Chinook Chaser

Can't invest in copper this season but have had some luck running my board line out 400ft with a 3oz snap weight on it. Other than testing it out to see when it hits bottom is there data that can give me an aprox depth? Snap weight chart sais it should be 30ft at 100 back. I have been told that this is not accurate. I gotta think that depending on trolling speed it could be hitting 50.

As always thanks for the info. Been out more this year then ever before and I may be a slow learner. My numbers have not gone up much, but they are up. Will rigger blowback give me a false reading on the hawk? Sometimes I am wondering if it's accurate. I have seen it give me 3.5 on top and 1.5 90 ft down. If my speed looks good and I think everything is correct for what I know then I start to question everything when not catching fish.

Thanks guys for the info. It get confusing and frustrating fishing this lake and its tough to figure out. The down speed is great to have but of course gives you speed at the ball. What if your down 80 and speed looks good for spoon that's down and your probe is 80 then your running another down 40. The speed will be very different between the two is what I am learning. What do I do in that case?

You said running FF. What is that?

Thanks for the info

Tough going for us last evening. Reports say things are picking up. Maybe some technique that I am missing. Fished about 4 hours with good screens most of the time and nothing. Tried up high tried in the middle tried on bottom. Tried spoons flasher and fly. Fast and slow.

Thanks so I don't need to know down temp really untill those conditions exist.

Been using hawk now for a while and think down speed is a help and thats it. I fish where I see the fish not the temp. Recently most fish in 60 degree water not at the temp they should be. When will this expensive piece of eqequipmeequipment off.

Was at it this evening and not a thing. Very frustrating. Fish all over the screen between 90 and 120. Hard to belive not a single hit. Spent some bucks on all new electronics and fish finder but guess that's why it's fishin not catching. Think I could have done with out fish hawk. I think it raises more questions than answere. It's nice to have down speed though. Back at it Monday. Makes sense that the more i fish the better I should get bit it's not happening!

Thanks for the report. Was out in that section yesterday probably past you a few times. Started in 150 with decent temp at around 60. Fished between there and 180 for a while and had mostly blank screens. Moved in between 80 and 120 and marked a ton mostly from 60 up. Best temp was on the bottom though. Is it best to take bait and hooks I see or go with temp. Coho we got was on dipsy 125 back.

Yesterday 7/10 was a little puzzling. I will elaborate. Heard some reports of good screens and kings around 150 to 180. We started at 150 and had good temps around 60. Fished 150 to 180 from 6 until 930. Blank screen most of the time. Moved into between 80 and 120 and marked a ton of bait but not many big hooks. Temps were not good untill on bottom. Most hooks were marked much higher from 60 up. If wanting to target kings do I stay with the temp this time of year or fish the bait which was mostly high in the water column as well. Coho we got was down about 40 which was 60 degrees. I know that they will travel out of there comfort zone to feed but is there a general patern I can follow. I don't think there is.

That makes sense. Have a few spoons that I usually run. Tried flasher flies for a short while yesterday and no luck. We also had a mostly blank screen until we moved in shallower. Then picked up 2 on spoons.

I had the bright idea of storing my sliders around a piece of pipe insulation. Now the florocarbon line is all twisted and sliders won't run correctly. Guess I have to toss that line and start over. I have seen people use round leader storage devices you can buy but wouldn't this do the same thing. Suggestions would be great.

Thanks I have one that's a little short at 20 and one at 24 to try today. See what happens.

Thanks for all of the help. When using a flasher and fly how long of a leader do you use?

Over what depth and how far down.

I am out of Hughs marina. West of sodus.

If anyone is getting into kings in front if hughs marina sodus or pultneyville please let me know any info on depth to find them. Thanks!

Thanks guys for all the help! When I go Friday i will run just the dipsys and riggers with a mix of flasher/fly and spoon. Think I will start with a flasher fly on one rigger and dipsy. Then others with spoons and hopefully I can find good temp I can find the kings.

It's hard to fight the urge to get out as many lines as possible. I wanna catch as many as possible. What if I put on about a 5oz weight? That's gotta get me down better.

So you guys would recommend not stacking riggers? Rod down the chute would be the one I am talking about with the in line weight(snap weight), deepest I can get this with what I currently have is 30ft this is with a 3oz weight.

Reaching out to some of you seasoned king slayers. I don't have any copper or lead core. I have 2 riggers 2 dipsy rods and my rods for the boards. With what I have what is the best combo to run. I could stack riggers, run 2 dipsey rods and then a few off the boards with a drop weight. 3oz would get me down about 30 feet. Or I could take those downrigger rods and run them down off the boards as well. Any ideas or suggestions would be great.

I have heard that browns love downriggers. I only have 2 so was thinking of trying to stack the lines closer together. Maybe 5 feet apart when fishing shallow. Normally I go 10 foot between. Is there a minimum distance I should have the lines apart to avoid tangling? My feeling is that 5 feet is to close and I am asking for a mess.