JLK

5 hours ago, fisherman21 said:

I would run one down rigger with a cheater and one dipsy. Whatever is hot you can just switch it up 

Sounds good. Thanks. Stick to a dipsey is spring, or use a planer board instead ?

A cheater should be legal, if one or both lures are spoons. 

Ontario regulations :"Two lines may be used when angling from a boat in parts of the Great Lakes and for ice fshing in many areas. A fshing line must not have more than four hooks atached."

Hook – A hook includes a single-pointed or
multiple-pointed hook on a common shaft but
does not include a snagger or spring gaff. The
number of hooks includes any single-pointed or
multiple-pointed hooks that are part of a lure.

I live in Ontario and fish for salmon solo. Ontario rules limit me to two rods. I've been running dipsey's on both. 

Any suggestions?

Trailer?

Where is it?

What does "18.6 sst" means?

On 8/24/2023 at 6:12 PM, Crestliner said:

JK what size boat are you looking for ?

A goldilocks.

Not too big and not too small. Just right.  27' was too big. 14' is too small. 

Both boats are safe

to a point

Getting off the lake before you reach that point is key

All I need now is a speed probe  

and a ball

and a bigger boat

...

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

The number of days we are blown off the lake will increase, assuming climate change is real.

Trolling with current should be just as good, but requires increasing GPS speed. 

Is the current in Lake O. the same at the surface S down 50 ft? If so a spoon over the side at the surface would let you check the action.

Physics and fishing. Color matters, but not necessarily the way we think. Light is different under water.

https://thegreatlakesfisherman.com/lure-color-selection/ 

On 7/9/2023 at 10:47 AM, hookedupf7 said:

The one I am looking at is an 8’6 beam. I am currently running a 19 ft starweld. When I first bought boat I was fishing a lot of different lakes . Now realizing that lake O is where I want to be more than not… Hoping to step up to a more lake O friendly boat.

I feel ya. I bought a 14' Big Fish. Lovely on flat water, but I've learned I prefer Lake O, plus I live 5 minute drive from launch ramp. 14' greatly restricts the time I can go out on Lake O.  Too many choices. Good luck picking your next boat.

That's it for this year and place. Some areas of the province do. Each year it may change. To the best of my knowledge it never changes mid year. Watch out for species and waterbody exceptions under the general zone regulations.

On 8/18/2023 at 4:33 AM, chinook35 said:

Just don’t ever forget what LO can become , and very quickly. This is an actual pic taken at Oswego harbor  27 ft waves on the lake 

I've never seen it that bad. My daughter wanted me to take her sailing once. I checked the forecast and it was for 4 to 5

METER waves. We didn't go sailing.

No mater how big you're boat is, it can and will get too rough some days. My lessons learned was

1. know before you go out. 

2. Wait for a better day.

This might not make you feel any better, but I haven't caught one either in the west end of the Lake.

I suspect colour is grossly overrated. I opened a salmons stomach, all I saw was small fish, dark on top silver on the bottom withe large black eyes. I suspect that's why 95% of Spoons have silver back side, and that's why the Salmon strike, flashing silver looks like lunch. 

I may be wrong but I suspect marketing puts out all the colors to catch fishermen, not fish.

I suspect Sk8man survived on boat handling skills. 13 Boston Whalers may be unsinkable, but they don't keep people inside the boat, or keep it upright. Once it's upside down you're ****ed. Ditto for falling out in a storm solo.

I've noticed that fun disappears before safety does, and just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. 

Wave height is crest to trough. Don't double, do add 1/3. Forecast wave height is crest to trough AVERAGE. Some waves will be higher than average, approximately 1/3 higher. 2-3 ft avg. Means occasionl 3+(1/3*3)=4 footer. 3-6 ft avg. : 6+(1/3^6)=8 ...

Source  ndbc.noaa.gov (bouy data site)

Significant wave height, WVHT, is approximately equal to the average of the highest one-third of the waves, as measured from the trough to the crest of the waves.

10 hours ago, Fly n Fish said:

Normally this time year the winds are out of the SW and lite.  This year is a different story heavy north winds constantly.  I fishing out of an 18' boat for years all seasons its just all about picking your days.  

9 hours ago, SmokeyNBandit90 said:

Thanks for the 1-3 mph wind threshold. Sound like it has to be glasslike to no wind to comfortably venture out deep beyond shore

I fish out of a 14 ft. Must pick days, and pay attention when out.

I used to have a 27 ft boat. There were still days I wouldn't go out. 

I think he was referring to 1 to 3 ft waves, not 1 to 3 mph wind.

On 8/20/2022 at 7:58 AM, Getthenet2 said:

Buddy and I hit the river last weekend. Managed to get our limits jigging. He had never caught a walleye from lake o or SLR before and every fish he caught was his biggest ever. Including a 30” 11 lbs. All in all a great trip

Which river?

Any place to mount downriggers?

Still available?

All year round actually. 

I used to have a 27' boat kept all year at a yacht club. Sold it in 2013 and was boatless until last year when I bought a 14' boat now in my garage.

I've concluded the 14' works fine on small bodies of water but is too small for what I like most, being out on Lake Ontario. .

Keeping a boat in the garage has it's charms, but I'm not sure anything that will fit in a 20'x10' garage will actually provide satisfaction on great lakes. a 16 ft boat doesn't really seem much bigger than a 14. The garage door is 8' wide. Some boats are so beamy that I might have to grease the boat to slide it in. 

I could squeeze a slightly larger boat into the driveway, but it's a four car ( 2x2) driveway that already has 3 cars in it so space there is still limited, maybe a 19' or 20' boat with motor & trailer tongue fitting in behind one of the cars.

Gas and time to the local launch ramp is negligible, it's a 6 minute drive. 

Seems life is full of compromises. 

Downriggers?