Chowdaire

tman, If you're buying the setup specifically for spinnerbaits you might want to look at running straight fluoro or mono. Just google it and see what the bass guys say. The extra stretch is supposed to help reduce short strikes and should help with your broken wire problems too. Braid is obviously better to rip through weeds though, so it's a personal preference like anything else. I'm personally using Picasso spinnerbaits now and love them. Very thin coffee colored wire on their inviz line and I haven't had any problems with breakage yet.

Looks like Cabelas still has the Hds9 Touch Gen II for $999. Not sure how you feel about Lowrance, but it's a good deal. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

FishUSA has 3 gobies left in super slim. Not the gold back but the silver. Not sure which one you're looking for. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Holy cow! Don't know when I'll be able to get out that way again but thanks, skipper. Great information.

Great advice. There are 2 consistent bites I know in the calm high sun. Deep basin trolling. 3-5 color leadcore with cranks/sticks always seems to get you a pretty steady pick. And in the weeds. I've hammered them in 3-8' of water on hot August days. I know a lot of guys drag spinners but the ones I've talked to have had a tough time with that of late.

This is the old knot wars data I found. Not sure how reliable it is. Knot----------------------- Mono---------Braid---------Fluoro---------Average------Overall Rank Berkley Braid-----------19.82--------- 17.36--- 19.69-----------18.957----------1 Fish-N-Fool------------ 20.54---* 19.44--------- 15.21-----------18.397----------2 Burke Knot------------- 19.32----------18.62-------- 16.49-----------18.143----------3 Triple Loop------------ 18.49----------16.07-------***19.74-----------18.100----------4 Imp.Reverse Clinch - 17.67 ---------18.96-------- 16.46-----------17.697----------5 San Diego Jam------- 17.76----------17.84-------- 15.25-----------16.950----------6 Miller Knot ------------ -20.13---------15.66------- - 14.94------------16.910----------7 Palomar---------------- 17.37----------17.36--------15.11----------- 16.613---------- 8 Porter-------------------19.89----------10.87--------18.76----------- 16.507-----------9 Grinner-----------------17.10----------17.50--------14.90----------- 16.500----------10 Cheek Knot-----------19.27---------- 13.95--------15.97----------- 16.397-----------11 Eugene Bend---------17.78----------15.70------- 14.64----------- 16.040-----------12 Trilene------------------17.58----------14.32------- 14.97----------- 15.623-----------13 Gryp--------------------17.80----------14.68--------14.29----------- 15.590-----------14 Three "G"-------------18.83------------9.71--------15.73----------- 14.757-----------15 Improved Clinch----- 16.12-----------7.22-------- 14.01------------12.450-----------16 Notes * Fish-N-Fool rated #1 with mono ** Fish-N-Fool rated #1 with braid * Triple loop rated #1 with Fluoro The Berkley braid knot did not rate #1 in any of the lines . Lines used: 15# Berkley Transoptic Mono, 15# Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon, 14# Fireline

I always use the same rod in the same position as the gauge so there is consistency. Then see what it looks like when I start getting hits and duplicate it. As Sk8man said, they all will look different depending on a bunch of variables so you have to dial it in for what you're running. The angle you're looking at the rod makes a big difference too which is why I always use the same position on the boat. It seems you could also test the action next to the boat and then duplicate that bend when it's at depth but that's just a guess. Im not saying it works. I'm still very new to this salmon stuff so I don't have too much to say on this site but, man, what an incredible resource it is. Amazing what the guys on here will share and how much it shortens the learning curve. I still think one of the most rewarding times to be fishing though is when you're going out and working to figure something new out before you have all the fancy tools. Really enjoying it. Maybe next year I'll get riggers and a probe and have a whole new bunch of things to learn. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I have a small boat running 3 divers and that's exactly how I try to do it. Get that rod bend just right. SOG might be down under 2 or over 3 but as long as that diver is pulling the way it should I figure my down speed is in the ballpark. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I love the uni to uni for braid to fluoro, or the Red Philips Knot, which is basically the same but a little smaller because you don't need to wrap the uni with the fluoro (Although it fattens up the braid half of the uni because you run both the leader and the tag end of the fluoro thru it.) If you're talking terminal, I researched this recently because I didn't like the way my normal knots were cinching down with the heavier 30-50# fluoro. Got some Knot Wars data and found the Triple Loop. Tests at over 18# breaking strength with 15# fluoro and super easy to tie and cinch down, even with 50# test. Only one weekend of testing it but a number of good rips on dipsies, no snubber, and it held up well.

Larson, do you ever have problems with fleas on the 832? Not sure where you're fishing but I tried either my 832 lead core or my Tufline Micro Lead in Lake Ontario last August and it got covered with fleas. Clumps bigger than golf balls. What a nightmare to clean without kinking the lead. I chalked it up to it being thinner than standard leadcore. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Just wanted to jump on and say my BASS refund check was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. Still bummed I didn't get into the Open but at least they're good about sending the money back. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Yep. $425 for the Opens. To find the registration info you need to go to the general Opens page under Tournaments. Glad you guys reminded me about this because I still haven't received my refund check that they said was sent back on the 27th.

September 21-23, Lake Champlain http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2016-bass-pro-shops-northern-open-3 I entered the one on Oneida but got closed out. Very disappointing.

Hahaha. Yep. That's it. I use that handle on a few boards and you're the first to comment on it.

If you try to troll deep with 10 or 15# braid this time of year you'll have a mess with the fleas. I didn't even know about the fleas last fall and tried some trolling with my normal 10# fireline and micro lead setups. It was horrible. I left the lines out too long and it took me forever to clean the fleas and get the lines in. I'm using 30# fireline on my divers now and it's not too bad. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Sounds a lot like what I did this year. I watched a few salmon smashing dipsy vids on Youtube. Did a bunch of research and rigged up my two toughest trolling rods (made for dipsies) with 30# Fireline (& backer), bought 2 mag dipsies and some spoons, flashers and flies. Then I read up on this site and headed out with my 18' walleye boat to try catching salmon. First day I trolled the marks and went 3/4 on steelhead. The next day I paid attention to the depths the guys were giving on here for the salmon and ran down deeper even though it was below the marks I was seeing. Got my first mature salmon plus some bonus fish (2 matures, 2 little guys and 2 dumped). So it can be done fairly cheap, as long as you watch the weather. A couple of things I had to figure out. I run dock rope from my front cleats to a carbiner that I clip on the rods to keep them from snapping off my cabelas rod holders (mag dipsies put a ton of pressure on the rod and salmon strikes are violent) and I watch the bend of the rods and try to keep the same bend I'm getting strikes at. The currents are crazy and I don't have anything for downspeed. Some days I'm running under 2mph SOG and pulling drag in one direction and 3mph plus in the other direction and the rods are hardly bent. And one more thing. Now that I've caught some fish, it's getting more expensive. I just picked up a 300CU set-up and a TX44 board and ordered custom heavy duty rod holders. Also have my eye on the Fish Hawk TD and a wire dipsy rod. Still holding off on the riggers and a proper salmon boat though! For now...

I fished out there yesterday morning. Nothing on my dipsies. Saw 2 small fish caught on riggers out over 300' Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United