Ecto2

Cost of components butt to tip was about $150 per rod. Built on MHX 9'0" X-Heavy X-Glass Downrigger Rod Blank - DR1086-MHX

Over winter i completed a couple dipsy rods for myself. partly because i wanted a custom look and feel and partly because i bought two rods a season ago that were way to stiff and heavy (said they were rated for wire). It was not to save money, that's for sure. Time, quality components, time...But i am excited to see how they will hold up OR blow up on kings this year. I did a spiral wrap so the wire will be coming off the bottom of the rods when they are pulling and fighting fish. It may prove to be a fools errand if the transitions get chewed up by the wire. Expensive mistakes are often unforgettable.

Goby definitely present in the north end but when drifting for perch in the Union Springs and north areas, they do not seem to be a problem. If fishing docks, they tend to be more present as by-catch. I agree with the previous response about dropshot or fishing bait suspended to reduce the bug-eye biters. Seems like there wasnt as many this past season up there...i just figured the fish are on to them more and more each year and that they are reaching a stabilized population in the food chain. Cheers.

Had same situation on Sunday between Fair Haven and Oswego. Lots to look at right in the riggers but couldn't get much going.

Went out mid morning until 4:00Pm out of Fair Haven and trolled towards Oswego. Certainly knew we would have to get out far enough to try to find something other than bath water. Same, temp break down anywhere from 120-140 on the wire. Deep Temps coupled with residual swells made speed management very tough. best i could tell the current was doing some crazy stuff down there. Managed a 8lb King and an 8lb rainbow. King on diver with Flasher and Fly (NBK and bullfrog fly) back 320' on 1 setting. Bow on rigger 110' with Half Hulk spoon. Screen showed all sorts of life below the temp break...just could not get them to eat. Riding the waves beat riding the couch...or mowing the lawn. Good luck out there...heres to hoping temp comes back into a fishable range for the smaller boat guys

I run snap swivels to the lure. Big ones most of the time because i have them pulling flasher and fly. But i rigged some slide-divers recently and have a beadchain swivel about 5' to a simple snap on that rig. The biggest deciding factor for me is often what i have for swivels, snaps or snap swivels. Pricey for the good ones, but the good ones save you alot of problems with twist so... Only thing i would say is dont rely on the barrel swivel that is typically attached on the diver...they dont tend to spin as you need them until your line is twisted up like spagetti on a fork!

Almost always start setting lines with the wind at my stern. Once spread is set, If probe is showing good down speed i keep going. If im running too fast or too slow or not getting bit i will turn it into the waves. My boat trolls like crap when trying to go perpendicular to the wind/waves, so its either with them or against them for me. Hope that helps. Tell Dorothy Manntooth I said hello!

For smaller divers (dive to 35') on braid on Cayuga, I'm running long, medium downrigger rods. I run my wire rods when i go deeper and use the full size divers, but i have run a reg dipsy with reg ring on those rigger rods and it works fine. The size of the fish in fingerlakes gives you a little more flexibility. Glad you got that November trip in when it was nice...get that deer hunting stuff out of the way early and you get to fish!!!

You could run the flasher off a fixed line off the ball (cable tether or heavy mono) with no hooks and run your stacker with spoon 10' above. I believe its called "Ace in the Hole". I tried it once on Cayuga and caught a couple landlocks on it until the line between my dodger and the cannonball broke...15lb test was not heavy enough to take the resistance and rotation or maybe, I made a poor knot. Either way if i was making a rig i would use old rigger cable or 50lb test mono. My grandfather said they may have left the hooks on a fixed rigger ball/dodger/squid combo once or twice...made the rigger cables dance as they winched up the "tuna"

I like to zip them open and dump the guts n' blood while out on the water. Can still prove species and length if ever checked by DEC coming in and certainly makes for cleaner final fillet work and less scrap to dump back home

degrees Celcius maybe??

Same...as Reel Doc. Tried some, caught some but it wasn't a lights out rig. Would prolly go with 8" due to versitilty

i have purchased stuff from 307. Very good. I am always amazed at some of the obscure parts they have available. cheers. and for what its worth i ran braid on some hand crank riviera's like 20yrs ago and it performed great, but it does gather and gunk up with fleas more than wire.