Don Supon

Not answering inquiries is not good. I remember an e-mail poll of entrants to determine if entrants preferred a VERY small payout (much less than entry fee), or would rather suspend payouts for a time to enable end of summer payouts be reasonable. Another e-mail stated that the voting directed the payouts be suspended, and I think it was for around that time frame. Participation was poor from what I've been told. Not enough entrants to make the payments. I'll be reconsidering entering next year. The "hook" for me was the ability to fish solo, the only money tournament that didn't require a partner. Big boats and charter people had a huge advantage.

I'm looking for information to plan a fishing trip there. Figured that those who have done it already might share their experience with guides and accomodations. Looking for ways to have a quality trip and be economical as well. Always wanted to battle some of the largest fish species and this area seems to be the place. Tell me the time of year that is best for the different species. My email is [email protected] if you'd rather keep the information private. This is part of my "bucket list" and your help is appreciated.

I purchased a set this spring and was very impressed with the quality and mechanics. I haven't used them yet, but did experiment with what I got. The balance slide will give limitless bait/lure presentations. Balanced properly, you'll even know when the fish just sucks your bait in without moving with it. These are very good!

I think the 9.9 might work, but the 15 definately will. Recommend a long shaft/high thrust configuration. The 9.9 Honda I have on my 18' Lund with deep V hull is sufficient for my boat, but think it might be a little under-powered for your larger boat. And if you can afford it, get power trim.

This scope has worked well for me on a 50 cal muzzleloader and the price is good. Would recommend it for a similar set-up.

After reading this site for several years, I would have to say that there probably isn't a favorite brand. What I would surmise is that they use the top-end model of the brand of choice. Fishing for a living requires top-notch equipment of all kinds. Many captains are sponsored by manufacturers and get the best that sponser has to offer. Some may even get to test new models before they are sold to the public. Hopes this helps. Top-end models seem better than lesser models and offer better/more detail. They are pricey and you get what you pay for. I'm not a charter captain, just fish for the challenge and pleasure. A mid-level fishfinder has been adequate for my purposes. It won't provide fish for you, only the information you need to find locations they are most likely to be using at a certain time. They tell you if the fish or their food is present and at what depth. You will still have to entice them into taking your offerings; timely/current information, past experiences on the water, knowledge of the habits of the sought after species, etc. are puzzle pieces to use. The fish-finder is not a fish-magnet nor a fish- compass. It is something to use to eliminate unproductive water and to give you necessary information about fish that ARE present. My advice is to purchase what you can afford, stay away from low-end models, and learn how to use what you have purchased to it's fullest capabilities. For example: my Huminbird reads to 1000 ft., but is more useful when zoomed in to read a particular depth range in more detail. The zoom area is more precise and shows much better detail of structure or fish that are in that range vs. the "big picture". Top to bottom viewing gives the least detail in deep water, but can be useful to first locate pods of fish, then zoom to the proper depth for more information. If you're in shallow (30') it won't make that much difference, but in 100' plus there is a difference!

You have combined two features of Cannon into one. Auto-stop: stops ball at surface automatically and Positive Ion Control: regulates the electrical charge of the downrigger cable. Auto-stop uses a non-metalic insulator between the cable end and the downrigger ball snap to tell the motor when the ball breakes the surface. Check what's at the end of the cable for a clue. PIC (positive ion control) uses a rotating knob near the up/down switch to adjust the electrical charge on the cable. If this knob is not there, the rigger is probably older than the PIC system and the rigger doesn't have it.

Sure! A fish magnet-probably not. Real rainbow skein can't be beaten and is the best producer.

I experimented with small red sponge pieces soaked in cod liver oil impaled on spoon hooks for trout and salmon throughout the year. Saw no increase in fish bites compared with same unscented spoons trolled at same time. No increase on hook-ups with scent added.

Spent three hours yesterday pulling J-plugs on a down speed of 3.0-3.2 on the Niagara Bar in 60-80 fow. Not a hit! Put throttle to almost neutral to pull rods and riggers. Cleared one side of boat. Turned toward other side and....fish on! A few small jumps at surface, then a dive and boat charge. Got him back up, then a short surface struggle 10' behind boat, then plug comes flying at me. 30 seconds of fun out of three hours. What a day!

Voice mail message was left for you on posted phone number. Interested in a set. Don @ 716-282-5278. Ready to arrange payment to you, please include shipping charges to Niagara Falls,NY 14305

The transducer needs to extend 1/4-1/2 inch BELOW the bottom of the boat and be parallel to the boat bottom, and to be in an area of no turbulance water. This includes rivets (alluminum boat). Air bubbles or turbulent water will interfere with the signal return that produces the display on your screen. Some tilt/angle the transducer up slightly so that the signal is not going straight down, instead going slightly behing the boat(a few degrees). This allows you to see where your downrigger balls actually are at trolling speed (blowback). You need to contact Humminbird and purchase a bracket for your transducer. Adjustments in the transducer angle can be made when you have the bracket. A bracket involves drilling of holes into the transom of your boat for attachment. Fill the holes with silicone before inserting the screws or they will leak. Fiberglass boats sometimes use a thru-hull transducer that is epoxed into place. I don't know if it will work on a metal boat. In thru-hull applications you need to drill a hole through the bottom of the boat to put the transducer into for direct water contact. Drilling of holes cannot be avoided unless you use a clamp on bracket. Clamp ons have been used on canoes and rowboats for a long time.

IMO the counter mechanism is meant to count the revolutions of the counter gear and not the revolutions of the spool the cable is wound unto. Therefore, if the gear is functioning accurately, a single revolution would equal 1 foot of cable whether the cable is 10' or 1000' long. You could check by marking the cable at the end pulley and lowering the cable until the counter registers 1'. Measure the lenght of the difference to find the accuracy of the counter (it would probably be easier to lower the ball deeper, just need to know the drop depth from the counter and the measured change). Boom length would not affect the counter because the counter is reset to 0 when the ball is at water's surface. The counter reads out from where it starts to where it finishes, not the distance from the spool. You should check the zero occasionally and adjust if necessary. With BigJon riggers the counter is driven by a spring. If that spring is stretched out from adjusting the counter, you will lose accuracy and have to replace the spring. I know this from experience and always kept a spare spring on hand when I ran that brand of rigger.

Although I can't ALWAYS see my rigger balls on the fishfinder, it is one of picture parts I look for. I can see the ball to 80' most times as my transducer is angled slightly back for this purpose. I had a Moor 900 (with coated cable), but had to change because of interference problem with the auto-pilot. Now I have the X4 (uncoated cable) and the inte3rference has dissappeared. It doesn't matter to me what my counter tells me the ball is at, where I see it tracking is adjusted to what I need it to be. I use 13 lb weights, but if I need to go faster, I'll use 20 lb'ers (less blow-back). In either case, the rigger with the probe on it tracks a little higher. Turns also raise the outside ball because the speed increases on that one. Downrigger counters can vary because of many factors such as amount of line on the spool, boat speed, ball weight, lure type, downrigger brand, etc., etc. On my boat are two cannon Mag 20 DT/HS riggers, both 1 1/2 years old. I've had recurrent problems with one and part of the repair was a need to change the counter gears to a newer model of gear (Cannon requirement when changing circuit board). Now they track at different depths on the same counter number. My advice to you would be to use the heaviest weights your riggers can handle and adjust the transducer to be able to see where they track in the water column. Then match them to the depths fish are using at any given time. It will require some tinkering to accomplish, but well worth the effort, in my opinion. It's unlikely that anyone will be able to precisely answer your questions with absolute certainty. If fish are showing at 40', you need your lures close to that depth. It doesn't matter if that depth is actually 43' instead of 40', only that your ball is showing at the same depth (and the bottom is somewhat deeper).

My same unit needed a new curcuit board and a tighter sleve for the motor drive-shaft. Mine was making similar clicking sounds, blew a 30 amp fuse, and refused to raise the ball. Had to retreive a 13 lb ball by hand from 60 down. Not fun! Cost of new board- $300 on that unit. Sorry for the bad news. Hopefully you will find a different solution. Tony's Reel and Downrigger Repair (authorized warranty center) Orchard Park, NY 716-662-3773 fax 716-662-3773 Capt. Eugene (Tony) Anthony

I've stacked 5-10 feet with no problems. I run riggers angled from the sides of my boat. They have dual rod holders. The down rod goes on first and is placed in the stern side rod holder. The stacked rod goes into the bow side holder. It's OK to run a slider on the top rod without problems. Slider on the bottom rod usually causes tangles with top rod. For leads, I keep them about the same or the top slightly shorter. Fish typically hit and move away from the boat, so tangles don't happen on the initial run. Keep the fish under pressure and away from the boat and other rod while the other rod is cleared and the rigger raised. Fight and land the fish to the opposite side of boat if using only one rigger and to the middle (or cleared side) if using more. Big fish do a lot of fighting as they near the boat and can easily wrap/cross the rigger cable and cut the line, so raise the ball(s) out of the water in that example. Fishing alone with no help, I've popped the other rod and raised the ball for bigger fish. The other line is still out there, so I try to keep the fish away from it. If they tangle, you untangle after you land the fish, with won't be too hard. Cross or wrap a cable and kiss that lure and fish goodbye. Fishing alone I usually run two riggers with a slider on each rod (either fixed or free). This gives me 4 lures in the water, verses 3 if using one rigger, two rods and a slider. The downside is the other rigger cable with large fish that didn't tire out as they're brought in. Pick your poison. With two or more people in the boat, clear all lines and balls before the fish is brought close.

Lure speed and water temp are critical to catching fish. Water temp tells you where the fish are most likely to be, and the speed influences lure action. Neither is a catching guarantee. The X4 gives you both, so with practice you should be able to catch some fish. Accuracy is not as important as being consistent is. Duplicate the speed that works in your boat, don't be concerned if that speed varies with another boat's speed. Use the down speed to benefit your lure's action and the GPS to tell you where you are. GPS speed won't help you very much to catch fish. If they are different (VERY LIKELY) go with the down speed/temp to target the fish and the GPS speed to tell you how far or long it will take to get from point A to point B, or to keep you in the area fish are using.

Glad to hear of your success. Thought it would turn out to be some simple, basic condition because of the heating up. Luckily you didn't seem to burn out the starter, but you should watch it closely for a while.

There are quite a few top charters in that area. You'll have to make a few calls, I'm sure, because that is the beginning of salmon heaven around that area. Do a web-search for Wilson/Olcott fishing charters to get the people to call. Cinelli, Pierlonni, and Empress Charters are three I'd look at. There isn't a lot of housing, but you could try Wilson House, Lakeview Motel, and some charter captains offer rooms with their charters. Camping is also available at Four Mile Campground and Daisy Barn Campground if that is an option. Sounds like a great birthday present! Hope you can fill your needs. It won't be cheap. Happy Birthday, Dad. There are several fishing tournaments starting around then. Get entered and make it a profitable birthday.

How did you make out with the problem?

Could be bad grounding on the starter. Check the mounting bolts and wire connections and clean them up with steel wool or sandpaper.

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s): Time on Water: Weather/Temp: Wind Speed/Direction: Waves: Surface Temp: Location: LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits: 7 Total Boated: 3 over 10 lbs each Species Breakdown: brown trout Hot Lure: Savant green Trolling Speed: 1.8-3.5 Down Speed: 2.2-3.2 Boat Depth: 65-70 Lure Depth: 45 ==================== SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS : DW blue lightning and DW bloddy nose (both lost) got hits also. Riggers on most hits, wire dipsey 100 back on 2 setting took 2 hits. In front and slightly east of Red Barn ====================

Holy Mackerel is right on with his suggestion of vinyl. In '06 I had my boat name done for both sides and stern plus ID numbers. Cost was $50 and they applyed the lettering. Still looking good as new.

Stay with spoons and long leads (50'-100') in top 40'. Water temps have been in the low 40's at 40' down lately. Went out of Wilson Mon AM and all bait and fish were in top 30'. Temp was 42 down 40'. This was true from 50 FOW to 200 FOW. Small shaker kings were hitting for me in 50-80 FOW on a mag Stinger that is orange with green sides (silver belly). This lure was a free slider on a rigger set at 40. Fished in front of Wilson, but reports are the same for Olcott waters. No need to run out to deep water, it's better in shallow.

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s):7/19 Time on Water:7-10:30 am Weather/Temp:sunny/80's Wind Speed/Direction:E 5-15 Waves: 1-3 Surface Temp: 76 Location: Wilson and W LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits:8 Total Boated:8 Species Breakdown:kings (6), brown (1), rainbow (1) Hot Lure: NK 28 Watermellon Trolling Speed:2-2.2 Down Speed: unknown Boat Depth:70-80 Lure Depth: 60-40 ==================== SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS Kings were mostly small shakers with one at 15 lbs. Brown 5 lbs. and Bow 9 lbs. Started 7 AM at 100 FOW and trolled into 70 FOW where we had been marking bait. Fished from just E of piers trolling W for about three miles. Made one run back and repeated troll. Waves becoming more intense with 3 ft rollers and headed to dock at 10:30. AM being in a small boat. A fun day with steady hits, one double header. Enough action to keep us happy. ====================