Sk8man

Good question although it is like comparing apples to oranges in a way (eg. they are both fruit or line) but having different characteristics so the comparison depends largely on USE. Monofilament line has some stretch to it - some brands more than others (e.g. SeaFlee has a lot while Big Game has relatively low amount). Some brands or even lines within brands are more limp while others an outer coating making them harder, stiffer, and more resistant to abrasion while being less flexible. Fluorocarbon lines in general are stiffer than most mono lines and may impart a little different action to lures as a result. They tend to be more abrasion resistant than a lot of mono lines but the various brands and specific line versions of both differ in this regard (e.g. Seguar Blue label vs. Berkeley Vanish) as well as breaking strength. One of the most touted features of the fluorocarbon lines is that is is "virtually invisible to fish" underwater. I have always been suspicious of this claim and remain so because how was this determined? I suspect that there were not many fish respondents to the question and human eyesight is radically different than that of fish. I will say however after using both types of line I believe that the number of fish strikes is greater for fluorocarbon but the reason is unclear as they operate slightly differently in the water much as does copper and leadcore. If you do a lot of winter fishing mono may be the way to go as it doesn't stiffen as much as fluorocarbon line in the extreme cold and may be a little easier to tie knots I use 50 lb Big Game mono for tying my trolling flies rather than fluorocarbon because it has more stretch which seems advantageous with wire dipsies as I have had commercial fluorocarbon flies break from the instant shock of kings hitting, but never the 50 l b mono....mainly a personal preference like most of the other issues encountered. Like a lot of fishing stuff there is a lot of marketing hype surrounding the claims rather than hard fast valid research evidence for the claims

The main difference I have seen is that the fishing line is more supple or flexible while the leader material is a little stiffer and may be coated differently. The reasoning is that with more flexibility it should cast a little better. Some of the manufacturers make several different grades of flourocarbon each with supposedly different characteristics so it pays to try some out for your intended purpose before committing to a whole bunch of it

Three years use not a mark on the eyelets thus far...just checked them closely.

I converted a couple of Okuma downrigger rodsto dipsies; one to roller tip and the other to a twilli and they both work fine.

That is what I was thinking too. Either way the Bills are going to have their hands full next week just have to hope for the best and that Allen is on his game.

Either way it goes my wife probably won't be able to sleep....even more die hard than me

The algae problem (and sewage as well) has been a problem for many years. It is a highly eutrophic lake way too many nutrients. I've fished Honeoye since the 70's and I've only caught a couple Crappie that size.....wonder if they just wanted to keep it the same size as the bass limit? I could see 10 inches as there are some in that range and that is all I'd be keeping anyway.

I think it more general than that. There are a lot of factors that have changed the dynamic including technology being used such as Panoptics and live units and the ability to clean out whole schools. For some time now there have been folks renting in summer enmasse at Honeoye for example and filling coolers because they were allowed 25 per person including kids etc.Doesn't take long to deplete populations and then year round fishing pressure maybe it is time to re-evaluate what is happening out there rather than some folks complaining about fishing not being what it used to be. . something needs to be done. I've also seen folks keeping panfish that were the size of fish in a home aquarium. The absence of inclusion of perch in the regs is mystifying.

Dipsy divers are one effective element of the trolling toolbox when run correctly. From your main post it looks as though you are fishing the Finger Lakes rather than Lake O in particular. Dipsies allow you to get down deep with your presentations and create a bit of a commotion down there with their erratic movement which is imparted to the lure following them (e.g.fly or spoon) and you can get them a good distance from the boat, and they can be adjusted to the changing water conditions (e.g. location of the thermocline in summer) Downriggers may be more accurately adjusted but the downrigger weight itself or the particular one used can also be a question mark (e.g. does it perhaps attract or scare away fish?) and with the large diameter wire on them and resultant "singing" do they attract or deter fish?. I don't think anyone actually knows the answer. They are very different presentations and one may excel over the other on a given day or time so they both have their place in the toolbox. Trolling for trout and landlocks on the Finger Lakes shares a lot of similarity ofequipment and techniques with Lake Ontario but there are some differences as well. The larger paddles often used with meat rigs may be less effective on the Fingers, the super sized magnum spoons generally aren't as readily effective while the smaller paddles and small to medium sized spoons seem to take more hits. You mention using 80 lb braid with divers. You really don't need anything that heavy with them on the Fingers (or Lake O for that matter) as it will create more "blow back" and make it more difficult to place your presentation where you want it and if the waterfleas are really thick it doesn't present any advantage in keeping them off. 40-50 lb (max) works fine and cuts through the water better than the larger diameter stuff. In the way of other advice or suggestions: consider running Seth Green rigs on the Fingers in the late Spring to late Fall You can cover the entire thermocline effectively. If fishing lakers run cowbells with Gambler rigs, grease traps, Spin-N-Glows or peanuts behind them from wire dipsy rigs (with or without the dipsy diver) or from downriggers short behind the weight and close to bottom