Yankee Troller

Bite was tough after the first Sunday of the LOC. There was only one day we didn't get our fish that week, and it was Friday prior to the tourney. It continued right into the event for us.

Couldn't have said it better! We will have to pass on this year, but we hope to be there next year.

Mathew - I remember you saying the 19 strand wasn't working well with Dawia 47's, but have you had people running it on Saltist with any issues? I'm looking to set up 2 deep rigger rods, and mono isn't going to cut it. I need something with little to no stretch.

They were posted on Facebook and Tweeted, but I will get them up on the tourney page in a little bit.

We knew going into the biggest tourney on the Great Lakes it would be tough. This would be the first large event that we would fish a charter group in. This group was no stranger to Lake Ontario, and they fished with us last year. They showed up on Thursday morning, so we had two days to whip them into shape. Thursday & Friday’s Practice - As the week went on the bite got worse and worse. We saw the fish, but they were just inactive. The morning bite on Thursday was better than expected. We boated 9 Chinook Salmon, and a few Coho. Our Dreamweaver Sea Sick Waddler on our Cannon Downrigger down 50-60’ was on fire. We would work 50-100’ of water in the morning, and then slide out to 140-225 in the afternoon. Once we slid out our deep riggers down 150-200’ seemed to be the best, but those fish were few and far between. When they did go it was a flasher/fly combo, or a meat rig. Saturday’s Tourney - We had a bunch of waypoints to hit up just West of Wilson, and we figured why change our game plan up when it had been netting us 5-9 Chinook a day for the last several days. We started in tight (40’) where we kept seeing the schools of spawning Alewife on our way in every day. We slowly worked out as boats flew by us to their spots. It didn’t take long and there went the Dreamweaver Sea Sick Waddler on our Cannon out down. We boated that fish, and waited an hour for our next bite. That bite would come on our deep rigger down 175’ with a Stinger Hammertime E-Chip pulling an A-TOM-MIK B-Fly. Another hour went by when the Dreamweaver Hammertime Spin Doctor pulling an A-TOM-MIK Hammer fly took a ride on our 100’ rigger. Half way into the day we were 3 for 3 and I knew it was a tough bite. We hadn’t seen a net fly in any of the boats around us. I looked at the clients and told them if they could get me one more fish I would guarantee them a top 10 finish. With a few hours left our Cannon out down pulling a white on white meat rig fires 100’ down. We had #4 on for about 5-10 seconds and it pulled off. Nothing anybody could have done would have changed that outcome, but on the way into weigh in I had a sneaky suspicion that fish cost us money. When the scales closed we missed out on a top ten, and a check, by two positions. A tough one to swallow, but you can’t land every fish you hook. Our guys had a blast, and they were already asking about doing it again next year. Disclaimer - We only took 3 fish on tourney day, but the guy who lost the one took a beating. He wanted to hold something for the picture. I took anotehr boats fish to fillet up for these guys, so he grabbed one of them. Fish from the previous two days:

That's what we do too!

Saying Humminbird stuff is all screwed up is such a false statement. Yes, we are on the 'Bird staff, so I am a tad bit biased, but I have guys who run Furunos and Raymarine units who bauk at how great the HB units mark on our ride. We don't have any other transducers except a thru-hull on our boat, so interference is never an issue. If you using an old Cannon Probe isn't that a coated cable type probe? I didn't think anyone but Fish Hawk used transducers to grab a signal. I'd be more than willing to help you with your 'Bird to get it running right.

Call me bro!

Also, I have used about every leadcore out there. Mason was the worst experience. Cortlands Kerplunk wasn't bad, and the Suffix was our choice up until Pete Alex came out with the Stealth Core by Woodstock. I spooled this stuff up over the last few weeks, and I am very impressed with it. I know he and a few select others ran this all last year with good results.

Quick tip for the "Willis Knot" Before you slide the mono into the sheath take a pair of side cutters or needle nose with cutters on them, and angle them so they cut the tip of the mono on an angle. It seems to slide down the sheath a lot better. Also, you only need to pinch off about 2.5-3" to tie the Willis when you get good at it.

I would say a majority of these guys are running 12-16lb weights. Balls will work, but torpedos are much more streamlined and will cause less blowback. If you are running a Big John, Cannon, Scotty, or Traxstech/Vectors you will have no issue with an A-TOM-MIK 15lb Torpedo. It wont hurt your riggers one bit. They are also priced right. Sharks are nice, but you need to be a CEO to afford one, and god forbid you lose one! Less blow back means netting fish is much easier! Especially one that comes in green.