HB2

Annual pike / bass fall trip usually to the ADKs was moved to Fair Haven . Awesome weather with food friends and food . The fishing was great . Not huge numbers but quality fish . Fished the bays over weeds and weed edges with limited success . Tried deeper water near drop offs and found fish . We got about 25 bass , smallmouths mostly . We never got a one smaller than 15" which amazes me . Small crankbaits and Senko style ned rigged were our best

Where are you located ?

I agree with first and last part of day . But you can get hits mid day sometimes. I run a small boat program with 2 riggers one lure each rigger . If I start shallow , I'll run the j plug 50 to 100 ft back and keep the ball just under the surface . But sometimes I run a slide diver .

First light start close and work out . J plugs for me #3 and #4 Glo green or pearl black dot my favorites After first hour or so silver read head among others 35 to 125 ft leads one rigger 10 ft off bottom ( 7 if you are brave ) and one half way down both same leads to avoid tangles . After sun starts to come up try the 35 to 90 ft depth and look for them on the bottom . Spoons and flashers also work but I like my J Plugs .

One of my new to me Walker Tournament riggers had a pice inside the motor break . And it can't be fixed or replaced . In my shoet time of using them , they are the nicest riggers I've used . Small , smooth , fast enough . I need new ones . What do I buy ?

When the lake is calm for a few days this time of year , there is 70 + degree water down to 50 to 70 ft . Strong west ,south or north winds may push that deeper or shallow but it doesn't make surface temps 40 . So east winds should just push the top layer around the lake clockwise like whirlpool in your scenario ? Nope , I don't buy the current has nothing to do with it . I think it has everything to do with it . But I could be wrong .

I defer to you on this Sheldon

And also it is my experience that fish do not like the unstable churned up water and stay in the more stable water as it gets pushed out .

But in a word , everyone sure does know what it means when it happens. I just watched that video. That is not a true representation of what happens . That video shows a tank with cold on one side and warm on the other . Then they pull a wall and it disperses . What actually happens is there is warm water on the entire surface of the lake . The prevailing current is west to east . Then the north east wind forces water towards shore and forces the warm water north while churning up the ice water . So actually it does flip .

The word we that have been doing this awhile use is " flipped " . And we all know what it means. I run straight north till I hit 65 deg and troll north.

Mike Myers did a skin mount of a 17# male steelhead back in 1977 and it still looks great . I think they have plastic fish at Walmart .

So there you have it . User error . All you guys don't know how to use your downriggers . Now THAT is what you call standing behind your product . If anyone was considering buying riggers , would anyone reading this post buy Cannon ?

Saw interesting u tube video from Fish307 . He was working on a Cannon rigger doing maintenance . Cannon upgraded the spool because of problems . Also the swivel tip . He also said to replace as scheduled maintenance the thrust and drag washers . If you have those riggers ,you should watch it .

That spoon has been one of my best this year Got two browns on it yesterday midday .

It sounds like this has happened more than we think . The amount of money that this bad able has cost their customers is kind of disturbing.

Explain

Michigan overstocked the lake and crashed the baitfish population . It took a decade or more to get it back. NY learned from their mistake and keeps close tabs on the bait population and adjusts according . Sometimes to a fault ,IMO , but better safe than sorry . I feel there needs to be a balance . The fishing is pretty easy if you get over fish. Considering what we now know and equipment we now have. I feel ,at least for me , I want it to be a challenge . Some seemingly are not happy unless they have doubles and full boxes every trip . The bad days once in a while are the ones that keep me coming back .

Let's not forget that Lake Michigan was overstocked with kings and the baitfish crashed for one reason or another . For many years, it was hard for the guys out there to land a 20# fish . It's taken the DNR out there a long time to get things straightened out . And this is the result of their efforts .