Sk8man

Nearly every time I went against my better judgment and intuition ( especially during derbies when I really wanted to get out there) it ended up very disappointing to say the least. Although you can "survive it" it is no fun not being able to control your speed/direction of presentation, or your lines and major tangles (the order of the day) take the fun out of it for anyone, and usually you don't wind up with much in the way of fish because of the above. It sucks to be onshore during fishing time but being out there usually sucks much worse.

If I were to do new cable and fish lake Ontario I would get the 400 brown colored cable.

Ditto on B and E Tackle

Great report Pete. For years I fished out of Sodus in my 13 ft. Whaler and even fished out in the shipping lanes from time to time for steelies/salmon (younger and more foolish than now if that is possible ) but you really have to pick your days and have a good backup motor and radio etc. There are sometimes advantages to having smaller craft...like navigating in the shallow water during derbies and turning and rocking your boat during the doldrums to entice the fish etc..

:smile: Guess it reinforces my belief that I was lucky I didn't connect with a king....what were we thinking?

Some folks insist that Seth Green (or "thermoclining")rig fishing is "meat fishing" (or some other derogatory word or phrase) and they feel that it isn't much fun because of the heavy duty equipment (boat rods, wire line, large capacity reels etc.) and that it isn't nearly as much fun as downrigger fishing or using the current methods like dipseys, flashers, copper or wire rigs. Many of them haven't actually tried it either....when you are hand lining in a large rainbow or brown on a10 or 12 pound test 20 foot leader or have two 6 or 7 pound rainbows on at the same time on the same rod going in different directions it is VERY exciting and challenging. It is however pretty much a tactic reserved for the Finger Lakes not Lake Ontario although I have tried it in the distant past and luckily didn't end up with a chinook at the other end of it. In the mid seventies to early eighties when the stocking policies were in shambles on the Finger Lakes and it took 5 or 6 hours or more to catch a legal trout the use of these rigs was a good way to end up with a couple fish at the end of an 8 or 10 hour day, and it is still one of my favorite ways to fish.

A jug rig is usually used to get the lines away from your other side rigs while trolling and it also serves to attract fish that may be easily spooked (rainbows and browns for example another potential "side effect" is that you may catch fish that were interested in your other lines/lures but did not hit them for a variety of reasons (rainbows very often hit the top few lures). In a common example you'd have 2 5 leader Seth Green rigs -one on each side of the boat facing outward at 90 degree angles (to keep them as far apart as possible), then you'd have a third rig with 5 leaders that you would run out say 50 to 75 ft straight off the back. I usually run the jug rig out first to avoid tangles as I sometimes fish them by myself and do not have an autopilot. Keeping the boat relatively straight during this process is very important. Once the 5 leaders are out I attach a cylindrical styrofoam float much like a marker buoy only larger(can be a milk jug, bleach jug, or old plastic duck decoy etc) by the use of a very large strong swivel snap (wired to the jug) which I attach to the last bead chain on my rig line where my rig line meets the main 7 strand wire line that I use on all roller tip/guides rods. I then let out the desired amount of wire with the "jug" attached and then set out my other two Seth Green rigs which I adjust to the perceived conditions for depth and speed...usually one high and one deep until I see where the fish are if I haven't spotted them first on the depth finder. The drag on the jug rig reel is adjusted tight enough that the waves won't set it off but a fish will take out the drag when it hits. I've had very large (or multiple fish) not only take out the drag but actually take the jug under like a bobber. It can be tricky in rough water and windy conditions getting your jug rig back in without tangling in the other lines. I often drop both the other side rigs deep before bringing the jug rig in to minimize the leaders tangling. There are other versions of running jug rigs but this istheway I do mine. In the old days when we could run 15 leaders per rod I used to run 2 side rigs and two jug rigs (staggered behind my little 13 ft Whaler with my son or daughter up front andif both were with me I'd have 2 top lines out on my outriggers as well. Picture 62 lures running behind that little boat .

Check your power cable out carefully for cracks and wire breaks I've had to replace mine twice. The UV does a job on the old type. The new ones are much more sturdy but they are about $150 a pair. Also check on the positive lead to the battery to see if there is a fuse and if it might be blown or if hooked up via block see if breaker has tripped or wire is loose.

Kinda like a professional card dealer his hands are so fast

Here's the pro version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYqPWfOOWzk&feature=player_embedded

Nick - You're looking at things way too optimistically....get a grip man Let Theresa do all the voodoo dance stuff....and put bright yellow tape on the rods to replace the pink stuff that has offended the fish gods

I received mine (4 300 yd rolls) 30 lb. test yesterday and when I took out the first roll of it and pulled hard on a section of it I was very surprised at the amount of stretch in it for 30 lb test it almost doubled in length. The box was sitting in the sun on my front porch for a while after delivery so the heat may have been a factor but it makes me wonder what a large king at the back of a flasher/fly combo on a large dipsey might be like if the stretch is there like that....no snubber for me I only loaded up two of my reels with it until I test it out against the conventional Big Game stuff on a couple other reels. The finish on the line is very smooth though but after all my years with 12 lb test the 30 lb feels like rope Les

or wraps around the "other leg" even worse

Usually mid lake this time of year Sampson and Dresden to Kashong.

Great to hear Marty...best of luck out there.

John summed it up real well. Past that it boils down to personal preference...there is no right or wrong to it.