str/madrivercustomfishingtackle?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

On 6/14/2023 at 7:42 PM, whaler1 said:

Best fish out there are Browns. Get a few over 15 and you’ll be hooked. 
 

I'll agree with that statement.  I was running solo a few years ago, early spring, rigger was down 4 ft. in 8 ft. of water East of Braddocks Bay off Crescent Beach. DW- SS Chicken wing...... just over 16 lbs.

https://www.michiganangler.com/

I've been blowing through there on plane the last couple of weeks.... the water level is still high but dropping like a rock, so will be idling out with the trim up until it gets dredged.

That rod, along with the great memories of your dad make you luckier then most....

Your post reminded me of this video.... special to me, as a young boy I was called "Jimmy"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZhReSOP9w

Use this link... the  wind direction and speed updater every 10 minutes.. Use past data to determine if conditions are getting better or worse..

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=olcn6

When you flip the switch to auto, there is a plastic "flap" that makes the cable retrieve slot in the rigger narrower. the stop bead hits the flap on the way through and trips it back to the off position.   Make sure the flap is moving when you turn the switch to "auto".  I use 2 stop beads close together on my Scotty's to avoid any problems. 

Scotty customer service is excellent. One of the counters on my 15 year old rigger fogged up and was hard to see. I sent an e-mail to them and got a phone call the next day to clarify my problem. 2 new counters sent to me free of charge, no questions asked.  If you need help contact Scotty and they will set you up.

Normal cable return opening

Switch in "auto" mode, "flap" narrows the opening, stop beads should hit the flap and trip the switch and turn the rigger off

We were out of the bay 7:30 to 10:00 fishing a bit East from 45 to 120.  Same conditions as Whaler1. Stacked  spoons between 20 and 80 down.  One steelhead 28 down on a white NK-28, and  a tiny Atlantic 35 down on a two face UV stingray, both off the probe rigger.  Divers never got touched. Still a beautiful morning to be out.

I have a 1996 90hp. Merc 2-stroke, my tach was also inconsistent.  On the back of my tach, there's a switch that rotates using a flat head screw driver. The numbers on the switch match the number of cylinders in the motor. My outboard is 3 cylinder, so my tach is set on #3. That way the same tach can be used on a number of different motors.  I rotated the switch back and forth a dozen times to clean off the contacts, finishing back on setting #3 and the tach returned to normal operation. This may not fix your problem, but it is the easiest thing to try first. 

https://baybridgesportshop.com/rooms

I lost one and got a replacement from:

http://www.tunasreeltroubles.com/

Scotty 1099 Depth power. Perfect for my 17 footer...

R&R spoons... I have both of them in my spoon box.

2 hours ago, Prof T said:

If you look at J.D.'s 96 Starcraft pictures above, his stern setup allow you to lean right back against the front of the splashwell, giving you a secure fishing area as Rolmops suggested.

Prof T, When I first got my boat, it had the lower casting platform in the back like the picture below

As I started to spend more time on the big lake, I ripped out everything but the splash well and rebuilt the stern to full gunnel height. The snap curtains on the corners each hold a battery, and the storage compartments go all the way to the floor.  The picture also shows my "lazy old man minnow bucket holder" so I don't have to bend down all the time to get bait.. LOL   (fishing buddy shown for scale..)

I'm running a 17ft. Starcraft I purchased new in 1996. Ready for season #27 in a few weeks. Easy for me to handle alone trolling or casting from the bow. Scotty riggers, Raymarine auto pilot, Depth Raider, GPS, DSC radio, Furuno 620 sonar, bow mount electric with autopilot feature.... everything I could ever want or need in a small package..

Still using the original D/R that came out over a decade ago, same probe, same coated cable.

It has to be a downrigger problem. I installed D/R and coated cable when they first came out at least a decade ago. Still using the original cable on a Scotty Downrigger. Perhaps you have a pulley that is not free spinning and it's rubbing the coating off.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=trolling+spread+diagram&atb=v275-1&iax=images&ia=images

Tom,

If memory serves me, The original site was run by Capt. Joe Toomey ,"Irish Pride" charters out of the Oak..

Damn, I'm getting old...

Checking the original catalog for specs., my 1996 17 ft. Starcraft hull weighs in at 1000 lbs. My 90 hp. Mercury 2-stroke weighs 303 lbs.

That's a dry weight of 1,303 lbs. pushed by 90 hp. The boat is rated up to 125 Hp. I run fully loaded with 2 people and gear at 40 mph. with a 19 pitch aluminum prop. It sounds like your weight to horsepower ratio is way off.

Sorry for the screwed up post above.....

This video is a great example of what happens to the lake when the wind blows hard in the summer.

"red" water is warm, ...."blue" water is ice cold.

Assume the left side of the tank is the South US shore, the right side is the North shore in Canada.

Notice as the shoreline temps. fluctuate,  The center area stays relatively stable..  That's why the fish ( and fishermen) move offshore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIkJ4xu9Ego

6 minutes ago, GAMBLER said:

 

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