Sk8man

Ice carving competition in Ithaca today....incredible stuff....even had an ice BAR and folks drinking at it last night

Oh Yeah! There are still a few real hogs in there.....I think a lot of us have"sacrificed" lures to old Mr. Pike

A real beauty....good going!

Great description Marty....feels like I'm sitting in the boat looking around right now Good luck with it....sounds like a great Finger Lakes boat to get into the trolling game.

The downrigger rods go in the downrigger holders and the downrigger boom should be pointed outward in the place where it will interact least with other lines (sometimes at 45 degree angle sometimes straight back from the stern which is why placement is important. The dipsey rods go in separate holders pointed outward from the gunwales (sides) at close to 90 degree angle usually and tilted slightly upward. Sometimes you have to make adjustments in the swivel bases of your downriggers to place things so they don't tangle. If you can afford a charter you could probably save yourself a lot of time (and frustration) in the learning curve by observing their setups and then translating to your boat situation. It is a lot easier when you see this stuff in action and can ask questions of competent fishermen in real time Some charters (or the rest of us sport fishermen) may be running12 or more separate lines at once and it is a sight to see Here is a very basic one person setup of three rods (2 downriggers and one wire dipsey)as an example

Dipsey rods are usually stouter or stiffer especially ones used for wire. Downrigger rods have more action at the tip end usually because they spend a lot of time bent.....kinda like us old geezers I guess

Keuka freezes most years at the north end (Penn Yan end) and hence ice fishing . The length of the ice shelf heading south is mainly determined by the depth and duration of the cold temp and a lack of significant wind from southerly directlions. Often the Branchport arm near the state launch is open water but it is always a question mark whether the road is plowed.,.

WTG nice photo too. pilot or Air Force?

Very good info from Gill T regarding the equipment Here are some examples of different types of cowbells (they serve basically as attractors).There are many others.... If you look closely you can see examples of peanuts as well Here is an individual setup with peanut....(many other setups possible(twin minnow, spoons, bait etc.) All that is missing is a 32 ounce sinker at the end of a "drop line" suspended (about18-24 inches) from the red colored rudder at the front of the cowbell setup

Sweet Joe! Really beautiful fish.....Nice going!

Trolling speed is usually about 1.3- 3.0mph and most commonly about 2.3mph. The slower trolling speeds for cowbells and flashers or Spin Doctors usually than just an all spoon setup. If you go the thru hull route you may want to have a good marina technician do it because there are quite a few things to consider (for example the degree of deadrise, any voids or wood embedded int he hull, potential prop and hull (e.g. chines) turbulance sources etc.). There can be many limitations regarding where the transducer can be placed and you want to maximize your coverage of downriggers (select widest cone angle possible in that regard at the stern). I would mount the downriggers ( or at least let them know exactly where) where you wish before the transducer installation too so they will be able to assess that placement too.

First of all WELCOME to LOU Shea! I am sure you have realized by now from perusing the website it contains a rich storehouse of useful information and a lot of very knowledgeable people willing to share their experiences and "gems of wisdom" In terms of obtaining basic equipment for trout and salmon fishing this site often has some pretty good "bargains" in the way of used equipment especially stuff like lures and attractors etc. Trout and salmon fishing can (and is) be an expensive "hobby" (as he looks behind to see if his wife is nearby ) so it may pay to start out slowly. Searching this site and doing some basic research regarding some of your equipment needs can be productive although it will require a bit of patience and perseverance to sort out personal opinion from "fact". In general, if you start with high quality basic equipment you'll save money in the long run and also minimize headaches and frustration. Better to get good stuff and go slowly than to jump in with a whole bunch of "questionable quality = usually but not always cheaper" items. Getting reels with good drags is essential. Getting rods with some backbone to them is also important. Rod length is mainly a matter of preference but can be important considering the size of our boat and location of rod holders for separation to reduce tangles. You will need good sturdy rod holders as these rods and reels (especially with wire line and dipseys etc.) get a real workout even without a chinook on the other end but the torque from an aggressive salmon can rip a rod holder out and/or send a rod and reel flying so they need a solid anchor point on the boat. Having an auxillary trolling motor is very desirable for two reasons: speed control and serving as a"backup" if you experience main motor failure. Setting up your transducer properly on your boat is also important so that downrigger weights can be followed especially at depth....sometimes this requires a lot of playing around until you get it right for your particular situation but if you are going to use "riggers" it is critical. I know this information doesn't answer your specific equipment questions but hopefully it will serve as a general "backdrop" or "grounding" for you in thinking about the specific input of other folks.

And there you have it.....the secret to success...seasonal adjustments in both speed and distance and "to tease or not to tease". Thanks Tim. Great info as always. Les