TyeeTanic

Yup, free sliders are the way to go for steelhead.

Scotty down rigger clip ... just wrap the excess wire around the handle and duct tape it in a position that it reaches and keeps the very tip of the net as far back as possible. Bass pro does have a custom clip. Basically two parts, one goes on the net hoop and the other on the netting itself. The two connect with a strong magnet. Under the weight of a fish, the magnets release and you're good to go.

I guess you'll get a variety of opinions on this, but I see the leadcore and copper setups as more of a stealth setup, further out from the boat. So, to be consistent with that strategy, we would normally use 20' to 30' leaders ... and drop it down to 20# fluoro ... just to give it that extra agility.

Charter is a good way to do it, and I suggest BEFORE you go and spend $100's on tackle. I've wasted more money upgrading tackle as I went up the learning curve, than the cost of a bunch of charters. If you have free time, than yes 2.2 mph to 2.5 mph down speed is good. Make sure your bait is in the right range of depth (staggered), and try slowing down and speeding up. There's a whole bunch to learn about presentations and what lures to use on what lines and at what depths, as well as color and bait type depending on the season, as well as depending on the depth and time of day (or weather conditions). Lots of variables, and that's what a charter will help you zero in on.

Already said, but here's more support! 12 lb's will be fine down to 100 ft, but you will be surprised if there's enough of a current just how much cable you'll have to have out to deal with the blow back ... think 140 to 150 ft. If ever you want to get another weight, go to a torpedo probably 13 lb, 15 lb even better if your rigger and gunwale can handle it. The torpedo is streamlined, so you don't have as near the drag as a ball, which helps reduce blowback. As for calibrating the SOG, don't bother, unless you know there is no current (in a marina with a large enough break wall?). The reality is you don't necessarily need to know the exact downspeed, but what works best ... on each morning you'll start at a number (say 2.2 mph) then bump it up for a bit, and then down. All of sudden you'll hit a million fish (haha), and you'll know what speed works. It's about repeating that condition, and each new day, repeating that same procedure.

adjust sensitivity up you should see them. Other thing to do is to angle the 'ducer back a bit, although you don't want it too far angled, otherwise you end up with a false reading of the depth (will say you are deeper than what you really are). By the way, the sonar will not tell you how deep your ball is. It will tell you how far the ball is from the 'ducer ... which is not the same thing due to blowback.

Boards hands down. You would only use inlines if you don't have the auxiliary systems to handle boards. Inlines are a pain when a fish is on. You're fighting the board more than the fish, and often if the fish can outrun the board, you can get slack on the hook and lose the fish. Boards is a much better fishing experience.

8.5 ft beam ... I'd stick with 2, or 3 at most ... 4 would be insane with stray currents or wild weather pushing your boat sideways (not wild enough to call it a day, but wild enough to make it fun).

Should be in feet. Decoy has it right. Try stopping the boat and dropping the ball.. you should get closer to what the chart is saying (you still might get some blowback due to underwater currents).

Braid. 30 lb braid. You don't want to use anything else because it takes up the least amount of spool capacity for a give line strength, and it doesn't stretch ... the last thing you want is you line guide to get out of sync with where your line is on the spool ... that's not a pretty thing.

Possession according to Canadian law is fish in your possession, immediate or remote (think in your freezer back at home), including fish you may have given away to others under your catch limit. I know proving that is difficult, but that's technically the law. So the only thing I can see working is you catch 5 in NY (within limit) and then travel back to PA to catch the last 1. It means you've complied with the catch limits while and at the time of being in both states.

Not that I'm an expert here, but if I had to play devil's advocate and put myself in the shoes of a NY authority, I'd say the following. The limit is associated with where you caught the fish, not where you store the fish. If you were caught in possession of all 6 of those fish on your way back to PA, but still in NY, what would happen? You would be charged, I would think. So really what would be happening is you would be over the limit (and breaking the law) hoping not to get caught until you are back in PA. Then no one would both questioning you, as you'd be within the PA limit. But if you were to admit you caught the fish in NY and kept more than the limit ... you'd be admitting to breaking the law in NY. I wouldn't do it.

I get your point, and probably as bad as the amount of stuff we buy in general, only to have it thrown away and end up polluting our rivers and lands. In the end, people will either be conscious and mindful of their actions or not. But rules should not be broken.

Exactly ... maybe the rules could be optimized a bit, but none of that helps if they don't enforce the rules.

Well, that's part of the problem. We can't fish the tribs, except for literally the river mouth openings to the lake (think first 500 ft of river) for another 2 weeks. The trout have been running up and down the tribs according to the counters. So in 2 weeks we are catching nothing but drop backs ... the grand majority have spawned, and there is much less risk of catching a loaded hen. Plus, unless I want one for the BBQ in the short term, most ethical fishers practice catch and release, and are pretty good about reviving fish, even if it takes 10 minutes. Conditions normally are pretty good reviving fish, as the water is still super cold ... As you know, catching on the boat (which I do as well), we pull these fish from 40 - 80 ft down in cold water and bring them through the thermocline in a flash up to 75F water ... that has to lower survival rate. I don't think it's fair to take away this amazing hobby from trib fishermen (in some cases it's a job, and certainly tackle shops benefit from it), as we have to be allow access to resources to all in the same likeness. Most people can't afford a boat, or a charter. It's crazy to think the gov't will stop trib fishing and let the lake fishing continue ... there will be a mini-revolution on government and lake fishermen alike. It's got to be fair. There's cheating on tribs, and it pisses me off to. There's also people that take advantage on the lake (take more than there quota, fish with more lines than their allowed to). It all comes down to respecting regulations and for those that don't we need adequate enforcement. So let me ask ... are the regs the problem (maybe, I'd stop trib fishing until end of April to give the fish a chance to spawn), or does the enforcement need to be beefed up?

Lots of stream guys are ethical, and practice catch and release. Not everyone can afford a boat. Banning roe might help, not totally, because it's not just used for bait, but consumption as caviar. Good luck trying to enforce that, if this is being done at night and people are then taking the roe into their homes for consumption. When is opener there? It's not for another 2 weeks here in Toronto.