chowder

I am installing the vex "thru hull" unit in my 16' to use w/ a vex unit for jigging, etc. I have a regular Lowrance dual frequency sonar in the boat all ready, so this flasher setup will be my front sonar. I will post the results.

Rollie, I often leave the skin on lakers from the FLX, put them in the smoker, skin side down- watch your temp in that creation of yours ( much over 200 and you are asking for trouble w/ fish). It's very easy to overcook fish in a smoker, though lakers are a bit more forgiving as well as incredible- don't freeze and then smoke, do it the other way around, much better results! Keep asking questions!

Dude, never mind the eye candy! I've had some issues w/ cable hop on my mag 10s as well. It's worse when they are swung out and speed is above 2.1(down). Run the cable thru the eye hook-make sure it's turned correctly and smooth, also it will help to slow down a bit when you retrieve the probe rigger. If I don't want to slow down I try to swivel the riggerback so that the cable is not running off the pulley at an angle. Good luck!

Greg, 7'+ (30-40#) on the leader. Not sure what you got for dipsy divers (tell us brand name and size, no 1, mag,etc) but you will want to run them at different depths depending on season, and the depth of the water you are trolling. Do you have something going in the sonar department so you can get bottom depth? If not you may want to think about getting a unit that would give you gps and sonar info- that way you would have surface speed which along with depth are going to be two important tools to duplicate an offering that works. I am not aware of any standard way to adjust the dipsy trip, it's not that big a deal. The day you were on my boat I was readjusting mine because I had been running my Mag divers(which have a lot of resistance) at higher speeds on Lake Ontario, normally you get them where you want them and you are good to go. You will probably want to to set your left/right dial at 1-1.5 to start. Just keep asking questions.

Ray,even though it's your birthday, don't spend the whole day in your birthday suit unless you are out off shore! -Andy

Bummer- maybe a bad day of fishing isn't really better than a good day at work.. or is it?

I have an H20 as well. I use it as a backup and to take w/ me ice fishing or kayaking (w/ the summer way points). It's handy to use w/ the "fishing chip" if the gold card is the main unit! I have the B&W one-luv it!

Good for you Stan, get em out on the water, the fish will come and go but a day with Gramps will last a lifetime!

Tim, if I am running a copper or a rigger spoon rod w/ a 20# fc leader aren't I better off tying direct to the leader (just by cutting off the swivel)?

I am wondering how many of you see a dead floating trout or salmon on a regular basis. I am not trying to be smart but I see very very few. I have gone back and picked up a few releases that just didn't look like they would make it. Wire/copper fish are my biggest challenge, that and not losing my tackle or my blood to fish released at the side of the boat.

CBish, thanks for the info-trying to get some of these plugs online and got a couple ?s; are the first 3 LJ colors or Lyman colors, also can't find a "lime glow" on the Lyman site, a lot of the plugs are numbered? I just don't want to get a bunch of the wrong stuff.

Just got a pair of 13# torpedos, Paint black ? with what ?

I need to get a j-plug tutorial for using J-plugs from Sodus to Mexico Bay. I see Luhr-Jenson in 3 sizes, Silver Hordes in 2 sizes, and a Dream Weaver plug. What I would like advice on is maybe 10 different color/size combinations and the skinny on when to run them and how to rig them ( I'm not asking for much am I?)

I am not a seasoned expert on the slide divers but I use them 2 ways; #1. to target steelies and browns on Lake O., and rainbows, browns and atlantics on the FLX. For this use I am spooled w/ super braid and I use the regular size SD w/ no rings.Typically I run a 20'+ lead after the diver, w 100-150' line out, I only use spoons on these lines.#2. As an outside 2cd diver rig.On this setup I am spooled w/ wire and I use the SD litebite w/ the largest ring and I set the diver on 3+. I don't run these as deep as my Mag dipsy rods unless I am running them alone. I have started using these wire setups more as my main dipsy w/ Kings so I don't have to deal w/ the long regular dipsy leader at the net. I run flasher/fly combos on these lines. I have no experience w/ mono and divers but the standard wisdom is you get poor depth penetration(wide diameter line blows back) and a poor trip response(mono stretches a lot) w/ mono.

Slider, I have two mag dipsy rigs spooled w/ 30# Malin-7 and 2 wire slide diver rigs, spooled w 2 other brands. I think the Malin is a superior product.

Yea, they sell them. I have been trying to get in touch w/ them for a week about some stuff a friend of mine needs and to see if the torpedos are in stock, but they haven't gotten back to me. So I just ordered some off the site- hopefully they are in stock!

What a great heart felt post, that's what makes this board special. Congrats on an achievement beyond compare and a great solo adventure! -Andy

I just received 2 spools yesterday and now I am wondering if I should just send them back. I thought this stuff was supposed to be great. I don't have any real problems w/ the Malin and if I have to respool after losing tackle w/ this "new" stuff I might as well not bother putting it on.

Sean, glad that program worked for you, strange out there for sure today! Chris, yes after a major hack and unsnarl session last nite, the probe rigger was fine, though shorter, today( only turned it out 30* and I did swivel it straight back on retrieve.) Hank thinks I should find some torpedo weights- where did you get yours?

Went 6/8 on mature Kings. 50-80 down over 120-150 FOW. 2.2-2.3 down. Spoons; green dolphin, NBK, green thunder glow(Yeck's) on the riggers. Green/White E.chip & crinkle green fly and White Smart fish& crinkle green fly on the wires. Temps were all over the place. We just kept going back & forth thru a series of way points where we marked a little bit of bait and couple of fish. We never had a screen that looked very good.

Thanks for the report, sounds like I better get back up!

Holy mackerel, I was talking w/ this guy who is supposedly a charter captain and he told me not to run the run the cable in the hook because it will wear the cable! Ray, which way do run them and do you have much wear on the coated cable (can't remember but thought you had a Depth Raider).

If you have Mag 5s they are going to have their hands(motors) full w/ the 15#s at any kind of speed, a Mag 10 w/ any kind of age on it will struggle w/ 15#. From what I have seen w/ my older Mag 10s if you want to run 15# weights you should really have Mag 20 downriggers, then you can go up to 20# if you need to.

Seem to have problems running my depth raider coated cable on a Cannon Mag 10 w a 13# Pancake whenever I swivel the rigger out to the side .Should a depth raider probe rigger always be run straight out the back and not at an angle? The cable has chafed 2 or 3 times now and yesterday it got snarled on the retrieve because the cable was jumping around on the spool as it turned. The other side jumps around some on the way up too but the regular rigger cable doesn't seem to bother much.