8/27 Fairhaven Bust

[lumberjohn]

5:30 AM launch expecting forecast of 1' - 2' waves and greeted with solid 3's rollers from the NE. Far cry from Saturday when 100 FOW temps 48* top to bottom, now 68* top to bottom. Set up in 200 FOW and headed North to 500-650 on a long North troll. Good screens at 225 at sunrise. Currents and rollers were wicked making speed control difficult. Ran spoons w/ flashers on 2 riggers down 150 and 2 Dipseys 2 setting out 200, approx 100 down. Beyond 200 was 49* down 100 and 42 @ 150. Scraped Dipseys due to tangles b/c rough conditions and doubled up on riggers. Rollers got to my buddy and he blew last nights dinner over the side. Made it to 650 @ 11:30 till 2:30. Marked fish out there and some bait. Had one rip on rigger, nobody home. Water was more stable deep. Tough day got worse when bearing went on double axel close to home. Limped to my mechanic. Who else has had days like this? 😒

[greenhornet73]

Could have been worse, at least you made it home with all your equipment.  4 years ago my bilge pump failed about 7 miles offshore when my boat started taking on water.  Within 1 minute my boat flipped and my buddy and I were standing on the bottom of the boat above water.  Lost every bit of equipment and my car keys that afternoon.  

[Duddytri1]

I had to go to work so you had a better day. 

[Zinger11]

16 hours ago, lumberjohn said:

5:30 AM launch expecting forecast of 1' - 2' waves and greeted with solid 3's rollers from the NE. Far cry from Saturday when 100 FOW temps 48* top to bottom, now 68* top to bottom. Set up in 200 FOW and headed North to 500-650 on a long North troll. Good screens at 225 at sunrise. Currents and rollers were wicked making speed control difficult. Ran spoons w/ flashers on 2 riggers down 150 and 2 Dipseys 2 setting out 200, approx 100 down. Beyond 200 was 49* down 100 and 42 @ 150. Scraped Dipseys due to tangles b/c rough conditions and doubled up on riggers. Rollers got to my buddy and he blew last nights dinner over the side. Made it to 650 @ 11:30 till 2:30. Marked fish out there and some bait. Had one rip on rigger, nobody home. Water was more stable deep. Tough day got worse when bearing went on double axel close to home. Limped to my mechanic. Who else has had days like this? 😒

That's why I always have a new hub in my truck

[greenhornet73]

Had a wheel fall off my trailer one year. I installed bearing buddies and now give them a shot of grease in the spring and fall. 

[rolmops]

I've been in similar and worse. 

I learned that in that sort of waves downriggers will not get you much fish and you already found out what trouble dipsy divers cause. 

The trick is finding a way that neutralizes the movement of the boat so the lures run steady. That can be done using one weighted line out back that is at least 300 feet long. copper or leadcore or weighted steel is all fine. If you want more than one line out, you can put 200 feet of leadcore on a downrigger and run the rigger at 40 or 50 feet down.

The idea in each case is that the curve in your line will absorb the boat movement and give a more natural presentation. 

On the other hand, no fish is worth drowning for.

Edited August 28, 2025 by rolmops

[whaler1]

We’ve all had those days but it still stinks. Get back at it. I think the weekend should be interesting.