Play Penn

Rick, Just make sure you name the spoon I showed you "Mr. Cream Jeans". Welcome to the site. Greg

Just my 2 pennies, but the most likley thing I can think of happening to any S&T unit is loosing the probe. If you loose a Cannon probe you will pay as much as I did for my Depth Raider unit complete to replace it. Although the Cannon has available light and exact depth of the probe where the DR does not, I feel reliability and overall cost were more important.

Rod, Still have some machanical tweeking to do but overall the boat is ready to roll. With the new rod holders I can now run an 8 to 10 line spread (if I have the people), without tangles. 3 board lines and one or two downrigger or slide divers per side for spring browns puts me at my stress limit If you plan on holding your sea rays hand during surgury give me a jingle and we will set up a trip.

YT went with a DR. Thanks to posts from Billy V I rigged it with the walker clincher/release and it worked perfect right out of the box. Working in the back of my 21 ft boat all AM, I could see the digital desplay easilly. FYI Jack is 9 years old and is my neighbors son. He has already spent countless hours helping me orginize lures, spool rods, rig and load the boat so it was only fitting that he land all the fish. When asked, he didn't feel at all bad that the other three of us didn't land any fish and neither did we. He has the fever as bad as anyone on this board.

Got my DR from them, $400 free shipping, just ask. I tryed my unit for the first time today, worked great and I could see both digital speed and temp from the back of my 21 ft Penn Yan with a cockpit mount.

Just had to see how this new Speed & Temp thing works. I was joined by my neighbors Jack and his Dad Eric as thanks for Jack helping me mount my new triple rod holders and the S&T. John, another good fishing buddy of mine came along to get yelled at for not driving strait or maby it was for driving too strait I forget Went out of the shoot flipped a coin and turned left, found 39 to 40 temps for about a mile and decided to head back accross the mouth of the launch. As we passed just east of the launch we saw temps bump up to 44 Fish On! Jack's first LakO Fish The temp ran out in another 1/2 mile so we turned back and hit another nice brown. Jack's 5 lb Brown, I think he approves of this trolling stuff Stayed in that pocket for another hour and picked up one more. Went 3 for 3 on the morning. I'm sure staying in that temp helped us as the water had little color. Fish came in 10 - 13 FOW and on black/gold, chartruse/white and Firetiger J 11 raps, 2.2 mph was the best speed. Good first trip, great to be on the water again. The Crew minus John

Ray, I feel honered to be baptized by you on this board. This weather and not being able to get on the water yet gave me brain freeze. Not to worry I will have the Play Penn in the water this week in Cayuga or Skaneateles, shake it down and on to Ontario next weekend. And yes my eyes are that good.

Final Flight, Were you out in front of Myers Point? If so, I saw you from the lighthouse, hooked up at least twice. Please share with a report.

Made a trip to Cooks Marine in Lansing for some parts and couldent resist the smell of the lake. Went down to check on the launch and saw one boat working out front of the point. Decided to throw a firetiger croc from the lighthouse and went 2 for 4 on browns in about an hour. Both were about 2-3 lbs and thick, only 18 inches. First one I saw chasing my spoon hot and missed it 3 times. Next cast I slowed way down and wham! Lake was flat and had nice color, sorry no temp or picks, that will change for the next report after my winter additions. Can't wait till the Play Penn is ready to go. Fishtails, saw your boat at Cooks, nice rig, you've really put a lot into that Sea Ray. Good luck with her this year. See you on the water.

Mag Stinger HE/SHE, and Mr. Cream Jeans, a custom that has the black, green and glow of the NBK but with a big black latreal line.

Knowledge (much of it gained here) and the confidence to use it while out on the water. Thanks

Thanks all, Can't wait to put all this info to use. Come on soft water!!!!!

In summer what temp range do you try to cover, I've heard 60 down to 40 is a good start.

Be gentle, I'm new at this. I usually run a 4 rigger, 2 wire dipsy spread for kings. I've heard some put it at the top end of the temp and fish below and some send it deep and fish above. Are there reasons for each? Need to keep my mind occupied or I'll buy something I don't need.

I have had good luck with this stick for Browns, don't see um around in any tackel shop these days. Help. Only one left.

Rod, What exactly went wrong with you DR? Also, where did you get the spare coated cable and how much $ ? I'm going to set one up on my boat this spring and wanted to know what to look out for.

Thanks for all the ideas, now I have lots more to think about. I can’t wait to test depths with these various rigs early in the season. After the inshore bite for browns slows, I like to go deeper and find bottom with various setups. Last year I was able to get the wire dipsy going a little. I’ll have to make up my mind on how to run the shoot by LOC time.

I want to put one more rod in the spread in the tail gunner position for spring and summer salmon. I usually run four riggers and two wire dipsy’s off the sides. I’ve read all the posts about copper as being the best way to get to that deep/cold water way away from the boat. Another rig I’ve heard of is to add a clip on lead weight (2 to 8 oz. depending) about 100 ft above the lure to a wire rod and let it back similar lengths to copper and remove the weight when landing the fish. (Thumper?) Finally, after having some luck with slide divers this year; why couldn’t you run a slide diver on super line off a DR rod? You could have about 150 feet of 30 lb mono to the swivel with 5 ft of leader to run the slide diver on. Due to the flea issue later in the season, I’ve thought about doing it with wire and a slide diver but not sure how the wire and mono would work together. My question is, at the 0 setting with the slide diver, can you get to that 100+ ft depth with super line and how is copper different as a delivery device? I hear lots of guys talk about dragging 600 ft of copper on a heavy set up and it doesn’t sound fun. Couldn’t you get that same stealth delivery to the same depth with less total line out and with less weight to haul in? Also, I can get that rig in the water next spring for about $25 vs. a hole new copper set up. Any opinions? :? Thanks

Lineout, Your right, if it wasn't for you I woulden't catch 10 times as many fish as you! Thanks for getting me hooked on this sport, lots of great times with great friends.

The best info I’ve taken from this board is not necessarily a tip but a general understanding as to When, Where and with What to fish with. I’m sure that everyone would like to be on the lake more each season, but when your trips a numbered like mine you want to make the most out of each outing. From reading the fishing reports you find on this site you are way ahead of the game when deciding on a trip. I find every report gives a little more info than I had or confirms what my hunches are about any given stretch of weather, tactic, lure or target species. Even if I don’t get a chance to get out I review the reports as it keeps me honed in on conditions and helps me decide when I should try to get out next. Probably the most valuable thing about these reports is the inherent honesty that leads to confidence. I know that the folks making these reports are just like me, trying to put more fish in the boat and having more fun doing it. When something works and I have success I too like to bra….. I mean share with fellow anglers. Thanks for all the reports and keep them coming

Clarke, Rod, Would like to hook up with you guys at some point. I also can't make it to Auburn for the seminar on the 19th. I went last year and Tony has some good tips and will answer most any question. I tried wire dipsys for the first time last season and am looking into copper for 08. If you're interested in the Feb 2 date send a PM. Greg

Fishstix, FYI, the bottom half is a pearl over the gold and the white stripes were glow paint hand masked. Hope that helps.

Billy, I've seen the silver blank NK's at Dicks and Gander Mtn and have added them to the arsenal, but haven't been able to find any of the "Gold Series". Where should I keep my eyes out for them? :shock: Thanks

When NBK's became a standard lure to put in the mix, I sto... I mean borrowed this custom lure from a pal of mine. As you can see, it got a lot of action and has the boat record. It was my most productive spoon in 07. Since I catch way more fish than he does (mostly because I fish 10 times as much), he is reluctant to let me "try out" any more of his creations. Does anyone know of a production spoon that has, or is close to this pattern or one that can be dressed up with a little tape? It's in the mag size with a silver cup side. We call it Mr. Cream Jeans

Thanks for the input guys, My thoughts were to go with an Eagle SeaCharter 640c or the Depth Raider. I was leaning toward a Depth Raider and you helped push me over the edge. I think I'll get the most bang for the buck with it and by end of next season the GPS/FF units should be better for less. I fish the Olcott/Wilson end of the lake in May. Do the 2nd weekend of the LOC out of the Lighthouse Motel in Olcott. I do Oswego and Mexico for Browns early and then Kings in July & August. If your going out next season shoot me an email. Love to share stories and beer. Thanks again, Greg