Yankee Troller

This is an STX model? I ask because you say the specs are rating the rigger for a 15lb weight. Ever since the re-design they have been able to handle 20lb weights. If this is indeed the older HS rigger it's got to be 6+ years old. Is that a quote from Cannon, or Tony who repairs them in Buffalo? Let's also not forget Cannon was bought by Johnson Outdoors in late 2005. They inherited some issues from the last company, and in a couple of years they totally redesigned the downrigger lineup. The new line up, which is going on 5 or 6 years now, from the 5STX to the Digi-troll have a less than 1% failure rate. We run 15lb weights 3-4 days a week on ours, and many days in the Spring/Summer a 20lb weight. We have had 1 DT blow a board in 5 seasons.

Only if we're the most sponsored team in the event......

That's why we need to kill as many LT as we can! Rid the Lake of them! Kill Kill Kill!

When we fished amateur division it helped us to a 3rd place finish in Sodus running a mini green spinnie and fly on our center rigger. It's got it's time and place. Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

WOW John! You are truly an expert in this area. There is a lot I have to digest here, and that might lead to more questions. Thanks for your time.

Can't you lob off the bottom of the blank to achieve desired lengths?

Holy Moly John! Thanks! Now I have to read that whole thing! A Canadian angler who observes for us brought me that blank at the LOTSA expo. I have messed with it a little. He wants to build it for me something fierce, but I just don't want to catch the custom rod bug!

John - Have you built any of MudHoles MHX downrigger blanks? http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/MHX-Salmon-Steelhead-Rod-Blanks

You want to go as light as your rods can handle. This is very important. I like 8-10lb Fluoro in the Central/Western basin, but my current rigger rods bottom out at 12lb test. Therefore, I know with clients I am not going to leader down to 10lb test on those. Another important factor is your main line. We like to run 15lb test or more, and then leader down with a double length of the rod Fluoro leader. The heavier main line will float your baits a little better, and allow you to get in shallower when that water starts to clear and stacks fish on the beach. In the clearer Eastern basin guys are going to 6lb leaders fairly common. It's important you have a rod that isn't so powerful that it will crack 6lb test.

Ahhh.....that makes more sense. For a minute I thought you had an adapost fin detector on your lures.

Thru hull ducer is the way to go hands down. That B60 referenced is the cats azz especially if you trailer. However, a thru hull with a faring block will give you a little better picture. Running out each morning watching my graph for bait is key, and it can save you both time and gas. You don't want to run over bait that has moved in with the break because you caught them out there yesterday. Many times the fish may not be on the leading edge of that bait, but they aren't too much further. With a transom mount ducer you cant see these things at 15-20mph.

High teens Salmon from 100' down 23 seconds by Mr. Casey Prisco Memorial day about 3 years ago on the Yank. Fish hit the rigger he set the hook hard 5 times, and cranked. We all pizzed ourselves laughing.

I've got to ask.....How do you know when you hook a large WILD King Salmon!?!?!?!? That reminded me of when FK Sportfishing knew they lost a fish over 30lbs 100yards from the boat.

Check out the new Humminbird Helix units. VERY affordable Humminbird technology which can be portable. Guys are using it now on the ice. http://www.humminbird.com/Freshwater/Product-Category/Series/HELIX-Series/

In this case bigger isn't better. Don't make the mistake of going with a 1k ducer. 600w is all you need. With the 1k ducer you will lose a lot of cone angle.