John Kelley

Yeah, and if the switch is bad, they are cheap, and easy to replace yourself.  

Slider tangles usually come in one of two ways--

--you popped the rod out of the release and reeled it in allowing the slider to tangle with the mainline bait.

--you had your rod "loaded up" too much taking the bow out of the line and allowing the slider to migrate to the ball. Also, as mentioned, raising or lowering the ball to change depths will cause the same tangle.

To solve the problem either fix the slider with a rubber band or bring the rig up without popping it and take the slider off before it tangles.

Fwiw sliders are a PITA and I only run them in the spring and early summer or when I'm fishing cohos or steelhead. They simply don't take enough kings to be worth the trouble and if a king tangles a line after being hooked it will tangle the slider--guaranteed.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I agree, Paul, seem to be much more of a steelhead presentation.

I go about 1 arm length with both arms stretched out, so about 5'6".   I also have found that if I only deploy them on my 2 rear downriggers, I don't get the tangles that I did when I tried running them on all 4 downriggers. By this I mean tangles between the slider and another downrigger line. Hope this helps.  Thanks.  

Erie Dearie, and Familiar Bite are some brand names that the bait stores carry.  I know that Narby's and The Captain's Cove in Point Breeze (The Oak) both carry some types of Herring.  

For Lake Ontario Kings I always had great luck with spoons in greens, blacks, chromes, and whites with glow mixed in as well.  I would fish the only glow colored spoons in the early morning, and late evenings, in low light conditions, and the shinier spoons with chrome on them in the bright part of the day.  For flashers and flies, I always had good luck with white with green dots, and glow frog spinnies in early morning and late evenings, and shiny, MT Dew with chrome in high light periods.  Downrigger depths this time of year will vary according to water temps, but anywhere from 50-110' of water are usually some good depths to try this time of year.  Don't be afraid to try much shallower in the mornings and evenings.  Good luck.  

Super job and great report!!   

To me it looks like a lot of bait in different densities spread along the thermocline in that particular area you were in at the time that had clutter in it maybe as well. The fact that the leadcores picked up the salmon and rainbow within that general depth would support that view. Looks as though the downrigger set at 40 missed the possible action

I was thinking the same thing on the downrigger, Les.  Looks like maybe 20 or 25' would have been the magic depth!!

The Oak is where I used to fish every weekend when I was working out there for two years.  Absolutely the friendliest port I have been to on all of the great lakes!!  People are very forthcoming with information, and the fishing is outstanding as well!!  In the wee early mornings, (like before 5:00 a.m.) I used to find the browns up very shallow, like 8-15 feet, and would troll for them until the sun came up, with stick baits off the boards.  Then, when the sun would rise, and drive them deeper,  I would gear up for salmon around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.and start trolling north. This makes for a good day of fishing, as well.     

Looks like some big bait school to me.

Nice mature King!!  They really fight when they get to that size!!     

I would be interested in the two 5' booms.  Let me know your price with shipping to South Dakota.  Also, do you do Paypal?  Thanks.

Good job Les, and nice report!   

Thanks Pap, it is great to run into helpful fellow fishermen, like the guy that helped you guys out!!  Yes we do have some good, relatively untouched walleye water out here.!!  What flies under the radar is the amazing yellow perch fishing to be had out here, in these shallow, highly fertile ponds, as well.  Almost all of the lakes in my vicinity are packed chock full of freshwater shrimp(scuds), and that really makes for some of the most impressive perch fishing I have ever seen.  The pike out here are pretty impressive as well, as they do not get targeted at all, and most lakes have plenty of of 10-18 pound fish, that you will hook up with while walleye fishing.  I have caught 5 over the 35" mark on accident already this summer, with my biggest going 40".  Very fun on walleye spinning gear!!  I really do miss the salmon fishing out your way though, and reflect on those two years fishing out of the "Oak" as the two best summers of fishing of my life!!  I might get back out that way if my company gets the bid on a 3 year project out there!!  Good luck this summer, and I can't wait to see some slob salmon pics coming in.  I think the big O is going to get hot very soon!!      

It can't hurt, and can actually mask other scents that might have gotten onto your baits, like gasoline, oil, sunscreen, and bug repellent.  I use whatever brand is available, in herring flavors.    

Great job!!  

Nice job, and some good looking walleyes, too.  I hate having to leave when the bite is on!!  One of the worst feelings there is, besides losing a big fish, that is!!  I think that kid will be a fisherman for life after catching some 'eyes like that!!      

I had to cut my Lake Michigan trip short, due to my 200 Optimax giving me fits, so I hooked up with my old work buddy, Conrad, and we took his boat up to my favorite Walleye hole, Lake Thompson.  We trolled around with crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers for a few hours, and caught this nice mixed bag of fish.  Pic is poor quality, and at the fish cleaning station.  Thanks.

Go get 'em, NIck!!  Wish I was still out there, slammin' the salmon with all of you!  Love living vicariously through all you and everyone out there's reports.  Sounds like the big fish are about to set up, when the warm weather finally hits!!  Good luck to you and the wife!!!  

I think it is on there now.  Thanks.

Don't know, will post it again.  Thanks

Hey guys, here is a South Dakota 15 pound, 37" gator I caught last night while fishing my favorite walleye spot on a bottle neck area between the main lake and a huge, shallow slough attached to it.  I had its twin on later on a jig and leech, too, but it cut me off. The Lake is called Thompson.  The lure I was casting was a blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk.  Depth of water was 5.5'.  I also caught several nice walleyes in the 15"-18" range, and numerous white bass.  Fun night on one of my favorite home lakes.  Most of the walleyes were actually caught on a 1/4 ounce fireball jighead tipped with a ribbon leech.

Hey guys, here is South Dakota 15 pound, 37" gator I caught last night while fishing my favorite walleye spot on a bottle neck area between the main lake and a huge, shallow slough attached to it.  The Lake is called Thompson.  The lure I was casting was a blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk.  Depth of water was 5.5'.  I also caught several nice walleyes in the 15"-18" range, and numerous white bass.  Fun night on one of my favorite home lakes. I also hooked the twin of that pike later on in the evening, on a jig and leech, but she cut me off, after a nice leap.  Most of the walleyes were actually caught on a 1/4 ounce fireball jighead tipped with a ribbon leech.

If you are going to a 20 pound fluoro leader, the blood knot works well, otherwise, uni to uni knot.  Good luck

Both.  Start out with spin doctor flasher-fly combos on your dipsy divers, spoons on your downriggers, and maybe some meat rigs, with 11" paddles on your copper lines off the boards, for a start.  Let the fish tell you what they want, and change things up from there!!  I would use glow colors in the early morning, late evening and in overcast conditions, and bright, shiny metallic colors when the sun is out and high.  Black and glow is a deadly color combination down deep as well.  Good luck.   

Nicely done, mister!