Glad you made it out Rod. Always something to fix on an older boat. Just got my new prop and skeg repaired because of running up on Sturgeon Pt. on Lake Erie..... . Kings are still in their winter pattern which is frustrating as their metabolism in that cold water means they don't have to feed as much. I have wasted so much time in my life chasing those deep cold water kings. Frustrating.
Nothing magical about them. There is some thought that because salmon develop changes in their eyes to see UV when nearing their spawning cycle (perhaps to differentiate between species in spawning rivers/spawning colors) that one might conclude that using UV infused baits might work better in the late summer into fall. I think the UV lure tape just adds a cool color/flash to the bait......nothing more.
I used to run a Deep-Six diver down the middle. No problems with tangles unless a rigger shot got into them. The deep six will run in front of dipsys with a steeper dive curve. The problem I found was it would kill the spread. I think the center line was "lining" the fish coming down the middle to look at the riggers? I don't run them anymore.
I hope that you were not thinking the fish in picture 2 was a Coho.....because you may have filleted or thrown back the LOC derby leading Steelhead if it was 16 lbs.
As all predatory fish, Walleye will feed where the food is. Perch, gobies, smelt, Jonny Darters, Sculpin, Mudpuppies are plastered to the bottom. Always good to have at least one line down there.
Yep, I have caught a few this year with short gill plates. Just tried to pull some info off the internet on this disorder. One cause that pops up is sedimentation of the water at hatcheries? I think there has been recent problems at Altmar with sediments getting into the tanks but there is very little information on the subject. I have seen this in years past but very rare.
Valuable lesson this video regarding eye safety. You do this long enough there will be a spoon coming back at your at subsonic speed. ALWAYS wear sun glasses or other protective eyewear! Wearing a cup is optional in my boat.
The Catt. had a nice run of huge emeralds this spring. Could be with the late spring the bait ran into the warmest water close by and spawned quickly and left. The perch have baby gobies in them coming off the Catt.
I noticed there has been little bait/ Emerald Shiners this year in the Niagara despite frozen lake cover over the winter. The usual mass migration of shiners up the river back to the lake drives the Peace Bridge area bite. My worry is with no bait, the Walleye will not be around. Is anyone catching walleyes day trolling around Buffalo or is everyone down at Barcelona?