spread help

[hawkeye625]

Pretty new to lake O trolling and still trying to put a king in the net. Have riggers, dipsys and boards but new to rigging and using the boards (first 2 times with boards ended up in a mess!). Think I'm going to stick with riggers and dipsys.

We usually fish 6 rods (2 on the riggers and 4 dipsys on 2 and 3.5 sets). New to spinnys also. We've been running one on each rigger 15 foot apart in the column back 20. Stinger spoons on the dipsys with 6ft leads. Usually pick up a couple steelhead and coho, but no mature kings.

Do most of you run more than 1 spin doctor and fly in your spread or is that too much action under the surface, or do you run them off dipsys to spread them out? Seems like when we run only 1 spinny we pick up more fish but still no matures.

I've been reading alot of great posts on this site and trying to put together a game plan for my next trip up (4.5 hours from home). Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[rail bird]

Forget the planer boards for now.

You can run all spin doctors if you want. Some guys think it's best to run all the same kind of spoon or spinner because different presentations work best at different speeds. But you also have to know what presentation is working so starting out with a mix until you take hits on something is also a good way to go.

You might want to cut down to a 4 rod spread if you are having trouble with tangles. You have to make sure what you are running is running right. Tangles and spoons spinning out of control will stop you from catching fish. 4 dipsey rods can be tough to manage on some days.

I would say you are running the opposite of what most people run in that the spin docs and fly go on the diver rods and the spoons go on the riggers to start.

Good Luck

[Richard]

i have a small boat as well. My usual spread has flasher flys on my dipsys and a mix on my riggers. I have four riggers and run two dipsys. I will run some slide divers up high later on in the year for up to fout divers out. If you are tangling your dipsys I would change to two (one each side), and stack your riger rods.

On your second statement. If you are only catching smaller fish, I have found that the bigger fish are usualy deeper. How far back are you setting your dipsys? I am usualy out anywere from 250 to 325' out using wire. This puts my set up down about 80 to 108' down. If you are using mono dipsys I do not think you are able to get that deep without excesive amout of line out and then would not be able to trip them.

Good luck fishing and tight lines.

Just have fun out there and be safe.

Richard

[Mickey Finn]

I'd say until you get more experience, I'd run two riggers and two divers. To start with, I'd run a flasher fly on one rigger and a spoon on the other. I'd probably put a slider on the rigger rod that is pulling the spoon. I don't like to slide lures over my flashers. Too much mess for me. On the divers, I'd also run one flasher fly on one and a spoon on the other to start with. Then adjust to what's hot. However, if you make a change and everything stalls, especially on the riggers, put it back the way it was. I've seen days when my spoons on the riggers were hot, so I took my flasher fly off and everything stopped working. Put the flasher back down and the spoon goes again. Obviously, the flasher was pulling them in to the pattern but then they wanted the action of the spoon.

[Gill-T]

This time of year.....step one, determine the proper depth based on water temps and where the bait is showing on the graph. The bigs will be actively feeding in/around bait during the prime feeding times at first light, last light, in the 50 degree band of water that usually coincides with where the bait is showing. Other than those prime feeding times, target the bigs in the 40 degree band of water which depending on which end of the lake you fish (east end= warmer water, west end=colder) will start around 80' down in the summer. Fishing that deep (80-130'++) usually involves flasher/flies or flasher/meat for big fish. I am talking in generalities here. Each area of the lake is different. In shore big Kings are usually DEEP near the bottom. As you head deeper out into the middle of the lake, cold water is not as far down, so you will be fishing higher.

[hawkeye625]

Thanks for the info guys, looks like I was running dipsys too shallow (150-180ft back) and wasn't running a spinny off the dipsys (thought it would drag too much and trip the diver). Usually fish the bar area or Olcott (only there once, but will be back in July).

I haven't had trouble with the dipsy program tangling, just when trying to run the planner boards. The boards seem to want to track towards my boat and are not pulling like I expected them to. Eventually, I'll probably use the in line boards and get rid of the mast (just seems like a lot less to deal with). To keep things simple I'll stick with dipsys and riggers for now.

Thanks again for the posts, I'm going to Olcott sometime in July and will have alot more confidence in my spread heading into the trip. Think I'll run 1 dipsy with a white spinny and fly, one with a mt dew spinny and green fly, and spoons off the riggers with sliders to start with. If nothing happens I'll mix it up to a spinny on 1 rigger and move a spoon to one of the divers.

Feels kinda good to have a game plan. Can't wait to put it into action!

[PolarBear]

this was very inforative post for me ...thanks guys

[S Mick]

Ran one flasher in my program on my deep rigger last weekend and it took one nice fish, otherwise it was quiet...... BUT when I pulled it from my spread of 4 wire divers and the other rigger (all pulling spoons which were firing regularly) the action ceased for the hour I had it out of the water. Ran it back down, and immediately took two fish on my inside divers. Needless to say, the flasher stayed parked on the port rigger for the remainder of the trip.

[Mickey Finn]

Seen that happen many times. I guess it's just getting their attention.

[Yankee Troller]

You've had a lot of good advice on this thread. You came to the right place to figure out how to maximize your time on the water.

When I know I am fishing King and Kings only my spread consists of 3 riggers and 4 wires. Kings tend to hang down a little deeper, and I know they love our A-TOM-MIK flies. We will put a paddle/fly on each of the corner riggers in King Temps or where we are marking them. On the center rigger we will run spoons cheated in the 55-60 degree water range, or just above our corner riggers. Next our deeper divers are set as follows:

.5 and 2 - when we need to get DEEP (All 4 have paddle/flies)

1 and 2.5 - targeting fish in the top 100 (Deep have paddle/flies for Kings and high has spoons for trout and Cohos)

2 and a slide diver on a 4 - Fishing top 50 (All 4 have spoons because of the variety of fish generally)

When we are fishing for anything is when we will run the riggers with all spoons and keep the paddles on the wires. This in theory will allow a variety of fish to take our riggers, while the divers target mainly Salmon.

[hawkeye625]

Came back up for the day Sunday 11th. Got a late start (left dock a 10:30). Ran a black green dot spinny w/green hammer fly on a dipsy 3 set back 150-180. Spoons on the riggers 60-80 down with cheaters and other dipsy on 3 set back 160-225. 20 or so hits 14 boated including 2 kings 20.2 and 20.14 (our best to date). 2 reel screamers on the black green dot spinny, both shook the hook. Our best fishing was in 200-330 fow.

When things slowed down we took off the spinny cause the spoons were hot. No more hits until we put another spinny out (white). They didn't want the white spinny, but it seemed to bring them into the spread. Would've never thought to try it without the excellent advice I picked up off this thread.

I have to say the addiction has started. 9 hours on the road for 8 hours of fishing? Must be crazy! Thanks again guys. Hope to be back the last weekend of July for a couple of days.

Jeff