Sk8man

It depends somewhat on the brand you buy as there is some standardization but not totally. I used to buy the Spro black ball bearing swivels but no longer do as I had some give way and the rings are soft and bent...their inline swivels are good. I've used the Premium quality solid ring black ball bearing swivels from Cabela's for a long time without problems. The split ring ones suck. With that said I use the numbers 2 and 3 for the most part. Size 2's for browns and Finger Lakes fishing and 3's on Lake O for salmon and trout for downriggers, leadcore, and thermocline rigs (Finger Lakes) and sometimes 4 or 5's for heavier stuff (dipseys, copper). Sometimes manufacturers include the physical size information as well, but often just the numbers are used and they may not always be of equal size for different manufacturers. Here is an example size chart for general reference though. I forgot to mention I use small duo locks on them ....sorry about that. Thanks Don

Yes Tom is right it can scratch especially thin actual silver finish but it cna also get some stubborn stuff off thicker finish lures that the WD 40 and other things won't do....different process scrubbing vs. chemical removal but as mentioned have to be careful and not be too aggressive with it.

Sounds like a good "fishing fix" needs to be coming up soon Mark....but don't put away the bug spray just yet either....

Sorry about that I neglected to mention the problem of bright light...it is true that in direct sunlight the display is hard to see. I fashioned a visor out of plastic and velcroed it on and it helps. Iused some of the thin plastic edging material used in gardening (approx the same color as the unit)...probably not the most elegant solution but workable and cheap.

Baking powder can be added to regular toothpaste for additional abrasiveness too

Yes I have one and they are versatile . You can hook them up to your wire lines/dipseys, downriggers etc. to see the actual depth they run at as well as the temps along the way at 5ft. intervals Here is what it looks like: Suggestion - Use another fastener in addition to the one on it for security of it...because it is rather flimsy. You'll notice my home made one attached to this one

:smile:

If you are looking at $200 or less I'd go with a Lowrance Mark5xPro model. They are dual 83 and 200mhz and have good bottom discrimination as well as target separation. You mentioned the Fish ID function. It is not nearly as accurate as using the unit without it especially in shallower water. Color is a nice feature to have but not necessary or essential despite the fact that it is looked at that way now days by many fishermen..... The reason I mentioned the Pro model is because it has a speed impeller as well and that can come in handy in a number of situations and can be especially useful if you decide to troll sometime or if your gps goes out (if you rely on it for surface speed). It meaures in 1/10's mph so you can monitor drift speed as well when jigging. You can also re-examine previous screens by scrolling back on the screen. It really is a decent unit for the price and if you were to decide on an expensive unit when you hit the lottery it would serve as a good backup unit .

You know what they say about "like minds thinking alike" Tim....one of us is probably in trouble

Just as a general comment regarding boat rigging. When you start to look at placement of rod holders, net holder, planer board masts, or other relatively permanently placed items take your time planning things out but also put yourself in the boat physically with the rods and equipment you'll be using and double check all clearances with the rods in the holders, planer boards in the out position., downriggers in each potential position etc. It can save you a lot of headaches.

Ditto on Tim's comments. I also found a couple of the ones with the finish I was talking about in one of my old tackle boxes

Rolmops is "Da Man" when it comes to the mechanical stuff

Cool!