TyeeTanic

Pro troll or spin doctors are good. Lately I have been purchasing Michigan Stinger flashers ... UV Frog and UV Frog Black have been absolute studs for me. Most of the good ones are on this page: http://www.anglersavenueproshop.com/michigan-stinger-flashers/?sort=featured&page=9

On Lake O you want 12 lb minimum weight. I think torpedo offers some of the lowest blowbacks pound per pound due to its shape which will keep drag to a minimum. If your rigger can handle it, try a 16 lb torpedo which will basically reduce blowback to a small amount, still will be some, but you'll probably be within 5 ft or so of target. I've tried pancakes, hate them. Cannon balls are okay, but still way more blowback than torpedo weights.

Good write up Yankee.

Here's the write up: http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/topic/61752-a-season-with-the-smart-troll/

I understand, but what will you do with the $300 probe that is worth more than the BT phone (which you can get for $100)? I'm sure you will lock that away or bring it home. Remember one other benefit with the ST is that almost the entire system is portable. As long as you have another transducer, you can quickly unclip the receiver, monitor and probes and use the system on another boat. Guys have even figured out how to mount the transducer so it is portable as well. So if you screen has some kind of a quick attachment like a RAM clip or velcro (as suggested above), the whole system is portable. You cannot do that with any other device.

I'm not complaining. If it's a hobby of yours, go for it. I'm just saying that ST has invested a lot of time and money already. It wasn't easy for them, but they've got a great product now. I know getting speed right is a major challenge.

Why is it a deal breaker? I had a phone holder mounted to my helm, that phone was going no where. Also, ST took many years and $$ to develop. You may figure out how to measure depth quickly, but speed will be your biggest challenge. You aint going to figure that out in the cost it takes to buy a probe package $599.

Not a chance. Maybe 300 to 350 ft of copper. You'd definitely need a 55 for 500 ft of copper. Try the Convector CV55 if you're a fan of Okuma.

600 LC for mono/wire 700 LC for leadcore and short copper (up to 300 ft) 800 LC for copper up to 500 ft

What are you going to put on it? Mono and wire = 600 LC Copper or Leadcore = 700 LC or 800 LC

I started with the TD, it's a good device. But for clarity, we should state that it isn't live info. You have to put the probe down (while trolling) and retrieve it, then scan through the temp/depth readings. So you find yourself with that probe on a seperate rod, loaded with 1 lb of weight (to get it down while trolling) and retrieving say every 15 minutes, to get an idea of the temp. If you change location, you need a new reading. And I've managed to lose a TD probe to Lake Ontario as well (on a hang up). So it's not a slam dunk decision. On the other hand, the way I attach the ST probes there's very little chance of losing it, even if the leader were to break. The trick is to NOT put it in line, and rather offline using two OR16 clips attached to the main steel line.

I don't clip my probes on in line. I clip them on using OR16 clips to the main line ahead of all my tackle. If a break happens yes you lose the tackle as always, but the probe stays with the mainline (wire). For copper and leadcore applications I normally just run short tests. You can even take the hooks off so there's no risk of a snap off. But I do know guys that fish constantly with the probes on copper and they aren't worried. One probe will also always be on the rigger cable and connects just like the fish hawk.

My buddy has the fish hawk which we use all the time. I had a smart troll (until I recently sold my boat). Both are good units, no doubt. In my opinion, smart troll has the edge, as you can put more than one probe at once, and you can put the probe on lines (not just on the rigger cable). This is relevant for at least 2 reasons: 1) It's good to understand the breadth of the temperature zone ... we like to know at what depth is 42F and where is say 52F. This basically tells you what your highest line should be at, and lowest line ... and you can spread inbetween those depths. 2) It's good to understand the depth you're actually getting on your wire line rods, copper rods, leadcore, etc. You may not need to have a probe on those lines all the time, but rather try it a few times, note the depths with different tackle on (the depth changes dramatically if you are using just a spoon vs. a 11" paddle and meat rig). Once you get a sense of what each line will each with various tackle on, you can more accurately deploy on future trips. The other thing I noticed is the smart troll refreshes much more frequently (like every 2 seconds).

Definitely the biggest trick is to get them out of warmer water. If you're catching kings at 50 to 60 ft, the steelhead are there are 20 to 30 ft (actually depends on the water temp profile). We target kinds at 48F and steelies come in more like 52 to 54F. The other thing is the pattern. Most of my steelies have come on white tackle, like a wonder bread spoon.

3x paddle length. So for an 11" padle 33" is the leader length. You can use a quick connect swivel so you can change fly colors easy. Some guys ditch the swivel and put in a hoop, so they can tie the fly onto the paddle by going in through the hoop.

Walley or Salmon Fishing? For salmon, my opinion it's not worth the money as you are not going to really be looking for structure. Yes, there is general structure to target salmon, but it's a much bigger picture ... and topo maps are good enough.

Kings stop eating when they get ready to spawn. Their stomachs actually shrink. Irratic motions and brite colors back and forth seem to do the trick. That's why guys like plugs this time of year.

Are you not worried about big hooks around an inflatable watercraft?

A good rod is the talora 8 ft lead core rod. A decent reel for 200 copper is either a Convector cv45 or tekota 700. If you want 300 to 400 copper you should go with a Convector CV55 or tekota 800.

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Smart troll