Gill-T

Yep, happy customers trumps all.

Justin, if you test the bite between steel vs braid, it should be all or nothing. The reason to go to braid is ease of use/termination knots, easier on the hands, no cable hum (stealth). If you put one rigger down with steel and one with braid, you are not truly testing the stealth of the braid as it will be "loud" down there. I made that mistake when I first started using the braid. I started by adding braid to one rigger, and ran the other two with steel. The braid never got bit. IMO, fish are definitely attracted to the vibration of steel. However, what about the larger/older fish that may have been stung by hooks from a bait presented off a rigger with steel cable (and downrigger hum)?Why is it when you see underwater footage of salmon do so many come flying into the bait, then turn away? My theory is that vibration initially attracts those fish until they get close to the bait (and boat, and downrigger cable) and it becomes a loud detracting force that gives the fish pause. I am not sure if it matters on walleye, so I would be interested to hear the results. I will say that I have the same set up as Rick ie. braid on riggers with coated cable for a moor subtroll (waiting for the unit to puke before going to Fishhawk). My catch rates and size has gone up since the switch to braid but so has my experience and quality of presentations so it is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion on steel vs braid. I will say definitvely I am not going back to steel cable.

Scary indeed. This is where the mandatory boating class may be helpful. Hopefully the course covers carbon dioxide and death from electricity leaking from marina dock power.

I use Shimano Tekotas 600’s for divers and Saltist 30’s for riggers. You will appreciate the fast line retrieve on the Saltists when a rigger release goes off.

Alewives should begin dropping into their fall/winter deep pattern that will eliminate them from the bass’s menu. The suspended smallies should leave their pattern and move to deep weed lines and rocky points. Better fishing to come.

WT actual F!

I love it. I could watch them all day. Seems like that creek could use a healthy dose of stream improvement gravel and current break boulders. It looks really silted-in.

Hot’n tots in the tail outs of runs. Word of caution..., slick jagged rocks, swift current, and the water will raise after 8 am for the falls viewing public