I have tried trolling with a cat’s asz and the little bugger would hang onto the swim platform for a little while then just give up. I will stick with my discontinued Subtroll.
PM Jerry Felluca on this site. He traditionally has run two probes at the same time (subtroll and Fishhawk) and probably has the differential. I have a subtroll and have noticed that my buddies fishhawk shows a faster speed. When comparing spoon action at the boat, 2.25 mph subtroll seems like 2.7 mph fishhawk. The difference could be calibration testing between units during fabrication or perhaps the units are not measuring the same thing knots-per-hour vs miles-per-hour? In the end you fall back on the speed that works for reproducibility so you need to adjust your view to your new view on speed shown on the fishhawk.
I wonder what a good constitutional lawyer could do with the "search" part of the search-and-seizure without probable cause part of a safety check-pull over. ......My experience has always been positive. Yes sir, no sir, here are my licenses, registrations and safety equipment. I wish they would conduct the searches upon boat retrieval at the launches instead of on the water with trolling gear out.
Word is a mandatory boater safety class will be required next with no grandfather clause if you have been a long time boater. I took my safety class in high school so no way I have record of having taken.
Gambler is correct about placement. Lakers are notorious followers so you don’t want to pull them away from other opportunities with trailing baits. This uses an assumption that fish see up better than down based on eye position. I did an article in GLA a few years back titled “layered for lakers” that chronicles a technique I was using on Ontario. First rod forward was the deepest with a 2 lb thumper and cowbells. Next rod was a dodger/fly on rigger, just off the bottom with a long set back to stay out of the thumper. To figure out how long a setback you use via A2 + B2 = C2 ( I know ....sorry it’s math) whereby A2= depth of water and C2 = amount of line out on thumper. B2 is what you need to solve for rigger setback. Next bait forward is just above that with mag dipsy on one side and then just behind that rig is standard dipsy on opposite side. You can add more layers with junk lines out back or boards. I can run additional thumpers off my otter boats with fixed aftco roller releases. The idea is to present as many opportunities for a fish to have a bait in its face while trailing behind your spread. Of course you could just jig for them LOL.
Been that way all spring. Big fish lifting late. I usually leave the dock around 7am- no sense beating yourself up getting there at first light. Saturday, I had a three year old rip the line from my hand while setting a rigger at 12:00
Surface blobs showing on graph. Have not seen mid-column bait or bait mountains. Bait is pinned inside hiding from the evil horde of marauding kings. Bad year to be a baitfish. Water is greening up nicely offshore.
The pattern on this class of fish was noticeable last year also. Deep marks early then lifting as the day goes on. There is deep bait coming in and high bait on the surface.
Rollmops is right, you still have to keep an eye to the sky and your cell phone radar. Look at todays’s olcott buoy data shows how things can turn bad fast when systems blow thru.
https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=olcn6