ErieBuck

I see what you mean -- maybe, but it seems soft and malleable like braid, not rigid like 7 strand. I'm not a fanboy yet of the stuff -- just experimenting. We'll see...

I've done it on two trips so far and haven't had a problem at all with the scotty clips and 19 strand. Time will tell but I don't think the scotty clips will cause much wear as they are smooth plastic and the 19 strand is slick like braid. I know people use a bunch of different clips out there so experience will vary.... could always half hitch a rubber band if need be. I had big waves yesterday and just had to put the line a little deeper in the clip. with braid or mono i like to create a loop to clip to by twisting the line about 5 times (like you do for black's downrigger releases). Obviously you can't do that with 19 strand but it still works well just clipping it. As I said in a post above, you just have to be careful to keep clicker on or keep thumb on a free spool or you're screwed. While thickness of the 19 strand is similar to 50lb braid -- it does weigh a little more so you get a big more of a sag in your lines going out to the planer boards which can dip in the water. Even with all the bouncing around in the waves, the scotty clips help up well -- no false releases.

I think I’m going to run 1 300 copper line off the big boards on each side, a wire diver on each side and 2 rigger rods one with a slider. If I have enough help on the boat, maybe add another pair of wire divers but, the more I think about it, 6 is enough! For late July trip, im thinking my initial setup will be: Rigger 1: 11” pro troll paddle with atomik Twinkie meat rig Rigger 2: moonshine mag spoon with smaller spoon on a slider above Wire Diver 1: 8 inch spin doctor with fly Wire Diver 2: 8 inch spin doctor or 8 inch protroll with meat head 300’copper 1: mag spoon 300 copper 2: 8 inch flasher with meat head Do you guys prefer to run the meat heads naked behind the flasher on wire/copper or the setup with twinkie flies in front Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I’m going to test a 200 weighted steel with 100/200 19 strand backing with the fish hawk TD probe, Today. Will see what depths I get at 200/300/400. Will report back results. It’s one thing losing a little leadcore but yes that would totally suck to lose a copper setup. After a backlash nest, the 19 strand got caught in between the spool and reel casing. Dead soldier.

I’ve done a couple walleye trips with the 19 strand as backing on a 3 color… mixed results… first trip I slammed some extra fish because I was easily able to let out more line ( I have enough 19 strand backing to make it a 10 color equivalent) and get deeper on my planer board lines. Second trip, big waves and I got cocky and let the clicker off while trying to speed up the process of sending down the planer board line and just like a wire diver, you’re screwed when that line nests up… frustrating. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

What kind of program do you run on your riggers to draw them in? One attractor, one spoon? Two attractors? Mid/late summer last year I had some success with 11inch paddles w/ Twinkie meat rigs on both riggers but wasn’t running boards, just wire divers. Hoping to get bit a little more by incorporating some copper on the outside this year so i like that strategy of drawing them in. I hate fishing for walleye but it’s something to do mid summer and they are good eating! Later in summer they can be down 50 or more, but usually suspended in the middle water column 25-40, so short 3 cores with deep diving plugs usually do the trick. Late Summer steelhead fishing temps are usually down 50-75. Sometimes will get deep on long lines for Lakers, but usually target with riggers/divers Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

excellent point @AnglingAddict!

thanks, makes sense. It's a lot of money to risk losing on a turn or big king. Do you run regular copper or weighted steel? Think it's okay to run 2 leadcore lines?

I've done it before with big boards for walleye/steelhead/lake trout on lake erie many times but not for kings... have only used 4-6 rod setups without boards on Lake O in my previous trips. Why does it seem like many only run one line off the boards? Usually if I go through hassle of setting up the big boards, I want to run more than one line. I was thinking 4 of the 8 rods in my setup would be on boards and out of the way, 2 wire divers, 2 downrigger rods.

Is your spread targeting kings only at those depths 50ft +? Steelhead and cohos usually are higher up earlier in year right? My thinking was to run some stuff in the 30 ft range to put more fish in the boat with the kings less prevalent so far this year Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

@Super G I recently spooled up some 453 cold waters and they worked well for a 300 copper set up. I used 50lb high viz braid for backer to hook to the boards. FYI most people seem to have switched over to Weighed Steel these days, easier to work with, similar results.

@FishingFool34 what temps do you use as as a starting point? I've heard 45 degrees for kings, 55 for chrome?

yep, I fished the bar area the last weekend of the derby and had a tough time with the flat lake and boat traffic. It wasn't until we got out of the traffic that we started to hook up and got 2 20lb kings in 250 fow north of the bar. People with boards and long lines were putting more fish in the boat even if they were cohos and chrome at least it was more action. That's why when I go back I'm going to have a wider/stealthier spread. We ran high/low dispey on each side with riggers off the corner.

What baits do you normally run off your copper and lead long lines? I never ran a shoot rod before due to fear of tangles but recently started experimenting with the Church stern planer. https://www.fishusa.com/Church-Tackle-TX-007-Stern-Planer?quantity=1&L-Size1=1094 Easy to use and worked really well! Can sail it back as far as you want to keep the shoot open