Sk8man

Results and not cost per se should be the guiding principle here. Braid attached by a #8 Spro swivel between 40-50 lb braid and the leadcore with a Willis knot or another # 8 swivel from either mono or fluoro leader to the leadcore is pretty bulletproof. The braid will allow more backing on the reel, cut through the water better, and generally be stronger than the mono backing, and depending on the braid selected may hold up better and longer if used with care (e.g. not left out in the heat and sun etc.). Although fleas can be an issue with braid especially - problems can be minimized by only letting out enough backing to get the leadcore under the surface. Fleas will usually mainly attach to the knot or swivel connections and that's it.

That part of the bay itself is very shallow. you'd have to travel completely across the bay and out the channel to get out to the lake to fish for trout and salmon not a great distance but kind of an inconvenience. That end of the bay is pretty much perch/panfish/pike/bass this time of year.

LOL

same here I guess we all need to have a sense of humor these days. It is interesting that the little smiley faces I used changed it's look or expression when you quoted me....I don't know what does that....hope it doesn't get me into trouble sometime...

I know guys that use sliders 18 inches too. I seldom have any tangles or mess ups with my 8ft sliders. I am careful about what I run on them though no stickbaits

Matt you didn't mention whether you are running it off boards or down the chute. Sometimes boards can create slack too. Try setting your drag a little tighter either way.(and check the sharpness of your hooks)

Can used the TD at least two ways: 1) attach it to your downrigger and gently lower it to say 100 ft it will record the temps at 5 ft intervals within that 100 ft range the thermocline is often (but not always) within that range. You can record the temps on paper or mentally and look for the place within the range that has the largest degree of temp change within a short interval. The set your lures according to the desired temps for the species sought. 2) You attach it to a dipsy, copper or leadcore line and find the depth your lure is actually running still an "estimate" but better than just assuming. It is a clumsier system than the X4 series devices but better than nothing.

Not sure from your post WHERE you are fishing and for what but all you have to do is take a section of flurocarbon line (I use 12 lb for Finger Lakes and 20 lb test for lake O) about 6-8 ft long (the reason for keeping it to this length or shorter is for netting purposes). tie a swivel snap (rounded snap type so it slides easily) to each end of the fluoro line.- one swivel goes to your lure, the other end you will attach to your downrigger line along with your main lure but not both at once. The reason for the swivel snap is to keep line twist to a minimum. Setup your main downrigger rod and lure and lower it about 10 or 12 feet then grab the main line and attach the empty swivel end to the main downrigger line and let it slide down. Then lower the downrigger to the desired depth. When a fish hits the cheater it will slide down to the main lure and stop. Reel in and unsnap the slider (cheater) from the main line. If the fish is on the main line just reel them in the slider will usually be in back of the fish freely.If you happen to get 2 kings at once and they decide to go in different directions just pray and hold on This is the basic setup.

There are people that say that algae blooms are harmless and people swim when they are in bloom. Just a "heads up" There are people that think the corona virus is a hoax too so not everyone is on the same page with things.

Algae blooms are the result of too much nutrient rich water and increased photosynthesis stepped up from the availability of the critical nutrients (e.g. nitrates or phosphates for example) combined with higher water temps and available sunlight. Numerous things add to the problem; many of which are created by humans (e.g. farming near lakes, manure washing into streams ending up in the lake, and chemicals from vineyards near lakes, fertilizer run off from lawns. sewage emptying into lakes etc.) among a whole host of other things adding up to too many nutrients providing a "petri dish" environment for the algae. Blue/Green algae is very toxic to both animals and humans and the effects can range from skin irritation to death.