Buy the programming cable and get the chirp software. It's super easy to program that way. Just have to make sure you get the right cable, there's lots of knock odds that don't work very well.
I'll be accepting donations to do just that (what do you recommend instead?)....until then...can these things be fixed? Yes the spools are full. I have a couple that work fine and used them to spool the line backwards and calibrate it using a measured 100' mark then spooled it onto the spools that didn't work.
I've got some okuma magda line counter reels that the counter is never accurate on. I've seen it a few times where the first digit rolls over past 9 but the second digit doesn't change although there could be other issues as well. Are these things repairable or rebuildable?
Well done all around. The camera view was great, the explanations were great, and kudos to you for wearing your pfd while fishing alone. Many don't. Really good video, thanks for sharing!
I've heard to wash with lemon dish soap. I have some on the boat but haven't tried it yet. I also have a couple of cans of anchovies to scent them with....again, haven't tried it.
I use 30 lb blood run wire. 1000 foot spool and split it between two reels with 30 lb mono backing joined by a tiny swivel that will go through the guides and lay on the spool.
Have you guys ever tested your knot strength? I did some tests on 12 lb fluoro a while back and with a polomar knot was only getting 70-80% breaking strength. There's another knot that I was getting close to 100% with (a couple times more than 100%) but I don't know if it has a name. This is where I learned it:
It's a pain to learn but once you get the hang it's not that bad.
If someone is fishing near you and has a probe, see if they'll give you temp at a depth and down speed vs gps speed. That will get you really close on temp and speed using your gps.
I run my bag off the front cleat with a long enough line for the bag to be in front of the riggers a few feet. Somewhere near the middle of the boat. Then I have a second line that's longer tied to the small end of the bag for retrieval. It's left with a little slack and just tied loosely to the railing. With two bags, same thing just one on each side.
I hope you don't mind but I had questions about Sandy as well. I've only ever launched out of the Rochester city boat launch, but I'm thinking about heading out west a bit for a different scene since it seems like the fish are moving in from that direction. Plus that long slow run out of the Genny pier is annoying.
Cost to launch? Anything unique I need to be aware of (hazards, etc)? Is it busy? Do I need to get there early for a spot to park? What channel is everyone on?
Definitely don't assume a brand new hook is sharp. I've seen them come razor sharp (not many) and I've seen them dull as a garden tool. Most are somewhere in between.