TrophySeeker

Actually Andy, I think you you gave excellent advice. A few years ago I didn't have down speed & temp, or a chart plotter - just a handheld GPS. When trolling in deep water I just tried for 2.5 MPH SOG, and I did pretty well. I still find that unless currents are wicked, 2.5 SOG is pretty productive.

If it is down speed, you probably need to post which Speed & Temp you are using. My guess would be Gambler is using a FishHawk. My Depth Raider tends to read about 1/2 MPH slower than SOG under ideal conditions. 3.2 on a Depth Raider would be flying!

Gotcha. I run 13lb. A-TOM-MIK Torpedos and a 15lb. Shark for my probe rigger. I'll leave well enough alone...

Yo - dude - Chromeslayer - tell us more. I have had great luck with Torpedo products, and thought about adding their downrigger weights to my arsenal.

Hey Dave, Just signed up! FYI - you have a typo on the web. $575 + $575 = $1150, not $1050 as shown on the web. Welcome to the LOC Derby Boat Sign up! This is the sign up area for the LOC Boat Derby to be held June 19th to July 18th 2010. $34,500 to be awarded, $1050 per day $575 for the largest Salmon and $575 for the largest Trout. Lake, Brown and Rainbow are eligible. Non Charter Captains, $300 and Charter Captains $600.

Berts, Traxstech, Cannon, (and Tite-Lok) are all compatible. The Cannon Dual-Axis holders are very nice - I really like them.

Chowder hit the nail on the head. I have remote controls AND a TrollMaster on my boat. The TrollMaster was a great addition. I also have one on my Walleye boat, as I found it impossible to make minor adjustments with the tiller handle on my Merc 8 HP. Plus, it gives you speed control at the helm, which is very handy.

Tony, The Cannon and Berts track have a smooth finish. They look nice, but will show scratches easily. The Traxstech track has a textured finish and is more forgiving with scratches. I have the Traxstech on my Salmon boat and really like them. I got a screaming deal on Cannon tracks for my Walleye boat and like them as well, though I think the Traxstech tracks are more heavy-duty. I also like that Traxstech uses metal end caps, unlike Berts and Cannon, which use plastic. Not sure what you are planning for holders. I went from Tite-Lok to Traxtech to Cannons. The Traxstech holders are wicked strong, but I didn't like that you had to had to loosen the thumb screws to rotate. I replaced 1 on each side with Cannon dual-axis and really liked them. It bothered the heck out of me that they didn't match, so I wound up with all Cannons (yea - I am a little OCD with my boat). Good luck. You can't go wrong with a track system.

Yea - what Tom said. Actually - you probably have to hold the switch down for around a second, otherwise it will continue to come up. Just tapping the switch will cause a jerky retrieve. This was the hardest thing for me to get used to when switching from Mag 10's to HS's. I believe the very new versions of these have a "soft start" feature built in. I don't know if this can be added to mine though.

Not trying to start another "Best Downrigger" thread, but I am curious why you are switching from Cannon?

Hey Greg! How's that Wellcraft treating you? Not sure what you are using for a copper rod, but I have a splice in mine with no issues. I'm using a leadcore rod, which has slightly larger stainless eyes. Twist it tight. I've also heard on some putting heat shrink over the knots, but I haven't found that necessary.

Hey there, I have a Motor Guide 55# available. Very little use. Shoot me a PM if interested.

Did you disconnect the rig from your tow vehicle to weigh? If so, I can only assume you have around 10% tongue weight, so your 3500lb. rated axle (my guess - but likely) and tires are not actually overloaded, but are close to their max. What tire pressure do you run? What speed do you tow? Under-inflated tires will wear very quickly, and are also pretty dangerous. Many people limit their towing speed to 55 mph, or will over-inflate up to 10% if they plan to tow at expressway speeds (65-70 mph). I inflate my 50 psi rated tires to 53-55 psi. They only time I have ever towed with soft tires cost me 4 new tires. Long story but lesson learned. BTW - the tires you are currently replacing are probably the best rated trailer tire available. Good luck!

Justin, I had a similar problem with my Trophy. The bunk trailer had keel rollers. The keel rollers were a very tight fit in the mounting brackets, and the weight of the boat would cause them to bind, not turn. This would force you to drag the boat over rubber, which was a pain. I broke a few winch ropes, cables, and straps before I figured that out. I wound up trimming the keel rollers so they would turn easily with load on them, and the boat loaded much easier. Not sure if this is your issue, though. My current boat is much heavier, and my bunk trailer has no keel rollers, and it loads relatively easily. I also have a bow pulpit, and you can get too deep on a steep ramp. It works best for me to back my trailer in until I can just see the front tips of the bunks. If the last 1-2' is too hard to crank, I just back in another foot or so. Good luck.

Dude - that sucks!!! I wanted to add one of these to be boat last year, and picked up the same Marineco brand (no alligator clips, though) at Gander Mountain. Of course it didn't have a price on it. When I went to check out and was told the price ($25!), I said "no thanks" and went to Radio Shack and picked one up for $6. I would think you should at least be able to get your money back!

O-k, so I bought a couple of Torpedo Divers over the winter (Cuda and Musky). I have visited the Torpedo Diver site and watched all of the videos. But I'm still a little curious to hear what has been successful for others. If you ran these last year, what was successful for you? What did you run with them? Is this more of a late-morning presentation (stealth)? Braid? Mono? Should I be at all concerned that my $20 weight may fall off my line just using the provided clip? Let's hear it.

O-k, thanks. Shouldn't there be a list somewhere (with links)?

Really - that is it? No A-Tom-Mik or Torpedo, etc.?

Man - am I blind? Is there a list of LOU sponsors anywhere?

Weird - the ONLY snap-swivels I have ever had fail are Sampos. I have had no failures with Cabelas, Bass Pro, or Torpedo Divers snaps. I think I have some Opti's, and bought some Eagle Claws on clearance over the winter. The most expensive ones for me have been the least reliable.

Yea - 30 bucks is pretty stiff. LOU used to have a sponsor called "IceSkimmer.com", but it appears they are no longer in business. I bought mine from them. Still $30 each, but they threw in a jigging rod & real and a couple of other goodies.

These work pretty well: http://www.tipdown.com/

Tried it again and it worked fine - only refreshed twice - just for a second or two. Jr. - We are both RoadRunner and in Penfield, so my guess is that you are running through a wireless "G" router. I have been toying around with some streaming HD stuff, so I switched to a "N-Extreme" router and still wasn't happy, so now I am using a gigabyte switch to my cable modem, and all of my computers are now hardwired with Cat-6 cables. Makes a big difference!

Here is my web stats (25MB/S is pretty good I think) and I can't watch the video either.

FYI - I also received an e-mail from Janine letting me know that they lowered their shipping rates. I purchased 6 Diamond Thunder spoons (size 1) and shipping was $4.95. I give these guys (and gals) a little credit for listening and making a change. What will be even more interesting is if these catch as many fish as fishermen!