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Fresh too downriggin, looking for used gear Ontario and some advice on rigging


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Hello, I am just getting set up for fishing Great Lakes for the fist time ever. I have a 17.5’ fisher w/ 115 merc. Helix 7 sonar, Two walker kingfisher riggers, two 8’6” Cabela’s rod and reels strung up with #40 powerpro and #25 big game.. that’s about as far as I have come.. any help from here too get me set in the right direction? 

Edited by Cowboykris
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watch on here for deals on spoons, plugs, flashers, and all other gear you might need. read back thru the old posts for tricks and techniques. you wont find a better bunch of fisherman than you have here.

ask questions.

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Awesome thanks everyone! I fish hard every weekend just not for trout salmon. I only really fish eyes in the spring and fall but never DR for them before.. trying to focus on trout and salmon this year. What would be a good suggestion for dipsey rods? 

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Awesome thanks everyone! I fish hard every weekend just not for trout salmon. I only really fish eyes in the spring and fall but never DR for them before.. trying to focus on trout and salmon this year. What would be a good suggestion for dipsey rods? 
I am very new also but seems lots of guys like a quality line counter with wire and a twilli tip. Make sure also have a good quality rod holder for it as well

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51 minutes ago, dukhnter8 said:

Watch the classifieds here lots of good stuff for good prices. Good line for downriggers is Berkley big game. I use 10 or 12 for eyes, 20 and 30 for trout and salmon. Eye rods can double for spring brown trout.

Is there a way of filtering the search so it’s only Ontario sellers? 

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I'm a rookie myself,so I typically stay quiet in these threads. My "newb" program is 4 wire dipsy rods, 2@10'6" and 2@9'6" for inside/outside. Okuma rods and convector 45 reels w/ 1000'. Also have 2 okuma convector 30's with 25# big game mono for riggers. All line counters. Great gear for the price. Handful of dipsys,flashers, a-tom-mik flies, and some spoons will get you some fish. Greens/ blues are a the majority in my box. I also scored a fish hawk for this year and from what I've heard it's crucial for trolling kings, especially for a rookie that hasn't leanrned exactly how the "rod bend" should be at correct down speed.

Other than that, wear out your search button and you will typically find answers to all and any question.

Classified section here is great,you just have to be on your game to score the best deals.

I think this site is A+ for help and decent reports.

Don't be afraid to gather your Intel and put your own twist to it. Confidence in your program will catch you fish !

Sent from my XT1650 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

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17 hours ago, NymphO said:

I'm a rookie myself,so I typically stay quiet in these threads. My "newb" program is 4 wire dipsy rods, 2@10'6" and 2@9'6" for inside/outside. Okuma rods and convector 45 reels w/ 1000'. Also have 2 okuma convector 30's with 25# big game mono for riggers. All line counters. Great gear for the price. Handful of dipsys,flashers, a-tom-mik flies, and some spoons will get you some fish. Greens/ blues are a the majority in my box. I also scored a fish hawk for this year and from what I've heard it's crucial for trolling kings, especially for a rookie that hasn't leanrned exactly how the "rod bend" should be at correct down speed.

Other than that, wear out your search button and you will typically find answers to all and any question.

Classified section here is great,you just have to be on your game to score the best deals.

I think this site is A+ for help and decent reports.

Don't be afraid to gather your Intel and put your own twist to it. Confidence in your program will catch you fish !

Sent from my XT1650 using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

How do you run your downriggers and dipseys together? Do you run planet boards for the dipseys and then just straight off the back for the riggers ? 

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Rigger straight down dipsy will clear them by long ways can actually run multiples off each side with the weight moved to different settings.

Most people run cores or coppers or flat line off boards to get lures down to depth

YouTube some videos there's a guy who does a bunch from lake Ontario bill saiff I think is his name

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Never a dipsy on a board. I'd imagine that would make a heck of a mess !

Prior to fish hawk, I'd run the riggers where I was marking fish / bait / thermocline. I usually did a 10' or so difference in depth. Straight spoons, spoons / flasher or spin Dr and straight jplugs later in the season.

As far as the dipsys go. One was a 3-3.5 setting and the inside was a 1-1.5. Knowing what depth your line/ dipsy dives to is important. I usually ran them 250-300 and hovered that 60-80fow range. Same baits, mainly spin Dr / flasher and fly's.

I always deploy the outside first and always with the drag set (slow) to prevent and issues with the presentation. Tough to just watch it slowly go out when the bite is on but chancing an issue isn't worth it.

There's a million details between these lines though..... Brief start from back to front, your bait ie a-tom-mik fly. Tons of great colors out there. good swivels are a must. Plan on spending a couple bucks per. Dreamweaver is a favorite. Then leader off fly to flasher. Typically around 2' of heavy mono 35-50#. Flasher, make sure it's the correct direction. Leaders to dipsy, 6-8'. Depending on the size and style of your flasher and how fast you want it rolling ( typically you want a nice slow roll) they are 30-40# mono and 6-8' in length. Snubbers, a must have with wire as it allows some give when the fish hit but heavy enough to "pop" the dipsy. Then dipsy, there are a few popular ones out there. I use luhr Jensen's, slide divers are popular too. Bigger the dipsy the deeper it dives. Some have detachable rings to go deeper/shallower depending where the fish are. Then your wire-rod-reel-you.

Keeping your hooks sharp is also important. Kings have concrete jaws but lucky for us they love to smash baits. The ones that bump your stuff typically won't get hooked.

Fleas... Lots of them little buggers out there. Always good in flea season to pull a side and check your program to make sure your not carrying a ball of snot.

I sure hope I'm helping, and again I'm brand new to the game. Prob have less than a dozen trips under my belt so please, if anyone wants to disagree or add anything I'm humble enough to be corrected.

Hope this helps !!!

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Nice info. I only have a few seasons out of a multi species boat myself but one thing I’d disagree on is the snubber. I thought they were necessary when I started and then after a couple of trips dumping fish after a rip and a few shakes I eliminated them based on advice I got on here.

Now I just run 30# wire straight to the dipsy and then 30# mono to the flasher.

It was a great decision. Stopped dumping fish and haven’t had a break off yet in a season and a half with a bunch of kings up to 28#.


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Nice info. I only have a few seasons out of a multi species boat myself but one thing I’d disagree on is the snubber. I thought they were necessary when I started and then after a couple of trips dumping fish after a rip and a few shakes I eliminated them based on advice I got on here.

Now I just run 30# wire straight to the dipsy and then 30# mono to the flasher.

It was a great decision. Stopped dumping fish and haven’t had a break off yet in a season and a half with a bunch of kings up to 28#.


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I keep the release pretty tight on the dipsy, and don't experience many losses. The occasional bump and run have happened but not enough to drop the snubber. But, if it becomes frequent I may try taking them off.

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On 4/17/2018 at 7:44 AM, Cowboykris said:

Hello, I am just getting set up for fishing Great Lakes for the fist time ever. I have a 17.5’ fisher w/ 115 merc. Helix 7 sonar, Two walker kingfisher riggers, two 8’6” Cabela’s rod and reels strung up with #40 powerpro and #25 big game.. that’s about as far as I have come.. any help from here too get me set in the right direction? 

 

What part of the lake are you fishing?

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