Seneca 8/17, Finally!

[indian]

Launched out of Severn trolled south to the salt plant. Finally got a grand slam, 3 lakers around 4 to 6 lbs, 1 HUGE bow over 11 lbs, and two browns, both small ones of a lb or so, and then on the turn we got a nice little salmon. All in 110 to 90 fOW on dipsys with suttons and flashers back 200 to 225 ft, except the bow which hit the lead core pulling a silver and black 5 in rapala. Weeds weren't bad and no fleas at all. Things went dead as soon as we turned around and trolled with the waves. Probably our best day out yet.

I've been trying flys with flashers and have yet to even get a hit on them, what the heck am I doing wrong? You guys talk about these constantly, I usually use a large dodger off the dipsy about 36 in and then the fly off the dodger around 18 in. Any help with these would be appreciated.

[Bobber]

I'm no expert on dipsys...but I start with them out @ 165' and 185' on 2 or 3 setting. If no hits, I'll run the 165' dipsy out to @200'. I'll keep alternately running them out until I start taking hits. If no hits by the time I get them out to around 265', I'll pull them, maybe change colors, and start over up @ 165'. I also occasionally make quick sharp turns rather than just a lazy S pattern. Not to the extent that you risk tangling lines, just a 3 or 4 second hard crank on the wheel then back straight. Quite often it will trigger a strike. Keep at it, it took us a while before we had much success with them, now we catch more fish off dipsys than we do the riggers.

Kyle

[Bobber]

As a side note...depending on the length of your dipsy rods, you may want to try and increase the length from dipsy to flasher a bit. I run my flashers 5' to 6' behind the dipsy and fly 18" to 24" behind the flasher. With 10' rods, I can just get them out beyond the riggers (riggers straight out the side 42" booms) when setting up, and get fish to the back of the boat without too much trouble.

Kyle

[rshubuck]

Sounds like a great day fishing to me. Just need some Pics

I have not had much luck with dodgers but have had great luck with spindoctors and even protroll flashers. The big dodgers I have a problem with them spinning when they are suppose to sway back and forth. Which tells me that I am trolling to fast for them but I like trolling at down speed of 2.0 to 2.5. I'm just getting into trolling so I'm no expert. I been fishing Cayuga more then Seneca but on both lakes green spindoctors and a green flys been working for me. White and purple has also been producing. ATomMik and BigWeenie flys are what I run. Leader length 22 to 24" between flasher and fly.Hope this helps get you even more fish. Oh I have been running my dipsys at 3 setting 310' and 355' on Cayuga but Cayuga the thermocline is a lot deeper but I just target lakers and the Salmon.

[indian]

Thanks guys, I'm thinking maybe the flasher is just spinning as I troll between 2.5 to 3. Think I'll pick up a spin doc and give that a try.

Sorry no pics....the son was with me yesterday and usually the wife brings the camera.....go figure. I'm wondering if that old myth about women being bad luck on a ship is true.....gawd don't anyone tell her I said that!

[ERABBIT]

Nice going , I also got my 1st grandslam this year and was close for my second one yesterday.............

[kremer01]

Yep you gotta slow down a bit to get the flasher/fly combo to work best. Try a Spin Doctor and fly, they work better sometimes on Finger Lakes. thanks for the report and good fishing!

[FLXTroutman]

You may be having speed compatibility issues with dipsies running dodgers and flies and dodgers and spoons, cores with stickbaits, then spoons off riggers, especially when you trolled with the waves. Most baits have a speed they run well at, for instance I could not get a 5" Rapala to troll 2.5-3.0 without it spinning out. However you caught a big bow running it in your program so you are on to something. I set up dipsies (black, purple, clear) with the leader about the length of my rods, 7'-9' of 30 lb Ande or Berkeley, quality snap swivels I believe they are #4's ( bigger one for diver rods), then Spin Dr. or Church Revelator, fly leaders 22"-24". The fly should have the skirt even with the treble hook, and I always use tournament tie (fishdoctor.com for great video how to). You can also run a spoon clean off the dipsy. I usually work through the colors if my first program is not working but 8" green spinnies and hammer fly (anytime) or 8" white pro troll flasher and noseeum fly (early am or cloudy) are my best producers.

[indian]

Thanks for the in put fellas. I run my dipsys on a 2 or 3 setting with a small "0" dodger and a 24" to 36" leader for my spoons, my dipsy rods are pretty stiff action 7 footers. My lead core rods are 8.5 footers medium action, and I run them both straight down the pipe with a 1/4 oz or lighter snap weight on em, usually pulling a stick bait on a 7' to 6' leader. I've been running the large "1" or "2" dodger with the flys to get (I thought) better action on the fly. I just picked up two spin docs today.....we'll see how they work Saturday out of Severn again.

Thanks again for the input....

[ERABBIT]

Not to take away from what FLXTroutman because they don't mix well and that's some thing you just have to figure out....................but up untill yesterday all my hook ups and misses for the past week or better have been going south except for one when we had the heavy west wind I picked one laker up trolling west.

[Big Dave]

You talk about large flashers , I use the 8" with a 6' lead from the dipsie and run at a faster speed 2.8 to 3.0mph . The lakers can swim that fast