Gill-T

Yes, but except you might be better off with a big jon mini disk as opposed to a heavy pulling dipsy as the high line.

A couple tips if you don't have a probe. Temps at depth can be generally figured by the temp transects page on the NOAA site. If you want to guess which way to troll, figure out by looking at the cable blow back at different directions to figure out down current direction and then troll into the current. You are more likely to catch fish with a spoon that is moving too fast instead of a dead one that is moving too slow. Usually the cables will start whinning when you start to troll into the current.

John, with that rough non-slip surface you created on the floors of your boat, you have to be carefull how much you really love your new "redhead"......might cause some unwanted abrasions and imbedded fiberglass shards

Try this one to start. Bottom rigger set on 100' with a flasher/fly set-up and a SHORT lead approx. 8' off the ball. Then stack a spoon approx. 8' above with a longer lead...say 20-50' back. Second rigger do the same with the rigger at 80' w/flasher/fly and stacked spoon above. The idea is the flasher/fly sucks them in and if they get there late the spoon will be right there bringing up the rear. Expect to get tangles when a fish hits the bottom line and just deal with it......hey you caught a fish! If you want to get crazy you can add a free-slider to the top line, giving you 6 lures in the water. You can avoid tangles if you have your rods set in holders at different angles to each other so when a fish hits the bottom line, the slack is pulled away from the stacked rod. However, a big fish will go where it wants, so tangles are often unavoidable with stackers. Two deep lines with extra rods torqued down mean more blow back, so before your trip consider the #15 lb torpedo weights sold by A-Tom-Mik. PS GET SOME DIPSIES!!!!!!!

This time of year.....step one, determine the proper depth based on water temps and where the bait is showing on the graph. The bigs will be actively feeding in/around bait during the prime feeding times at first light, last light, in the 50 degree band of water that usually coincides with where the bait is showing. Other than those prime feeding times, target the bigs in the 40 degree band of water which depending on which end of the lake you fish (east end= warmer water, west end=colder) will start around 80' down in the summer. Fishing that deep (80-130'++) usually involves flasher/flies or flasher/meat for big fish. I am talking in generalities here. Each area of the lake is different. In shore big Kings are usually DEEP near the bottom. As you head deeper out into the middle of the lake, cold water is not as far down, so you will be fishing higher.

Congrats on the great steelhead!

Tim, did you try teasing those deep, on the bottom, big hooks out past 180'? I was setting lines for my daughters for smaller fish up high last night, but while I was watching the graph those deep hooks were haunting me. The water is filthy with fish past the primary drop right now. Beautiful picture with bait and hooks nearby, plus a nice tight band of 50 degree water.......doesn't get any better. Nice shootin' Tim. I will be chasin' brown fish tommorow on Erie.

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s): Time on Water:1 hour 30 min. Weather/Temp: Wind Speed/Direction: SW 5 mph Waves:1' Surface Temp: 71 degreesl Location:Wilson a little east LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits: 8 Total Boated:8 Species Breakdown:Coho Hot Lure: Moody Blue SS Trolling Speed: 3 mph Down Speed: Boat Depth: 188-195 FOW Lure Depth: 62' ==================== Took the fam out for a little sunset. Fom some reason Fridays have been awesome weather-wise and the weekends.....well you know...el crapo. Got my daughters on some great coho action. Meat hunters, Wilson is where they are and they are big 7-12lbs. Pretty much non-stop action once I figured the depth and had my youngest daughter start kissing the spoon before sending it down. Bait is 60' to 120' down. Kings/Lakers are on the bottom.....thick...in 150-190' FOW. Cohos and steelhead are in the 60' range. SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS ====================

Diver to flasher....#30 mono, you don't need fluorocarbon ahead of the flasher!!!!! Then #30 fluorocarbon leader from flasher to fly. The large size barrel swivels on the flashers and dipsys will not hold a knot like an improved cinch unless it is at least 20# test. You could use loop knots and lighter line I suppose, but you owe it to your quarry to use the strongest knot, line combo possible.

All hail slimyfish...all hail slimyfish........all hail slimyfish......alll hail slimyfish

I am at work staring out the window to blue skies, light wind and wondering why I am not out in the lake. To make matters worse, you have Vince and Jeremy tweeting their week day fish kills. It is like listening to your roomate in college having relations with a girl in the bed next to you........pure torture. Damn you tweets!

Wow, what a beautiful brown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a Ambermarle for sale on GLA site that would be a dream boat with your specs........just need a second mortgage.

The black face with orange diagonal tape/white cup, took as many kings in the 80's as anything. Allways did well with overcast skies with the white cup.

Use Duolock swivels of at least 40 lb test or even stronger is the Coast-lock design.

I busted off my otter boat during the niagara wave fest . I use the amish outfitters line and like it, however, in my instance the knot at the otter pulled out, breaking styrofoam around the retention holes. Very poorly engineered. I kind of knew one day it would happen, and as luck would have it, what ever might go wrong, usually goes wrong during a tournament. For a quick fix all I had to do was reverse the boards/keels/holes and use the holes on the other side. Seems like there should be a stainless backer plate behind the styrofoam and ahead of the knot. Something to do in the offseason.

I heard the rule change mentioned by Paul C. at last years Orleans Capt. meeting, but have not heard it mentioned at any other west end captain's meeting since.

Inside dipsys are on a .5 or 1, and are shallower. The outside dipsy are on a 3 or 3.5 and further back to prevent tangles on turns.

Your daughter was out in 6-8' waves!!!!!! What a trooper.

I have two short segments for this time of year 110', 125', plus a 300', and a 400'. I usually run a spinnie/fly off them because they off on otter boards by themselves.

Does it matter if I use mono vs fluoro for leaders? I have been having zero luck pulling fish off copper, and I wonder if it is how the line is laying in the water. I am currently using mono for leader material. Mono floats, fluoro sinks......so I am wondering if the parabolic curve of my leader is wrong, with my bait riding above the terminal end of the copper? Need some help, I have zero confidence in my copper set-ups and the guys in the boat are riding me every time I pull it out (insert joke here) and then return it to the cuddy where it usually stays.

Yes Adam, I am in Sunset Bay. Was that you heading out when I was heading in?

Was out this afternoon for 1.5 hr troll a little deeper. Found better temps, bait and hooks out past 240'. Lots of small Kings around 38'-60' down. Occasional big boy showed around 80-90' down, and some big hooks on the bottom past 180'. Small spinnies targeting smaller fish for my daughters to reel in did the trick. Nice green water off Wilson with a slick line heading straight out. North current today.

Braid will pull MORE hooks out because of no stretch. Mono has more give, and lighter mono has more than heavy mono. Set drags correct and pray. Think about all the herky jerky movements of your baits. You are going to hook fish in the snout, under the chin etc. etc. With big fish that run they are torqueing the hook in the opposite direction that it entered into their skin. There is a lot of luck involved with putting the net under a fish 20+ lb fish. Thats fishing!

Get the boys together and fight this one. Good luck Sully.