Sk8man

Might want t check these out they look pretty good and fairly inexpensive

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/index.php/topic/36167-forsale-custom-rod-holders/

If it were me I'd make up a board to go across the back,  and use Cannon pedestal mounts to go down each of the existing internal rod holders and mount the board to them. Use downriggers with telescoping booms. I'd also hinge the board on each side so could get to the back easily if I had to. You could place either a sliding track arrangement on the board for rod holders etc. as well as the downrigger mounts on the board and place them where you want them. The nice thing is that you don't have to modify anything already existing and the whole arrangement just lifts out. I don't have the board but I have drilled only one hole on my boat and that was for the fish finder wires in the dash everything else is removable.

I use a secondary clip that has a very heavy duty duolock on one end and a metal thing that is used for catfish trot lines on the other and it clips very stiffly to the downrigger wire itself ABOVE my release and I also use the one that came with it worst case scenario is I lose the downriggger ball and release but not the TD. I wasn't about to trust something like that to plastic of any kind....sorry about your misfortune....

Here is what it looks like: (the lower clip)

P.S. I do worry  a bit however about the plastic on the unit itself long term

Very nice! Sure was a heck of a season last year....hope this one isn't anti-climactic

Good going! Hey Nick by the way Where did you get the net with that neat slide out extension.?...I had to make my own on my nets for all these years only they don't slide out.

Les

I'm not real familiar with I/O's but if it were me the first thing I'd do is get it on dry land just to carefully look everything over and be able to get at everything easily and to be able to run someplace for parts without worrying etc. Working on the water on boats can be a real pain in the butt (unless you have no other choice).

  Plus she has female intuition on her side as well....probably knows when they are going to hit

I'm sitting on the edge of my chair waiting   Theresa looked pretty happy with that salmon....you'll  probably be having to fight to get to the rods pretty soon to beat her to it     SWEET! Looks like you were a bit faster than I thought Nick!

Reeltime1 you have a PM

Welcome to LOU. Things will be back to normal info wise after the derby. Good luck fishing.

The National Lake Trout Derby is next weekend so I think things might be a bit quiet in terms of specifics until afterward...

Guess  Its a shame I'm such a phone dope and still in the dinosaur age....I bought my cell phone from Fred Flintstone

Hey can ya have Theresa pick me up a bacon egg and cheese biscuit? looks like she's the only one awake

From the looks of the weather report for the next few days....your timing is great....on the downside what can you use for an excuse if you don't get into them?   Best of luck to both of you!

Good luck Nick! Makes me feel kinda guilty living this close to the action and complaining about it being too windy

I believe those figures reflect the ability of humans to see color at depth. I don't think the fish actually reported the data. I guess my point is that all these colors and patterns wouldn't ALL be effective if color was the only or main variable. The fish eye is known to be quite sensitive to the yellow/chartreuse/green colors - I concede that but all these crazy color patterns don't have a rats butt to do with what the fish feed on nor are they present in their native habitat and are in large part are designed to catch the fisherman's eye (and money....mine included)

Good points

Wire line takes some getting used to and braid is fine before the fleas hit. There are some advantages to each but the stranded wire is really the way to go for dipseys. It seems to track better and especially in the chute stays down on turns and  achieves better depth with less line out. It also doesn't have any stretch to it (can be good and bad). On the downside it can get away from you if you aren't careful and kink and if you have a kink you need to sever it and  go from there to re do it. Braided line is more "forgiving" and generally easier to work with (has a little stretch to it) and may be a little easier to use with planer board releases or outriggers etc. When the flea season begins I will change the braid to wire and then go all wire.

I guess I can rest my case.....just like with the lures it's the action and proximity to the fish not the color....

Stoutner is right on the money PANKO breadcrumbs ...been using them for years on just about everything....once you try them you'll never use regular bread crumbs again....

Guess I'll stick with my old brass spring loaded one from 30 years ago (no name on it) it has been within 1/2 of an ounce of the derby scale multiple times.....my digital Berkeley "sticks" and fails to release so I gave up on it...

Hey Walter...I guess you hit the jackpot on info on that one!

That is good to know....and they are a really cool prehistoric fish...sorry if I jumped the gun but it wasn't clear to me at first.

Lets hope so. Probably would have been a good idea to have said  so though....

My understanding is that sturgeon are a PROTECTED species in New York State....I don't think you are even supposed to fish for them at all...or even handle them...except if accidentally caught....they are illegal to possess... let me know if I am mistaken.

Good going Rick