ErieBuck

Yep! but with a 110 gallon tank, makes sense to at least check...

Hey Gang -- headed to Wilson July 16-21. Trying to decide whether to fill up in PA before heading over or just save the weight on the tow and fill up in NY if prices aren't too bad. Best I see near me is $5.19 for ethanol free (marina gas is $6.75!!) If anyone has any info it would be appreciated!

@Garyf make sure the cable is coming off the bottom of the spool and not the top. If the cable is wound on the spool backwards, it comes off the top of the spool and digs into the plastic housing. I've learned the hard way...

I want to thank Cannon Customer service…. Coming out of storage, the circuit board on one of my Optimum TS failed. I called customer service and they immediately sent me a new board which I received in a few days. Installed it myself in about 10 minutes, re-paired everything and I’m good to go! Thank you Cannon!

Can't go wrong with the Tekota A! I have 12 of them 500 and 600s. The Okuma Coldwater is also a good reel if you get the dragmaster upgrade -- order from Captain Chucks II

A lot of mishaps can be mitigated... use shock absorbers/snubbers... and keep the weights in the water when you attach your line so they don't bounce in high seas. Also, adjust the default speed to low or medium setting to avoid the high power motor from creating a snap in high seas. Also be mindful of the retro ease if you intend to use one.... if its in the way and you release your ball it can create a world of problems. Part of my workflow is to make sure the retro ease line is taught and cinched on the clip before sending the ball down.

doesn't look like they are selling on ebay anymore. Here were the specs: Fishing wire 1.0mm 300m spool. 98kg. Stainless steel 49 Strand Fishing Wire

I have 12 of them (500s and 600s) I use for wire/braid diver rods and riggers. Awesome reels all around. Love the precision drag, the big handle and just the overall high-performance. I did end up getting some different reels for my long lines as the capacity of the tekotas isn't enough... I use the Okuma Coldwater 553s for my Weighted Steel setups and 7-10 color lead core setups.

got it, many thanks! I'm usually all slimed out with Lakers from the early season on Lake Erie.... so definitely don't want to be catching mostly Lakers if I make the trip over! So I should focus on that 20-40 to hit Salmon, steel and browns. I picked up some of the Bay Rat XL Deeps last year, nice plugs. Will grab a few more! Thanks again, you're the best

You mean for BT, Coho and Steel will be in that same 30' as you mention mostly Lakers occasion pod of Kings, or BT/Coho/Steel even tighter to shoreline?

thinking about mid/late April, I guess I was envisioning a feeding frenzy of coho, steelhead, and kings with mixed in Lakers and maybe a brown or two in early season action west of the bar. Maybe mid april is a little too early and I should target first week in May prior to the Derby to have a few more options available including the bar itself...? If you had to pick between the two what do you think the best fishing would be? Thanks!

good call on the unimpeded fight with the big boards, makes it a lot of fun. Are you speaking to the western end of the lake in early spring?

bump

So over the last couple years I've learned the techniques for mid/late spring, summer and fall, but not early spring yet! My goal this year is to make a trip in mid to late April, likely fishing Canadian waters to the Niagara bar. Would you be so kind as to share how your techniques differ for this early season type of fishing? What would be your 6 rod program? What depths are the fish found typically and what depths of the water column are most targeted? I will be mostly targeting silver fish but should we try our luck with Browns as well? I think I have all the equipment at this point (riggers, wire, boards, dispey, lead core, weighted steel etc) ... last year I got really good using in-line boards and weighted steel which put a lot of extra fish in the boat... but for early spring is it more of a 15-35 ft. game? 3-5-7 color etc.? Mostly spoons? Smaller spoons, stinger/super slim? Thank you in advance!! ~ErieBuck

Made it to Lake O twice this season, west end, late May and late July, fished for about 5 days total, very small sample size, but our July trip was the best fishing I've ever experienced. We caught over 20 mature kings and countless big steelhead. The kings were huge, got my PB at 28lbs. I am going to dream all winter about the white water shooting from behind that planer board when that beast took off like a freight train! We got a number of kings over 20lb in the Spring as well but the fishing was "slower" with heavy derby traffic and flat lake. Obviously I don't have the perspective as the guys doing it every weekend, but holy hell, this is an AMAZING fishery. Only thing I can complain about Lake Ontario is how it sure makes fishing in Lake Erie seem boring!

Thanks Rick! Looks like there is transient dockage available at Port Dalhouise Pier Marina and St. Catharine's marina - Port Weller. Any thoughts between those two or would it just depend on time of year?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a spring Lake O trip -- thinking early May timeframe, maybe late April. I've previously fished the Niagara Bar out of Wilson a few times but later in May.. My understanding is that the earlier in the spring, the further West the fish are going to be, so I was thinking of maybe fishing out of St. Catharines, Port Dalhousie area? Any thoughts, any advice out there for those who have fished that area in the spring?

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Shimano TDR and Okuma GLT Pro copper/leadcore work well for me. The Okuma copper/leadcore rod has bigger guides which I like for my weighted steel reels since they have bigger knots which easily go through the guides.

Once you get used to catching Kings, it's really hard to catch walleyes. I go a couple times a year for meat runs but otherwise like to target trout and salmon

Same!! Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

So…. Is a “mature” more accurately determined by the fish’s color? I’ve been calling fish with a tan, mature. Obviously that’s dependent on the time of year, that is, you can catch a silver fish earlier in the season that will likely turn color and spawn. For example I caught a couple 20 lb+ fish this May that more than likely would be in spawn mode right now so I called them mature. In late July I caught many upper teens, 20s, that had a bit of a tan and thus called them mature. Am I wrong? Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Seems like I’d need to put 70/80 ft of additional line between the board and snap weight to allow it to achieve full depth or else the board would prevent the line from reaching its potential. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app