Ecto2

I would agree. that would provide same amount of protection from twist. Cheers!

I would terminate with a ball-bearing snap swivel at the end. Smaller size for spoons and larger size for flashers. Coppers tangles are fun enough when they happen...best not to wrap all your leader up the line if you can avoid it. I did tie directly when using a J-plug

South winds offer some protection even if wind blowing steady at 10-15. Otherwise, I always tried to wait until i had a "2' or less" wave height prediction with a boat 20' or less. Also be prepared to pivot to fishing a bay for warm-water species OR trailer to Cayuga or Seneca because that Lake O does what it wants regardless of weather predictions. Windfinder App seems to be the most reliable prediction tool and it shows how different the wind can be from one port to the next. Also worth looking at what the wind did on the previous couple days...as it does take the lake some time to settle down after big blows from the west, east, or north. My drive to lake is currently 2.5hrs so i get your question and concerns. Best of luck!

Same here out of Fairhaven. Thinking about "Increasing The Hook Gap" on all the lures...:)

I guess i would say that puts my mind at ease with the snubber quality!!! Thanks for sharing. Who hasnt had a rigger out still and drive away...$^!+ happens when your on the water long enough. I do have 2 spools of Scotty rigger line, and i think after the season i will change it out to be safe.

Recently shook out a "new to me" boat that has cannon Mag 5's immediately was concerned with the speed and auto stop bounce. Purchased HD Fish Thief rigger snubbers and on the first fishing trip with them was very happy with my decision. They absorb the shock and keep the weight just under the water line. Makes getting to my releases easier too. May rig up a section of heavy Kevlar braid (or something similar) to tie in between the terminations from the ball to release just incase it ever comes loose there would be one last hope that i don't lose the weight if the snubber breaks. (similar to the idea of the Dacron that they used to put inside the LJ dipsey snubbers). Something about not trusting a jelly-rope just hot-welded together...

I like a little section of heavy mono just for the wear. If the chop is heavy it may cause the board to slip back and be banging on the junction of core to braid. A quick fix might be to just half hitch (2 or 3 hitches) a rubber band on the braid where you want the board to stay and put the loop in the rear pin. I have been doing this regardless so that if the board release pops it doesn't slide all the way down the line and we can get it off the line quicker. Been using the little craft sili bands instead of rubber release bands because they are smaller and weaker, so they dont get caught in the guides or the reel if you end up reeling them up. Be good Mantooth!

Cost of components butt to tip was about $150 per rod. Built on MHX 9'0" X-Heavy X-Glass Downrigger Rod Blank - DR1086-MHX

Over winter i completed a couple dipsy rods for myself. partly because i wanted a custom look and feel and partly because i bought two rods a season ago that were way to stiff and heavy (said they were rated for wire). It was not to save money, that's for sure. Time, quality components, time...But i am excited to see how they will hold up OR blow up on kings this year. I did a spiral wrap so the wire will be coming off the bottom of the rods when they are pulling and fighting fish. It may prove to be a fools errand if the transitions get chewed up by the wire. Expensive mistakes are often unforgettable.

Goby definitely present in the north end but when drifting for perch in the Union Springs and north areas, they do not seem to be a problem. If fishing docks, they tend to be more present as by-catch. I agree with the previous response about dropshot or fishing bait suspended to reduce the bug-eye biters. Seems like there wasnt as many this past season up there...i just figured the fish are on to them more and more each year and that they are reaching a stabilized population in the food chain. Cheers.

Had same situation on Sunday between Fair Haven and Oswego. Lots to look at right in the riggers but couldn't get much going.

Went out mid morning until 4:00Pm out of Fair Haven and trolled towards Oswego. Certainly knew we would have to get out far enough to try to find something other than bath water. Same, temp break down anywhere from 120-140 on the wire. Deep Temps coupled with residual swells made speed management very tough. best i could tell the current was doing some crazy stuff down there. Managed a 8lb King and an 8lb rainbow. King on diver with Flasher and Fly (NBK and bullfrog fly) back 320' on 1 setting. Bow on rigger 110' with Half Hulk spoon. Screen showed all sorts of life below the temp break...just could not get them to eat. Riding the waves beat riding the couch...or mowing the lawn. Good luck out there...heres to hoping temp comes back into a fishable range for the smaller boat guys

I run snap swivels to the lure. Big ones most of the time because i have them pulling flasher and fly. But i rigged some slide-divers recently and have a beadchain swivel about 5' to a simple snap on that rig. The biggest deciding factor for me is often what i have for swivels, snaps or snap swivels. Pricey for the good ones, but the good ones save you alot of problems with twist so... Only thing i would say is dont rely on the barrel swivel that is typically attached on the diver...they dont tend to spin as you need them until your line is twisted up like spagetti on a fork!

Almost always start setting lines with the wind at my stern. Once spread is set, If probe is showing good down speed i keep going. If im running too fast or too slow or not getting bit i will turn it into the waves. My boat trolls like crap when trying to go perpendicular to the wind/waves, so its either with them or against them for me. Hope that helps. Tell Dorothy Manntooth I said hello!

For smaller divers (dive to 35') on braid on Cayuga, I'm running long, medium downrigger rods. I run my wire rods when i go deeper and use the full size divers, but i have run a reg dipsy with reg ring on those rigger rods and it works fine. The size of the fish in fingerlakes gives you a little more flexibility. Glad you got that November trip in when it was nice...get that deer hunting stuff out of the way early and you get to fish!!!

You could run the flasher off a fixed line off the ball (cable tether or heavy mono) with no hooks and run your stacker with spoon 10' above. I believe its called "Ace in the Hole". I tried it once on Cayuga and caught a couple landlocks on it until the line between my dodger and the cannonball broke...15lb test was not heavy enough to take the resistance and rotation or maybe, I made a poor knot. Either way if i was making a rig i would use old rigger cable or 50lb test mono. My grandfather said they may have left the hooks on a fixed rigger ball/dodger/squid combo once or twice...made the rigger cables dance as they winched up the "tuna"