John Kelley

That is the perfect quote for copper!!LOL

I don't know that the brand of flasher matters so much as the colors and glow factor. I use big 11" paddle flashers in glow/white with green dots and glow/white with black dots. Meat is usually run deep on copper, riggers or divers, so I like a big profile and glowing meat heads and flashers.

And they are the closest to the lake, and have gas, supplies, and boat and engine repair.

I have done really well with Double Trouble down deep and in low light conditions, in the magnum size. Carbon 14 and silver carbon have also been very good to me, along with Arctic Ice, Green shorts and Grean Jeans, all in magnum. Bad Toad is another favorite, and RV Happee Meal in both standard and magnum sizes.

Great results!! Sounds like a very productive weekend!!

Hahahaha, thanks for that mental image, Ray!!LOL

That sounds awesome!! Any majors? :yes:

And to further what Les is saying, really make sure you loosen the drag a good deal after you let out the copper, because you will have it cranked down pretty tight to reel it in without a fish on, just to hurry the process along. I know I have been guilty of not checking the drag on my 400 copper after letting it out, and then a big salmon comes along and steals my spoon, because copper has absolutely no stretch. The rod guides do not get cut from copper, because it is such a soft metal, and will not wear grooves into your guide. Thanks.

Great job & beautiful chromers there!! Jealous!!!

I must concur here, but I tend to use more of the Moonshines and Pro Kings. Moonshines have the toughest paint I have ever seen, and the glow lasts an incredibly long time. Some good colors for me have been "bad toad", "Arctic Ice", "double trouble", "green shorts" and "carbon 14".

As far as spoons go, I would get a few magnum Moonshine spoons and a few standard size ones in colors with green, black chrome and white, in any combination, for king salmon. You might also want some reds, yellows and oranges for for steelhead and cohos. Moonshine spoons have the toughest paint enamel that I have used, and the glow lasts a long time on them. I would also pickup up a couple of Spin doctors to run your flies behind, in Mountain Dew/chrome and white/green dots, to start out with. You can catch fish on crankbaits, like reef runners and bay rats, and rapalas, but you might want to just stick with the spoon and flasher basics, until you get them down. Good luck!

I don't know about this thread, but I do know that in the 2 years I got to fish alongside all of you crazies, out of the Oak, I mostly saw courteous and conscientious fishermen. I remember doing the inside outside dance with Yankee several times, but neither one of us ever cut each other off, and everyone was usually friendly and cordial. I have seen way worse boat courtesy among the walleye crowds in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. I was almost always one of the smallest boats among the fleet out there, and I am sure a bunch of you got to used to seeing my little white Tracker Tundra hanging out amidst your monster hulls!!LOL I just hope that I was as courteous to everyone out there as you guys were to me. One of my tricks, though, was to try to be on the water and set by around 5:00 a.m., so that I was already trolling when all the monster boat wakes slammed into me!! I will have to agree that boards should only be deployed way out, when a guy is out of heavy traffic. Good luck this season, my NY Peeps!!

Nice job, Captain Rick!!

Palomar all the way.