Sk8man

Sean - Chris is100 percent correct and being the good parent you are your priority is exactly where it should be - with your child. These ticks are a very real problem. These dumb azz deer bed down in my backyard and despite being hit in the butt several times with my bb gun they come back for more....even to the extent of looking in my windows sometimes in the early morning hours. Our dog has very dark multicolored fur which makes it virtually impossible to spot the ticks on him so I can't even take him out back anymore. I hope all the deer hunters around here are VERY successful this year. About once per week someone nails one on the road here with their car so that is surely some indication of the population density. As much as I hate to say it I'm almost praying for a severe winter with real deep snow

Should be OK then as long as it isn't off to the side

Yes but you have to make sure the ring closes fully and that it makes a full "circle" (and not off to the side but fully closed)

I'd try replacing the split rings with a size smaller to see if that helps

I'm not sure how what you are describing is happening. I never have any problems with the Mustad siwash salmon hooks. I also orient my hooks with the point facing upward unlike a lot of folks and maybe that is the difference.

It can happen but I've never had it happen any where near that frequently and it is quite a bit easier to release fish without even handling them with singles (long nose pliers twist the hook back through under their weight and they fall off the hook and take off.

I use singles for everything except stick baits and trolling flies and have done so for many many years successfully.

I changed all mine over to Mustad Siwash 2/0 and 3/0 triple or 5 x stainless hooks a long time ago and have never looked back.They penetrate deeply and are verysharp and strong. The advantage of a single in my opinion is that it doesn't work against itself like trebles do when the fish bite down...the singles penetrate right through the mouth or jaw and there is nothing for them to work against with their mouth or jaw. I have never had one bend or break on a fish. I'd use 1/0 or 2/0 for smaller Cleos etc.

"is that 150 to 200 feet of copper out or down." - out When I think of browns in the Spring (regardless of where) I think light line (12 lb test) mainline and a 10 lb fluoro leader about 20 ft long with a very small black ball bearing swivel tied into the leader about 4 ft up from the lure and the lure connected by a very small duo lock snap for spoons and sticks alike. Sometimes a couple large size split shot placed a few inches above the swivel (toward the rod side) above helps to keep things down a bit and also may keep grass from the lure especially with jointed Rapala type lures. Forget the split shot in real shallow (less than 6 or 8 ft.). Run your lines as far away from the boat as practical (e.g. depending on boat traffic etc.) or run on boards out long and constantly move them in and out along the shoreline. Run your stuff right up near the shoreline when conditions permit (light levels, wind direction, boat traffic, or obvious snags etc.)Try to find the warmest water you can. Fish your stuff in and out of any mud lines or "scum lines" and fish the inside edges of any thermal bars you encounter. Look for birds and bait and fish there back and forth. Continually monitor and modify your boat speed and try different things like "s" turns start and stops (when out deeper or using just floating lures), and even rock your boat back and forth if in a smaller one to impart different action to your lures. With downriggers use longer leads than usual when in shallow (e.g. 50 ft or more back)

I'll still go with the problem being with the internal board's interpretation of the data coming from the transducer rather than the transducer itself. My hunch is that because the problem is similar for others it may be inherent in the hardware (board design) too if there isn't software update capabilities. I'll be surprised if it turns out to be the transducer since most are primarily "conduits" for receiving the signal transmission rather than "interpreters" of the data per se.

Usually around November is the main spawning but right about now there may well be some in shallow water if you know where to look

I didn't know Jim but as a fellow Viet Nam era vet I have a deep respect for him as it was not an easy time to be in the military. Sounds as though he was a great guy and certainly one I would have connected with had we met RIP.

Yes Sean it probably is the difference in formatting. It also happens sometimes when and SD card is formatted on PC's and then tried in a digital camera (especially if formatted on a MAC) and the camera doesn't understand it and kicks out an error message or else says the card is empty because it can't read that format. Always try to format a card on the device that it is intended to be used on.