Sk8man

Not sure where exactly you are referring to over there but here on the south side in the US. As soon as the ice is out of the channels of the bays and launches its fair game :>) Its usually near shore stuff so you don't have to travel too far out in the lake to score big...you do have to be very careful though as the water temp is still in the mid to high 30's for most of the lake and there are very few boats around this time of the year no matter where you are fishing. My hunch is it may be a little later there before ice out?

There is still smeice in the middle esction of the channel at the north end launch ramp. It could go out tomorrow though if the hgh 50's predicted occurs. The outer part of the channel toward the lake is totally clear

My sense of it is that if you run your paddles closer say 6 ft. there shouldn't be a problem as long as you are using something like flutter spoons on the top ones.If you use something that "digs" down or diver stick baits there could be a tangle. I used to stack my downriggers and never had any problems except when I was using the old large dodger/fly combos and had a big rainbow go into the other line.

Don was right about the things he said regarding the way the handle bad weather aapproaching but when you have lightning happening it is imperative to get in as quickly as possible. It looks as though the motor you have selected is one designed for sailboats and therefore it is in all liklihood a longshaft motor which is good from the standpoint of steering if it matches up with our other motors lower unit etc. The weight of the motor (for a 4 stroke is good too). Something you may not think about though (until it is encountered) is that when you quit trolling and then put the trolling motor in the upright position you don't want it (lower unit and prop) to be dragging in the water when you are hauling butt back to shore. I have a long shaft (25 inch) 9.9 electric start on my whaler on a motorbracket which gets it up a little bit and when I am at speed with the big motor it just barely clears the water in the upright position. If your transom is low and /or you are not using an adjustable bracket to mount it you may need to check things out before hand in case you need a shorter shaft motor. I did notice that on second glance that the 5 horse pictured in the URL you provided is 20 inch which I believe is closer to standard than my 25 inch so you may be alright.

If you use wire line you will need to use mono backing before putting it on or you may have problems later on with the reel spool or line guide mechanism according to the reel repair folks (Tunas Reel Troubles etc.). It is recommended that about 30 meters of mono precede your wire.

Yeah....it wasn't me on the pontoon.. I'm a bit older and a littl e wiser now :>)

In an earlier post you mentioned that although your 50 horse Merc trolls down OK you wanted something for SAFETY as well to get your butt off the lake if things turn nasty or your big motor quits. The previous comment regarding getting a trolling motor your transom will (legally too) tolerate is good advice. I used to have a 13 ft. Boston Whaler with a 35 horse Johnson and a 9.9 horse Johnnson electric start kicker and I chased salmon and steelies out in the shipping lanes on Lake O (12 miles or so out (the boat was half the size of the dinghies on those boats :>)The 9.9 would push that boat about 12 -15 mph at top end in an emergency (in big waves)If the 35 had quit it would have taken me an hour or more to get back in at top speed. One time a storm came up while I was out there out of the west and lightning etc. I had to run for shore with the 35 at about 38 or 39 mph with the lower unit coming out of the water at the crest of waves. The waves were at about 12 ft or over as I made it back to Sodus Pt. The folks on the pier were cheering for me as I came in the channel because huge boats were struggling to make it back in. I was much younger and much more foolish in those days obviously but the story gives some insight about the importance of having a good backup motor on Lake O but that even with the largest one your boat can take you could still get into trouble out there doing foolish things. If the big motor had quit I'm not sure that the 9.9 would have gotten me back (in time). The moral of the story is "go big" on the trolling motor....but don't get over confident either about it's ability to save your butt. :>) And yes... I think I did have to change my pants when I got back in :>)

A main concern now though is even if you are in the right defending your own home in the correct manner (ie. last resort etc.) here in NYS the system is now in the posture and mentality of you being the criminal for even having a firearm let alone the civil implications of this crazy liberal mentality whereby you could lose everything you have worked for your whole life by trying to stay alive and protecting your family. On the other hand, I guess I'd rather be explaining myself to the judge than hoping to see St. Peter at the gate :>)

I guess they are kinda popular...they went up to $109 at cabelas and alll are "back orderable" now :>)

If all fails and you still want to run that deep leadcore.... do it from a downrigger (without sinker etc.) at slower speeds it should angle down below where it is set at.... five colors out with the release atttached to the beginning section of the mainline. If it is that deep it shouldn't be a problem with your other stuff and that far out back wouldn't be "connected" with the boat (sort of like running off to the side from the boards would - only deep instead of horizontal). You'd have to tighten the release a bit though :>)

Sampson is OK if it isn't

It beat the heck out of casting cleos etc. at Onanda Park ( Canandaigua Lake) yesterday and never getting even a hit:>) It was a really nice afternoon though. Thanks for the report on Seneca. I can't wait to rip that plastic shrink wrap off my boat and get out there myself....the worst part is it takes a whole day to load all my stuff back in :>)

Try Wolfs Marine in Benton Harbor Michigan (call them stuffs not on their website) 250 W. Main St. Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Phone: (269) 926-1068 Fax: (269) 926-1731

I would think that trying to let out more backing would not get you deeper because the lead core is much heavier than the backing and the leadcore will bow out itself at some point anyway and that would be pretty much it for depth. My strategy would be to add an inline weight at the point where the leader starts (maybe add a three way swivel etc. at that point) so that it will sink the leadcore itself. Maybe it would be worthwile to get one of the Fish Hawk TD's and check things out at intervals with it attached near the lure position and record where on the leadcore it was at that time and try different weights until you achieve what you want. I'd log it along with your speed on paper to review and keep track of it as it is a bit "laborious" :>)Divers might get you down a bit but they will not maintain consistent depth like the sinker approach as they are more "erratic" and go up and down as well as sideways (esp on turns)

Cool thanks.

That might be something you don't want to mess around with yourself. If it doesn't fit or seal up properly you may end up with a real disaster on your hands. I'd look for a knowledgable mechanic at a marina and get some advice beforehand.

Does the fish come with the net :>)?

This may be a bit of a personal choice issue but here's why I use SOME backing- I've found over the years that with stranded wire of any diameter it has very strong "spool memory" i.e. tends to tightly curl up as much as possible when the tension is released from it. The smaller the diameter of the wire the more tightly it does this. Often this leads to more easily "kinking". The usable diameter size of the reel spool spindle is a factor to consider too the smaller the diameter the tighter the coils. The smaller the spindle diameter the tighter and smaller the "curling" that occurs and that may also relate to easier "kinking". When stranded wire is applied to the spindle and wound up over time it has a tendency to try to go to the center of the reel spool despite the best efforts of the level wind mechanism. When the spindle has a softer backing (e.g heavy mono or braid)covering the spindle the wire tends to nest or distribute itself among the strands along the spindle over time and maintain a larger "curling" tendency and I feel reducing the possibility of "kinking". The question now becomes "Do I have a bit of OCD"? ..... maybe :>)

BS Master is right...ANY gun stuff is serious business and we all have an investment in making things appear as sane as possible given the fact that the anti's believe that ANYONE who owns, likes or otherwise indicates any predispositon towards firearems is a GUN NUT and the liberal downstate legislators transform this (mis)belief into action. The Biden thing is funny at first glance but we also have an investment in protraying an accurate view of the involvement use and ownership of firearms by women (who comprise a meaningful segment of the gun owning population). The existing stereotype of hand gun owners is that we are all white male, macho types bursting at the seams with testosterone and just waiting to pull the trigger on someone who ticks us off.....OR we are hunters and don't need these scarey guns anyway. Whatever we can do to change this stereotype around it is in our best interest to do so and we have to be judicious in how we go about it since there is a large element of irrational FEAR held by the liberal anti-gun folks as well as the government, and the easiest way for them is to eliminate anything that gives rise to the fear is to ban it.

His brain is mush and never keeps up with his mouth. I think he and our dear Emperor Cuomo must have gone to the same gun classes (taught by Gumby)