I bought the light action one piece version from Cabela's and really like them. Plenty of stoutness to handle Kings but light enough to use in a Brown spread.
When REELING in copper there is enough weight early on to allow a tight wrap. As you get closer to the leader I like to run the copper thru my index finger and thumb to add pressure so it wraps tighter. When you DEPLOY, place your thumb on the spool and strip slowly under pressure until you have say 50' in the water and the copper has enough weight in the water to pull back. This should keep the coil monster at bay.
The time to try to start running them would be next weekend. Try them stretched back 2-4' down on a downrigger or off a board with a split shot to keep them just under the surface.
Put an electric motor on the front, a planer mast, two big jon three-rod holder pedestal mounted mid-ship, two corner downriggers. I love spending other people's money . Your boys would love chasing smallmouth off Erie, walleyes in Oneida, fingerlakes trolling, drifting for steelhead in the Niagara, shoreline brown trolling, Canadian trips, St. Lawrence River pike......lots o'opportunities.
This is what I am contemplating. I have two already prepped previous in-hull locations to choose from. For $58 bucks for a lowrance (what they call) a thru-hull transducer (actually an in-hull) I could swap between transducers by changing the plug on the back of the unit. I don't have much space for a second unit so this would solve that problem. If these in-hull transducers don't show bait when up on plane, then there is no reason to purchase. I understand you will lose 10% power going thru fiberglass...and back but with an LCX unit what does that translate to?
Could someone with a shoot thru transducer tell me if hooks and bait show up on their unit under cruising speed? Thank you.
I can't get past the idea of drilling a hole in the bottom of the boat, so I am considering a airmar in-hull transducer. I have two previous epoxy spots that appear to be previous transducer spots from past owners. Does anyone have experience with these type of transducers and can offer insight about how well they show bottom, bait, hooks when up on plane? Should I mount over the old epoxied locations? My boat is a bayliner '88 and there is a sticker that says marine core on the transom, but not sure on the type of materials the transducer would be shooting thru.
I think I am going to write my next article on this. For the sake of "sanity", no one should every have to dispense more than 400' of copper (PITA). Here is a hint. Aftco roller release, Planer line, 16 oz balls.
Talking to oldtimers, there used to be a ban on using eggs on Naples Creek? The oldtimers talk about thick fish runs of yesteryear. Maybe a ban on eggs should be revisited?
This does not bother me much. I enjoy Lakers, but I prefer the other species. Lakers live a long time and consume a lot bait in their lifetime. Nobody eats them. Other than the Niagara, there is not shore fishing for them. Plant more cohos, steelhead, browns and kings. We have more than enough bait year'round on the west end of the lake, but I have seen a lot of vapor screens on the east end. I don't want to see our Kings look like Michigans.