Sk8man

Wow Stan - Is that a fish or what? I know they used to get them on the Kenai that big but that is some fish!

The time to do it is when the fleas and/or weeds are thick and you need to check your lines and when you are going to change lures anyway. Just pop them and let them flutter to the surface (with spoons). Otherwise Rick has a good point.

Nice going Chas. You know this thread kinda sums up the Lake O fishing....it is on and off and you just have to keep at it to be successful out there. Persistence pays off

Just something to think about but more is not always better. There are times when you may want a little stealthier presentation than a ton of stuff running through the water possibly spooking more fish than you are attracting. Setups can be more effective when some thinking goes into just what you want to achieve rather than just putting everything but the kitchen sink down there hoping to score big. Each setup should be selected to enhance the attraction factor as well as avoiding the major tangles when doing the necessary things such as turns etc. so you run things that are compatible while covering the critical areas of the water column for maximal success.

I know but I couldn't resist the opportunity to bust ya

Maybe because there are only skipper kings left out there?

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The use of the heavier lines is mostly related to the flea issue. In the past many if not most of us used 12 lb test even on 30 plus kings. That's what a good drag is for

Try running the spoons closer to the weight (e.g. 10-12 ft) and possibly use a magnum sized one as a slider above it.

It help to be routinely doing "S" patterns and turning along with changes in speed> I sometimes even take the boat out of gear periodically and they may slam it when it is re-engaged. As Rick mentioned it can be enticing to have the bait pulled away from them. I think it probably acts as a stimulus as in other predator prey relationships (e.g. lion, tiger, bear etc. quickly going after something that runs away from it)

Line diameter is not the only important dimension in choosing line in flea season. The texture or composition of the particular line is also a critical factor. Although various mono line may look the same to the naked eye there are important differences int he outside coating on the line. There are also different types of fleas which in habit the waters (eg. fishook vs. spineys etc) which may adhere to the lines differently. The densities of the fleas clusters int he water column are the primary determinant of problems with them. The 30 lb Bloodrun Sea Flee mono (slick outside coating on it) has worked well for the past few seasons for me but when the fleas encountered are real thick there is no guarantee no matter what you are using. I have also used various diameters of Big Game and it does work to a degree as it has a hard rather slick outside surface but in my experience at least it doesn't perform as well as the Sea Flee. The line stretch in the Sea Flee does however take a little getting used to with downriggers (line creep so with Blacks it helps to do more twists before placing int the release arm) There is no true "silver bullet" and thinking that just line diameter adjustments will totally solve the problem no matter where you fish is either ignoring the reality of the situation or else having not experienced really thick fleas After many years fishing with 12 lb test everywhere even the 30 lb seems like using rope

I wouldn't spend my time fishing Canandaigua. The recreational boat traffic out here is unreal and the heaviest this year I've ever seen anywhere. Consequently the fish are nowhere to be seen most of the time. Some of the jet skis are already out at 7 AM so that is no answer either Nautitroller gave you great information. This is what I'd be doing too.

Nice footage and nice action on the lure too One of the things I have been interested for a while now in the underwater footage is how nearly always the salmon come from underneath the spoons or pretty much straight on from the back. When flasher/fly or spinney /fly are used the fish are forced to go laterally or sideways to get the lure and they frequently seem to have a more difficult time catching it going horizontally and that seems to jive with my own experience of the "hit and runs" on the FF or Spinney combos. I tie my own trolling flies and I have purposely made them a bit heavier in the head to slow them down without having much effect on the attractor itself to see if this helps with hookups.So far the results are inconclusive but I also use different materials for the fly itself so that could mess with results too but since I am catching with them I am reluctant to change for the sake of experimenting

Dan makes a great point. It is worth staggering your lures to the extreme sometimes when the streaking occurs (along with varying the speeds turns etc.) with something set further than your usual distance and something close to the ball. Whenever this happens to me I think in terms of them either not seeing the right action of the spoon or fly or maybe the fact that the distance/action indicates something unnatural in the setup. It could be for example that when the spoon or fly is closer to the ball they perceive it as a natural "unit" eg. the ball and turbulence or vibrations of the weight being something like a school of bait moving through the water and the "tag along" (lure) as being wounded or vulnerable and the closeness or proximity of it as being more "natural" to them. If set at a long distance on the other hand the lure may be perceived as a loner bait wounded and struggling and vulnerable after the turbulence and vibrations of the weight and prop commotion etc. goes by. Obviously this is total speculation but making these adjustments when the streaking happens often works. It can also be a good time to change out your spoons or flies

It is hard to tell from your post exactly how you fished, specifically what you used, whether you have temp monitoring device, and specifically what setups you were using and where you ran them in the water column. You mentioned squid and although they are occasionally still used the more commonplace lure now is the trolling fly used behind either a flasher or Spin Doctor usually run behind a dipsey diver or from a downrigger. Sometimes folks can "luck out" just trolling around for them when they are active but everything from specific temperature range to depths of the existing thermocline and lure speed at the weight can make all the difference in the world in terms of success rate...AND you can be doing everything right and still not catch them on some days. Welcome to LOU.