Hello from Phoenix (Arizona)

[Trophywa]

Hi guys, just found this site and joined immediately. I'm in the process of my first trip out there this May/June fishing from? My folks have a cottage on the river in Clayton, but I'm gonna trailer the boat to Chamount,Sackets,Henderson not sure yet will wait for reports. Any tips, tricks or hot spots would be appreciated. Im pretty sure I have all the necessary equipment, navionics maps, ect, ect. My biggest question is the reason for lead core or wire, I've heard about the fleas but wonder if they will be a problem that time of year? Thanks guys I'll read, read and read more.

[greenboatluke]

Welcome! I've spent every summer of my life just outside Sackets. Got into walleye a few years ago and have been trying to go after salmon and lakers for the last 2 summers. A lot of info here from the LOU faithful. Ask and ask away! 

 

I have wire on my dipsy rods and use 30# test for main line on rigger rods. I get some fleas, but they get worse in mid summer. May and Early June don't feel to be a problem for me.

 

I just got some short leadcore for early browns (late april) and opening of walleye (1st saturday in May). Only ran them twice last year. Just picked up a 300 copper for this coming season.

 

Anyway, there's my 2 cents on some short seasons and little experience!

 

Tight Lines.

[rbonnell]

The fleas aren't t usually bad that time of the year it all depends on water temperature's

Sent from my C5170 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

To answer the rest of your question: lead core allows you to achieve some depth without using a downrigger and it can add stealth as well as it is deployed  out to a hundred yards behind the boat (10 colors is commonly a full leadcore setup but many folks have 3, 5, 7's etc. setups as well for running shallower. You can figure roughly about 5 or 6 ft. depth per 30 foot color depending on speed you can achieve bout 50-60 ft with that 10 color rig or less the faster the speed in general (and also depending on water currents and specifically what you are running at the terminus. Copper wire rigs (usually either 32 or 45 lb test braided copper wire but newer 60 lb is also possible) can be used generally on high capacity reels (as the wire takes up a lot of space and you need room for backing as well (often 300 yds of braid used). Commonly used lengths of copper are often in hundreds of ft. (e.g. 200, 300, 500, up to and including 600) which is usually the max and for good reason if you have ever reeled in two football fields of line especially with drag from resistance or with a fighting fish on the other end . A rough estimate for depth is 22 ft. per 100 ft of copper out but again it depends on boat speed water currents etc. and is at best an "approximation" unless you have a specific measuring device such as a Fish hawk TD or Smart Troll probe on the line. Again there is a stealth quality to the presentation because your lure if a long ways from the boat itself and the motor noise and turbulence etc. Wire rigs are usually 30 lb 7 strand or 19 strand stainless steel wire on a good line counter reel with smooth capable drag and the rod should be relatively stiff at least at the base and at the tip either a roller tip is used or a twilli tip so that the wire doesn't cut or wear through the guides and tip. Usually 1,000 ft of wire is used and the rig is used mainly to run dipsey diver and fly setups but can be used for other things as well (e.g. cowbells, meat rigs etc.) Other folks may want to chime in with anything I may have omitted from this very basic description.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Sk8man

[Trophywa]

Thanks guys, can't wait to get out their. Almost 70 years and my dad has never fished the lake, always stayed in the river, crazy I know. So it will be a first for both of us. I figured I would just run 50# braid on everything this trip with 8-12# flouro or more if we find salmon and see how we do, not expecting miracles just want to get him into some fish. Thanks again and good luck this year.