TyeeTanic

Good info Paul. So do you think us guys without a temperature probe can kind of rely on the government cross section maps. For instance cross section A of Lake Ontario is Toronto, which I'm close enough to. If I read this, it seems there is a vertical thermocline about 2 miles from shore and then it goes flat at around 4 miles in around the 60 - 70 ft mark. That is if we are looking at 55 'C to 60'C temperature band. It seems like the ministry publishes this data twice a day, and it would be easy enough to take a quick look on the phone internet before heading out.

Hey Tim, Yes, appreciate I am a little green with the trolling, but have a good sense for the outdoors given the time I've put in and pick things up quickly. I just like asking a thousand questions to zero in on the best techniques. And I do very much appreciate your honest and informative responses! Anyhow, I have a higher res picture on my phone. The spots that you can obviously see in the picture are some scales that have come of the fish. It was wiggling hard to get out of my son's grip and I ask him to hold it firm to not drop it. The scales on the fish were very loose. I was told coho's are like that. There are some small black spots in the top grey part of the body above head and along back, and then on top part of the tail fin. Best regards, Mark

Hey Tim, Thanks - actually I'm not that green - have been fishing for 20 years, just off the shores - I started trolling around 2 weeks ago, and have made out okay - have landed around 8 fish in 6 hours of fishing over the past week and a bit. I just like to ask a lot of questions to figure things out. I like trying new things (ideas and hardware). The real issue is you hear so many different recommendations about lures, leads, flies, etc. etc. and you don't know who is right. I like the fact that I can get some sort of consensus on this site. By asking all the questions I've figured out a lot about the tackle I need (which cost me around $500 or more all in this week), recommendations to good sites (I just registered to spoon pullers) and general know how. I still have to try out many suggestions and find out what works best for me - but I have the euipment and the knowledge to do that now on the wide open waters. Thanks to LOU in 2 weeks I've learned what it should have taken me years to figure out on my own. I appreciate everyone's helpful responses - and by the way - it is 10% for me, and 90% about putting a smile on my son's face by hooking up a fish and letting him take it on. That's him in the photo. Thought it was a Coho. Anyhow, fish was safely back in the water right after the pic was taken. That was his maiden fish - and a good fight too!! Mark

Paul - you must think we are real newbies here! The major thing I'm worried about is bottom dragging and snagging up on something. Once you hit a solid snag, the drag won't help you any, you have no choice but to break the line. Would rather lose less tackle than more...

Holy smokes - just checked out that link carpedium. That is awsome info - does it actually work?? The thermocline is sitting in the yellow band which looks like around 60 - 90 ft of water, depending on how far from shore you are. Does this make sense??

I found a submersible thermometer at LeBaron. Need to hook it up to a jig and drop it down. Leave it for 30 secs - 1 min and then bring it back up to test the water. Cost around $10, so not too bad. I might try it this weekend in 150 ft of water at 2 or 3 depths (50, 70, 90 ft) to get an idea of where the thermocline is. Will let you know how it works. Watch this space.

Hello all, With 4 rods in the water, and one of them with a fish on, is it advisable to keep trolling or do I have to wind everything in??? I tried trolling the other day while reeling in a fish and the fish went behind the boat. Ended up cutting the lead on the prop - so I figured it's better to just stop the engine and reel in the other rods - however at the time I only had 2 rods in the water. Now with 4 rods (got some new rod holders), it will be a mission to have to pull all the other lines out of the water. What's the trick - do I keep trolling and move the rod with a fish on to the front of the boat?

I just read the articles in the links above - and figured out there what down speed is. I generally troll around 2.5 mph - 3.1 mph, but that is essentially the idle on my motor. Guys say to troll slower down to 2.0 mph - but I won't be able to do that, not on my boat.

That helps a lot - after reading my post again - I found I made a mistake - if you use a snubber it must come between the dipsey and the flasher or you mess everything up. Okay - so essentially I use the same set up with flashers, where I go 30 lb wire, dipsey, snubber, 20 lb lead. I connect this to the lure or the flasher/fly arrangement. If the line breaks I lose the lure or the flasher/fly which costs me $20 max. That's not too bad. Thanks guys!

What is down speed?? How does it different from trolling speed?

Very funny carpedium! The mono lead isn't the problem, it is actually in the wrong place to snap - I lose the dodger and the fly if this happens. I would rather have the line break just ahead of the fly so this is all I lose. So, am I talking crazy - or do I have a point here and connect up 6" of 20 lb lead line between the dodger and the fly lead line?

Hello all, I have the following from reel to lure: - 30 lb Stainless Wire Main Line - ball bearing swivel connector to Dipsey Diver - swivel quick connect to 5 ft of 50 lb mono - swivel quick connect to Spin Doctor - connect to snubber chord 8" long - swivel quick connect to 30" 50 lb floro lead directly attachement to fly (purchased like this). My problem is if something is going to break, it will be the wire and I lose everything - Dipsey, Spin Doctor, Snubber and Fly + Leads/Swivels - all amount to almost $50 worth of tackle. I am thinking of putting in a 20 lb floro sacrificial line maybe 6 " long between the Snubber and the Fly. This way if anything breaks it will be the 20 lb floro and the most I lose is the Fly which will cost me $8. Big difference. Any recommendations??

Sorry! Didn't mean to hijack the page. My fault. Was in and out of too many topics and didn't realize what I was doing. If anyone has a response to the thermocline issue please visit my topic on Finding the Thermocline. Thanks. Sorry again. [ Post made via BlackBerry ]

Thanks chowder, I am on the west end of lake Ontario. I fish off Oakville - Bronte Harbor. Sometimes I head east to Port Credit, but no more than that. I haven't tried Hamilton Harbor yet, but may give it a go this weekend.

Just picked up 4 of these guys and 2 spin doctors. Thanks for the advice.

Coincidently, I just bought spoons 1, 5, 6 and 7 on a good friend's advice. I also got a colour called Monkey Puke - awsome name, eh?

Yup - thanks guys - I'll try the 80 - 120 ft depth. Just bought myself some new Spin Doctors and flies - will try those out at 80 ft this weekend. Will also try some red and blue spoons at 60 - 100 ft. My boat is a tad small (20 footer), so I figure I can get 3 lines in the water without tangling everything up, so will set up for 60 ft, 80 ft and 100 ft depths. Have a good one guys - and remember fishing is like enticing someone into having fun loving. You spend a lot of time and money trying to get some action, and then one day you finally hook up with a beauty for a quick grind, which makes it all worthwhile...

Hey Bluewater - what would you say we need to take off the dipsey charts if we are using steel or copper line. Should I cut 10 - 20% back off what the chart recommends?

Guys - I can't measure the horizontal thermocline - don't have the rig. Am I dead fishing for kings - or is there another old fisherman's trick I can use - other than looking for where everyone else is fishing??? Thanks.

Thanks Carpedium. What size/make spoons do you use. I am using the dartee no 2. It's shaped like a fish and kind of kicks side to side. That lure has helped me hit a lot of coho and steelhead, but no luck with chinooks. Are the little cleos any good?

Okay, I'm not that good with the lingo. When you say reds and pinks - are you talking spoons??

I've been using spoons for trolling, but I hear of a lot of people catching with flies. What kind of flies are good - surely not the same as what we would use in the rivers right???? How deep do you troll with them??? Tight lines guys and gals, tight lines!!!!!

You are definitely not too deep - in fact if it is a sunny day I would say you need to be slightly deeper. You could try changing to a lure that works well at 3 mph - I use a Williams Dartee No 2 and get a lot of bites at 3 mph. Try the blue or green spoons. Mark

Gentlemen, and ladies! I have been catching Coho's and Steelhead with ease, but no luck with Chinook. Am trolling 3 mph in 130 ft total water, at around 40 - 80 feet lure depth. I use spoons like the Williams Dartee 2 or Syclops - blue, red, green. What am I doing wrong???? Mark

By the way, if it helps I got the Eagle Claw Starfire Downrigger Rod with Roller Guides - I think the model is the SF404, made by Wrigth and McGill Co.