nickihoyboy

Hey Guys, I'm sure this question has been asked a hundred times already, but, I'm in the process of replacing the treble hooks on a bunch of my Moonshine and Dreamweaver magnum size spoons and was wondering what some of you guys with experience doing this would recommend. The existing trebles appear to be size 2/0 (or maybe 3/0) from the size chart I printed out but was wondering what sizes you would recommend, and if it would make sense to go with a 2X or 4X-strong treble, or would the extra weight affect the action of the spoon? I'm also not crazy about the durability of the existing split rings and am thinking of replacing them with some heavier stainless steel split rings. I would like to hear what your experiences might be. By the way, any of you guys who do this and haven't tried the Texas Tackle split ring pliers, I would highly recommend getting a pair, as I think they are by far the best dedicated split ring pliers I have ever used and they are reasonably priced. Thanks. Nick

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I will take the Chinook divers if you would be willing to ship on my dime. Nick

I have a 2002 Aquasport 225 Explorer with a 200 Yamaha 2-stroke with just under 600 hours. Absolutely nothing wrong with the 2-stroke, but I am looking to re-power with a used 4-stroke this off season, preferably a Yamaha, but would consider a Honda or Suzuki. Boat is rated to 300HP but my preference would be a 250 or 225, might go to 200HP for the right motor. If anyone knows of a motor that might fit the bill I would appreciate a shout. I live in NJ but, if need be, am willing to haul the boat anywhere for the right motor. I am well aware of the exhaust and thermostat corrosion issues that some of the Gen 1 4-stroke Yamahas (2002 to 2006) in that HP range are having so please don't try to hook me up with one of those without a mechanic's inspection. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Nick

Just my two cents, as opinions vary from fisherman to fisherman, but I would say if you don't have any experience using wire line stick with the braid to start out using dipsies, it's one less thing to worry about when you're learning to run them and a whole lot less expensive and more forgiving when you make a mistake. Also, you won't have to put TwiliTips on your dipsey rods, which is something you can do later if you decide to try wire. The biggest problem with running braid on Lake Ontario, as far as I can see, is that during certain times of the season spiny water fleas really stick to the braid and are hard to remove. If you don't have that problem in B.C. I'd say go with the braid. I've used both the braid and the wire and I personally don't see much difference between the two fishing less than about 75' deep, and as I said, the braid is much more forgiving. As for dipseys, I like the Chinook divers because they provide less drag when fighting a fish, but I also use and like the Dreamweaver Deeper Divers in 107 and 124 sizes because you don't have to mess with an added ring. I doubt you would need the 124 size for the depths that you are fishing. For linecounter reels on a budget, I know you said you're not an Okuma fan but it's hard to beat the Okuma Convector series in my opinion. I would stay away from the Magda series for the difference in cost. The convectors are pretty well built, easy to get service and parts for, and have a pretty good drag system which is easy to upgrade with Dragmaster drag washers if you feel the need. I have some Convectors and some Cold Waters, and also have some Daiwas, Penns and two Shimanos. The Shimanos are definitely the best, but the cost is about twice that of the Convectors. As with all fishing gear, I would say if you're really serious about what you are doing buy the best you can afford, it will last longer and give you better service. Good luck and great fishing!

Great store for us trollers. Owner is Jonathan Ross, one of the nicest guys you'll meet, and free with all his fishing information. My first visit to the Oak from NJ, I stopped into his store after seeing it mentioned on LOU and he couldn't have been more helpful. He recommended a few flies that were hot, some I had and some I bought, and all of them worked great with the combinations he recommended. If you stop by his store check out the super Mag spoons he makes, they look awesome. Wanted to buy some but the patterns I wanted were all sold out at the time. You can bet I'll be back every time I'm in the area. And by the way, congratulations to Capt. Jon and his crew for winning the 2022 Sandy Creek Shootout. I was at the fish cleaning station at the Orleans Co. Marine Park when his crew came in to clean their four winning salmon. Great store!

I did, about 20 years ago. It's been so long that I forgot all the particulars, but I remember that I tried two different models of them and I wasn't happy with either of them and I went back to my 13 lb. Slim Darters. They may still be lying around somewhere in my attic, if you're interested in them I'll look and see if I can find them. If I can, you pay for shipping from NJ and I'll send them to you. No promises that I'll find them though. Nick

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