Sk8man

Two things come to mind as possible factors. increased photosynthesis taking place with the increased sunlight and higher temps of late and with the higher water temps potential algae blooms.

Last week I was able to shake most of the fleas off my line when reeling in with the30 lb. Sea Flee. It isn't a total answer but an improvement over most other stuff I've tried.

Too bad they couldn't be interrupted somehow before the mating occurs but given the size of water bodies most things would be impractical or cost prohibitive i would imagine.

When they are really bad I use a paint stir stick with a strip of commercial (sticky side) velcro at the end. It works best on taught wire with scraping motions. It isn't a total answer but can help. Not very elegant looking but functional and you can tell it has been used Show Reply

More than one type of water flea. They are softbodied pests (invasive species) that multiply like crazy and attach to fishing lines and clog up the rod tips and when very thick can prevent you from reeling in fish.P.S. They can make a mess of your boat (e.g. grey/brown stains) and smell like hell.

I think we have all had those days and when it happens now like you I opt to call it a day and not push it .....always another day

When the fleas are really bad and are suspended throughout the water column even 150 lb rigger wire is not immune to them. A,lot of time they seem to be "patchy" in the water column and i think that is why some folks have better luck avoiding than others in spots in the lakes. When they are reaally bad even the riggers get clogged especially with the fishhook type fleas which seem harder to remove from anything no matter what the diameter.

As the water temperature goes up they seem to rapidly multiply and we have had some very high ambient temps lately.

I was thinking about you folks as I was driving to Ithaca to the Farmers Market today (my wife's idea). I was diplomatic and just thought to myself sure wish I was out there after the fish but on the other side of the coin I was beat from all day on Lake O yesterday Hope everyone stayed safe and had fun and avoided the storm. I also hope stix left a couple fish for the rest of you

Have used them for many years both behind attractors (e.g. cowbells) and by themselves from downriggers. Sometimes they work when nothing else produces. Like Mike I also used to run then from Seth Green rigs (5 per rig max of 15 hookpoints) and usually it was the bottom one that caught most of the time for whatever reason. I used shorter leaders than normal with them though (6-8 ft vs 15-24). Close to the weight on the riggers. The treble is split between the hooks so that you can slide the center wire through the mouth of the bait (sawbelly or smelt) and out the anal area and then snap the treble back on the loop on the wire.

Good advice

You guys are too much!

Nice starter kit for someone

I think Mr 580 is right on the mark. Again, speed is a critical factor and depending on lure especially after a cerain point the line bows upward with a belly in it. It is thought to be the swaying action of the leadcore in the water that attracts fish and they will come both vertically and horizontally to check it out and as it is some distance from the boat they may not appear on the fish finder either.

I had them on 30 lb Sea Flee mono but they could be shaken of on the way in they were tougher to get off on the wire. However we also had them on the 150 lb downrigger wire

X2 For those folks that keep looking for that perfect rod that you get the true feel of the fish fight you are looking in the wrong place. There is nothing that compares to the feel of a big laker being pulled off the bottom on copper with a Twin Minnow or Pfleuger spoon at the end of it. The sudden 'thud" ( feeling like you are snagged up on bottom) with the vicious head shaking and struggling while gradually coming to the boat all the while worrying about keeping the boat under control and possibly losing your fingers even with a leather finger or gloves....nothing in the world like it! Think I may have talked myself back into it