Sk8man
-
Posts
13,806 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Store
Everything posted by Sk8man
-
You should be able to get some tension on your spool if the reel is working properly....it sounds as though the reel itself that is the problem and not the copper. In that case all the adjustments to the copper setup won't do much until it is corrected.
-
Mike makes a good point....I've known them both for years and used to live around the corner from them and they are wonderful people but the bait shop being open has always been erratic. They have a lot of "irons in the fire" They've had a variety of people working there over the years and Jadon is usually busy with the sight seeing boat etc. I also encourage folks to do business there but if you are counting on getting bait every day real early in the AM have a back up plan too.
-
Scrap the Stren it has always had very poor tensile and knot strength. Use Big Game cheaper and better than the Stren.
-
Are you sure it is actually copper on that reel (and not camo stainless or something)? Copper usually sort of takes the shape of the spool sometimes but I've never had it unravel like you are describing. Keep in mind ALL wire should be deployed under a certain amount of tension - not free spooled. The best way with wiire (as especially with dipseys) is to use your drag loosened with the clicker on so that the wire slowly goes out. Some folks don't leave the clicker engaged but I do as it is easier to remember the line going out when you are busy setting multiple lines.
-
Justin you deserve a lot of credit for doing all you did and "hosting" the event. You have certainly also enhanced the profile of Otisco and stocking issues etc. with your posts and commentary as well. I was really sorry I couldn't make it there this time but hopefully next time. -
The wire I was referring to is not copper it is stainless steel 7 strand or 19 strand wire (1000 ft) Bloodrun is good as is Accustrand and Malin. Torpedo or Mason brands. That is why a roller or twilli tip is essential copper won't cut through eyelets or tips because it is soft metal but stainless is hard and will.
-
X2 on wire as your first consideration but the braid will work. Braid seems to attract the fleas a little more in my experience and it doesn't sink as well as wire but hookups are superior to mono because of the lack of stretch. If you go with wire you'll need a twilli tip or roller tip though not so with braid. If you are talking lake O and using dipseys off boards I'd be using 50 lb Power Pro if you go with braid. In my opinion (and it is only that) the Fireline degrades quite quickly and flattens out and fades in color and feels kind of like an old bow string on a recurve bow that needs waxing.
-
No question on here should be considered "stupid" Spike. We 're all here to learn and figure stuff out. Although I primarily use roller tips for wire rigs and Seth Greens I have used the twillis in the past and I think you would be safe either way. The core shouldn't hang up on the end of the twilli wire if that is what you're thinking... my own preference would be to go with regular tips for core just because of personal preference and I think the tip eye may be a bit smoother on the sheath of the core.
-
Just a comment about the Merc Optimax. They did have a powerhead issue back in 2000 or so and in fact they gave an additional 2 years warrantee on the motors during the 2002 time frame. All in all they are great motors and aside from the old 2 stroke 50 hp Mercs probably one of the best motors Merc has ever turned out. Hard telling what kind of use yours had before you got it or how long it sat after use without servicing etc. Like any fine tuned tool they have to be religiously taken care of and should only be run with the Opti certified synthetic oil (expensive but so are engine repairs).
-
Good luck....keep a close eye on that weather.....I opted for rigging stuff inside today
-
WTG Sean! When the fleas are that thick nothing seems to keep them at bay. Beautiful healthy looking fish! -
Sandy Creek Hamin 7/17-19
Sk8man replied to Sanitarium's topic in New York Fishing Reports - Lake Ontario (South Shore)
results and report. The last pic sure reminds me of times past -
Regardless of the actual results those kids look like they had a lot of fun -
Considering the fact that you have never used downriggers before you might want to consider getting an initial feel for the downriggers themselves and the basic process before getting too far afield with the additional stuff. Most of us have been using them for years and it has become a pretty much automated process and we may forget that it did have a slight learning curve to it in getting use to them very basically. I would suggest running them with just one main line each and pay close attention to where the lines go on turns and the placement of them on the boat in particular to make sure the wires don't get tangled for example....because you don't want to have to deal with that scenario Once you get used to them then add the cheaters and SWR's etc. and really start messing with them. I would also suggest not running them near the bottom to start out unless you are totally familiar with the contour of the bottom. make sure the drag on them will engage when you put excess pressure on the wire tooas I have seen a case (during a derby) where a guy hung upon bottom and the drag didn't work on his downrigger and it pulled a section of his gunwale right out of his boat and the downrigger went to the bottom. In short just start with the basics for a while.
-
problem with fishing line getting tangled in downrigger cable
Sk8man replied to dremarquis's topic in Tackle and Techniques
Dre, I've been using Black releases since they were white in color (true) over thirty some years and have never had that happen on Lake O or any of the Fingers and Seneca has some strong currents as well. When you say "ball" does it have a guiding fin of any type on it or just a "cannonball" weight? Is the weight spinning on your swivel if you run it at the side of the boat down a few feet with and without the line actually in the release so you can view what is going on? It sure sounds like either the release itself or the ball is spinning and with your main line fixed in the release it is "winding" the upward portion of the line around the wire (braid loved to wind on itself and knot up on spinning rods at least). Strong current might be the ADDED factor to something that is otherwise a "borderline" condition at other times. I also wonder about the release freewheeling somehow while you are lowering the weight rapidly? I let mine down very rapidly compared with many other folks because I don't ever use the down button on my riggers I use the drag/brake and I don't encounter this problem and I also use sliders all the time too. I also have a crimp on the wire located midway between the holes in the release to keep it from going too far up or down. -
Nice going Although the jig and equipment is bigger in this case it happens fairly frequently in ice fishing. The fish is milling around the bait and may bump into the jig and thinking it is a hit you pull on it and whamo you have one hooked in the belly. -
You might want to try running one or two lines (maybe 1 dipsey and one spoon down BELOW that 50 degree mark for the kings because as you mentioned they can be found in low 40's water while playng with stuff above that. You also mentioned your spoons were NK's try using more of a spoon "assortment" (type and size wise)....NK's are good spoons but sometimes they want different size or action. Consider mixing up your presentation on the down riggers with a f/f on one close to the ball and a spoon on another on a fairly short lead above it on another.....maybe paired that way if running 4 downriggers. Don't be afraid to run dipseys even 400-450 ( I use Deeper Divers) or so out and then gradually bringing upward (lakers or kings)
-
Great pic...should be on a culinary magazine cover -
I just saw your response Mark...good one! -
Stranded Wire for dipseys...yes some fleas get on sometimes but easy to get off and you get good hook ups and cuts through the water nicely...not as easy off boards as braid though.
-
Thanks Mike. He spied a couple in one of my boxes but didn't say much -
Ah.... I forgot about the tournament Ted ....man....I hope today's boat traffic isn't a sign of things to come for tomorrow ( but you know how the weekends are at this end) . I hope they see more fish and bait on the screen than we did today....I 'll be in Ithaca tomorrow but will be interested to see the results of the tournament. Thanks.
-
WTG Marty nice rainbow. -
Thanks Ed and Marty. Seems like a lot more work than Seneca here anymore
-
Signalman and I hit the lake about 6AM in my rig and we started on the west side at the water plant drop off and trolled south with slight south wind which became more intense as the morning rolled on. We went with 5 rods as I didn't feel like screwing with the boards....two downriggers with cheaters set at 40 and 45 ft respectively, a 5 color leadcore with spoon unweighted, a wire rig with green and glow Echip flasher with bluish white home made fly, and wire rig with wonderbread Spin Doc with white home made fly. In short we nailed a couple small lakers on the flies in about 50 over 120ft or so and trolled to the condos and the wind died down on the way we also had a savage hit obn the flasherfly which bent the rod over real good and took out the drag and then off before we could pick up the rod (about 200 ft. and out120...think it was a nice rainbow from the looks of it). We turned and trolled north on the east side and put a couple 5 leader rigs out while going toward the middle and angled into 100 ft or so and then back out and when we hit 206 ft the side rig bent and the drag went out and Mike got it and it headed for bottom so I was thinking good sized laker but when it did finally come up it was a nice about 5 lb rainbow which hit a doctored up (nail polish) Sutton 35. We were trolling in the 2.7 to 2.8 range. We trolled north for quite awhile without marking much or seeing any bait. In fact we didn't mark hardly any bait and just a few fish mostly up high and could have been anything and a couple lakers hugging bottom for dear life and that was it. Mike and I had a great time chatting about old times and fishing stuff and he intuitively did whatever necessary whether driving or handling the equipment...a real pleasure fishing with someone who is very experienced whether rigs or any of the other stuff and without having to say anything...he just took up the slack naturally as though he was on his own boat...cool! Things on Canandaigua are still a puzzle and it is far from the lake I have fished in the past...few fish and bait seen very strange. We had to keep the rainbow as he was hooked deep and out through the eye which probably explains why he didn't jump. We quit about 12:45 PM P.S. I forgot to mention the weeds were mostly intermittent and located out toward the middle and the fleas were there but not too terrible