New and in need of lots of help

[bkf5012]

Hi all, I am brand new to this. Went on a charter last year on Ontario, and this year thought it would be a good idea to get into fishing on Seneca. I bought 2 Okuma rod and reels and am lining them with ultra thin copper wire. I don't have down riggers, and am hoping to not have to get them. I was hoping for any information at all on how in the world I am going to catch fish, what type of equipment I am lacking, spoons or flies? Do I add dipsys to the copper? Best type of knots to connect copper to dacron backing and copper to leader, length of leader. Best speed to troll at on the South end of Seneca, etc. etc. etc. Right now the set up is a small boat with a 45hp outboard, but will slow right down to troll. I am sure this is not the absolute ideal set up, but I am hoping to not spend a ton more. I was hoping to figure out what type of "necessity stuff" I still need. All I have is 2 poles lined with 400ft a-tom-ic copper, four pole holders, 5 assorted green spoons, 2 swivels, 250yd of 30lb test floro, and one green spin doctor with a green fly. Am I going to be able to catch fish early Sunday morning or am I going to be burning gas and washing lines? Any help would be extremely appreciated! please and thank you much!

[Hookedup]

Al you can do is try, you have to start some where. You need to get with any of the guys or gals on this forum and get out on the water to see what you need. The sky is the limit in this game, you can keep it simple or you can turn it into a big money hobby You should be able to catch fish on a 400 copper rig now with spoons or flashers. Good Luck and welcome to the Forum. Sean

[bkf5012]

Sean, thanks for the response. I guess what I should be asking is, if I want to catch a fish early Sunday morning with that set up what type of things do I need to do. I understand all the charters probably don't want to give away secrets, but seriously any type of information would help. In the future I want to go out with someone on this site, but that could be weeks, months, a year away. I am chomping at the bit and just want a sporting chance at catching a fish Sunday.

[33canuck]

Sound to me like you have camo stainless steel on those rods not copper if that's the case you need dipsys before your flasher flys if it is just copper and you have 400 to 500 feet let it out with your spoons on one flasher fly on the other your 45hp should idle to good speed but check the action beside the boat first. Green is almost always good so I think tackle wise you should get bit.

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[Bobber]

I think we all started with hopes of not spending too much Sounds like you already got some good advice to get you started. All downhill from here! Oh yeah, welcome aboard!

Kyle

[tmckenzie]

My fishing buddy started this post. We got the boat rigged up today with pole holders, and rigged the rods up, and plan to hit the water at 6 in the am. One question we both had. How do you know when you get a fish on? I assume, that if the drag it set, we will here it. Am I right. This type of fishing is new to me. I am from the south and grew up commercial fishing for catfish.

[711skwerlz]

leave your drag kind of loose not super loose and it will pull line. are you launching in watkins tomorrow? Do you have a radio? i'll be on 68 out of severne but can still catch some chatter from watkins. "Time Wasted" It is a tough time of year to start, early spring is best there. keep at it

[bkf5012]

We are, but we don't have a radio. It is pretty barebone. I am assuming a radio is something you can pick up down the road? A fish finder would probably come before that? I am also wondering if a GPS from a car will work well enough to just get your speed while on the water? Thank you for the tip on the drag. We weren't exactly sure how it worked without down riggers. Down riggers are pretty obvious when you have a fish. Do you tighten it at all and then set the hook? Or just set it and start cranking?

[33canuck]

If your drag is set right you should hear the hit but it is often the rod bends when the fish strikes that let's you know fish on! Watch your rods you will know I 'd bet money on it. If a fish hits with wire don't set the hook just pull rod out of holder keep tension and start reeling just keep the good rod bend and keep drag set good. Tight lines bud!

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[bkf5012]

We caught one in about 4 hours Sunday morning. We had a 300 foot copper rod and a 350 foot copper rod and we wound up losing all the copper off the 350 foot copper rod. Went past a booey and thought we hooked up with a fish, but turned out to be an anchor. I don't know how in the world 50# backing will break before a 30lb monofilament leader, but it happened. We did manage to land one though, I had the drag set as loose as could be without it pulling line just from us trolling and I never heard the drag, but could tell something was up from the rod bending. It was just a little one, but still a fish. It wound up coming off an orangish dream weaver spoon.

[Zebedee]

Way to go!

[stoutner]

We caught one in about 4 hours Sunday morning. We had a 300 foot copper rod and a 350 foot copper rod and we wound up losing all the copper off the 350 foot copper rod. Went past a booey and thought we hooked up with a fish, but turned out to be an anchor. I don't know how in the world 50# backing will break before a 30lb monofilament leader, but it happened. We did manage to land one though, I had the drag set as loose as could be without it pulling line just from us trolling and I never heard the drag, but could tell something was up from the rod bending. It was just a little one, but still a fish. It wound up coming off an orangish dream weaver spoon.

Good job on first try.

[711skwerlz]

Great to hear you boated one. Those bouys dont move I lost a dipsy, flasher and fly on one when I started.

[33canuck]

DOH! yup bouys can put up a real fight At least you got the skunk out and most likely learned a thing or two.

[bkf5012]

Yeah, lesson learned on the bouys. One expensive lesson. If you were deciding between putting a fish finder on or a radio or another rod which would come first? Also, how low level of a fish finder can you throw on and have it be worth using?

Thanks everyone for all the information so far, this has probably saved me hours of reading already.

[Zebedee]

... but I am hoping to not spend a ton more.

... If you were deciding between putting a fish finder on or a radio or another rod which would come first?

...and so it begins!

[tmckenzie]

We will get that boat rigged up with everything we need. I look at it like an investment. I just hope I do not kill over and my old lady sells the stuff what I say I paid for it. Since we got a nice fish, we both are hooked.

[stoutner]

I would spend at least $150 on a fish finder. 5" screen black and white is fine. Something like a Hummingbird 570 or similar.

[stoutner]

By the way. I would check the classifieds section of this forum every few days. There are always people selling their excess stuff really cheap on here. I have bought lots of stuff from guys on here and have never been disappointed. viewforum.php?f=10