TyeeTanic

Is money an object? If not, go with the Talora's - with roller guides. If yes, go with the Daiwa's or Rapala RSC's. Still not the cheapest but in my opinion the best value for money. Don't get the Eagle Claws - I have them - broke two last year on 20 lb fish.

Green dot NBK in the green pattern NBK in the purple pattern NBK in the blue pattern Hawg Wilde Flies: Bloody Death Green glow crinkle White crinkle Bloody death Hawg Wilde

Firstly wire does get deeper than braid based on similar diameters, due to the density of the steel being much higher than braid. That's what my Precision Trolling book says too. We are going out fishing this weekend and are using my wire rods over braid because the fleas are a pain in the arse with braid. I don't think braid is as good as wire when it comes to fleas. Wire is not difficult to handle. I learned how to use wire in about 3 hours of fishing. You learn the hard way once and then become an expert. It's simple - when you spool the wire, tie it to your spool and then tape the first rotation down with duct tape (right around the spool). The start reeling in nice and slow with some good tension to keep it tight. Next always keep the tension after using the rod and stowing away. If you see any coils be careful to uncoil before tightening or the line will snap like a toothpick. Use 7 strand 30#, it is pretty easy to work with. If the wire does break because of a pigtail (coiling), then you start seeing it with some of the strands balling up, so you can catch it and fix it quick. It isn't complicated, try it you won't be dissapointed. You will end up going this way eventually anyhow, and will eventually need to get through the learning curve, why not now?

The big boys are normally in 45F water, not 54F - that's too hot for them. Like I said "normally" - I have hooked fish out of temperature, but as a rule of thumb you want to be in the 45F. Fewer fish down there, so you probably won't get numbers. If you want numbers then yes go for the 55F and you will get a lot of bows and shakers - which is also fun.

I would go for a cheap wire dispey rod. Eagle claws are about the cheapest you will find. Wire, go for 7 strand, 30# torpedo wire or equivalent - 1000 ft. Reels, need something big enough for all that wire. Oukuma Convectors 30D are good. Dipsey's get size #1. You will be able to get around 80 to 90 feet deep with these. You'll need floro line (25lb or 30lb test) as a lead from dispey to lure, or to flasher/fly combo. I agree you'll want a fishfinder quick. You can get an entry level (black and white screen) lowrance for like $90).

Wire. Braid is useless when the fleas are out. They are out, have been for the past 3 weeks and will continue for another 3 or 4 weeks. Fleas will stick to your braid into a big blob and then you cant reel it in. Wire cuts the fleas off, no problem with reeling in. Wire gets deeper as well.

Yesserie Bob!

I was told it is a mimicing a salmon that has tried to strike the bait but missed.

I've been trying to hold them by the tail in the water behind the boat as we continue trolling. The small guys revive quick, but I've had poor success with the big boys. So really - can you guys tell me in enough detail what is the best technique, as I feel bad about seeing a big floating fish. Thanks!

No thanks - wouldn't want to put any more crap chemicals into lake ontario then I already am. I aslo don't get it, but have heard it might work. What I want to know is who is the guy who thought ... "I know, why don't we spray a petrochemical product all over my lure to see if that hits more salmon??"

Nope - I just put 1000 feet of 7 strand torpedo wire on my 30D and it fits perfectly.

I looked at the Precision Trolling Big Water Edition II - it has all the charts for mono, wire, braid - for different dipseys, weights, etc. Mark

Yes, this is due to the inaccuracy of your line counter. Most line counters (so I hear) are calibrated to give an accurate measurement of line out when the reel is FULL. Imagine one wrap around on the top of a full reel is around 1 foot of line. When the spool is empty one wrap around might only be 4" of line. The line counter works on rotations of the spool. So if you have a full reel or an empty reel, it says 1 rotation is 1 foot of line. That simple. This is why a lot of people use a backing on their reels to get the wire right up to the top of the spool (if you have a big reel), or why some people spend lots of care getting a good reel that fits 1000 feet of line perfectly. So the first 100 or 200 ft that comes off is pretty accurate - you may be 5 to 10% shorter than the line counter says - but not too far off. After that the accuracy drops off big time.

I am looking at the chart right now. The ratio is about 2.7 on average using a 3 setting. The slope of the rest of the lines is almost the same for 0, 1 and 2 settings - you just gain around 5 feet for each setting you are away from 3. So 2 gets you 5 feet lower, 1 gets you 10 feet lower and 0 gets you 15 feet lower. So use the line out divided by 2.7 formula and then add 0, 5, 10 or 15 ft depending on your setting.

Use the braid. Mono will stretch too much and could cause slack in the wire. That will cause big problems with tangles.

That sketch is impossible. The minute you pop your dipsey it will be a disaster with line twists and tanges. The best way (and I learned this from a pro) is to set up normally with one lure behind the dipsey (using a fluoro leader). Then take a second leader and tie it to one of the treble hooks of the first lure - leader must be around 6 feet long, then you put on the second lure. You end up at the same depth, but you do get more concentration of bait.

You can get cheap vinyl letters from home depot or some hardware store, but it won't look as good as a design in vinyl which will run you $90 - $120. You get these at sign and print shops.

It doesn't auto shut off after 45 seconds while you are dropping it. When I go down 160 feet it takes at least 3 mins to get it up and down. I think it will only shut off if it hasn't detected a change for 45 seconds, and if you drop it in the water then I think it automatically changes the mode and retains the data. You then have to view the info before it shuts off again. Mark

I agree with all the above. I use a lighter leader around 30#. Haven't had any break offs. So just to repeat in confermantion: - yes to wire, no to mono - mono has way too much stretch and sucks on a dipsey - wire directly to dipsey using a quick connect swivel. Tie wire line to swivel like this http://www.lotsa.org/Wire%20Line%20Knot.htm - 10 feet of floro leader to flasher - I use 30# test. - flasher or Spin Doctor - 20 to 30" of lead to fly/spoon depending on length of flasher (3 times). I use 8" SD so I go with 24" lengths. - speed!!!! Troll at 2.5 to 3.0 mph and alter this by zig zaging your course. Mark

Or you could use a fishhawk TD. This will tell you exactly what depth you reached with your dipsey and the temperature at that depth.

If you can wait for it, then absolutely look around. I bought it for $140+tax last year, then the replacement cost me $170+tax. The problem is many people sell it, but very few actually have it in stock, so if you find a good price and they have stock, you'll need to act quickly. I had no choice, I needed it for this weekend and only 1 guy within 50 miles of my house had it.

Yes, it will be good to figure out all that stuff, but after your testing phase, you will want to put it on a rod, so you can get temp while you are trolling, and adjust your riggers accordingly to keep you in the right temp zone. As for the weight once it is on a rod, 5 to 6 lbs is weigh too heavy. It will be difficult to reel in as there is no boyancie, like a fish. It will be almost impossible to get it out of the water and onto the boat. 1 to 1.5 lbs is good enough. You will drop it 150 feet in about 20 to 30 seconds. It doesn't need to be straight down, as the TD measures depth by water pressure.

I'm here! So, yes if you can't afford (or don't have riggers to install) the down temp and speed (because this is actually the best setup), then the TD gives you some important information that can transform your fishing day. Firstly, I don't work for Fishhawk. I bought one last year and can vouch that it is a good product. So good that half of Ontario was sold out of them and there was a 4 week backlog at the supplier - when I bought last year. I managed to travel about 80 km's and found one at a Radio shop (Radio World). Anyhow - the TD gives you temperature every five feet. You'll need a rod to drop it into the water and retrieve it. It should be a spare rod so you don't have to pull your trolling rods to do a temperature test. I basically attached 1 lb of weights to my line and then clamp on the TD and drop it to the bottom. It is really easy to use. With the temp profile, I can set my lines in the 45 - 50F range, and I'm quickly into fish. Now, here's a funny story - last week I put on the TD quickly using the spring connection it comes with. I drop it down and retrieve my line. Guess what was missing??? AGhhhghhgghhh! Gone. I didn't secure the frigging spring connector and it came off the line. So, I went and bought a new one $180 with tax!! That was an expensive fishing trip! So don't feel to bad about your wire. By the way, why is your wire costing so much? $60 is too expensive. You can get 30# 7 strand torpedo wire for like $35 for 1000 ft. I just picked up 2 spools three weeks ago. Anyhow, if you need more info, let me know.

Oukuma convectors size 30 - spooled with 1000ft of 7 strand wire (Torpedo). $70 reel, $25 wire Rapala RSC - 10 foot roller guide rods. $100 rod. These are awsome products that will last a long time. $200 per rod, wired and ready to go. Mark

There's days when something has a bit of a preference over something else. but on most days, I have fish hitting on greens, blues, purples, etc. Last time I went out, over a 1.5 hour period - 5 hits. 2 on green crinkle fly 1 on bloody death fly (purple and red) 1 on NGK lure (green and silver) 1 on purple thunder lure (purple and black) Try and work that one out.