What is everyones BEST spring setup for browns look like?

[Outcast189]

talking about spread and gear, how many rods in water? how many off the planers? how many down the chute? go to lures, and best period in the spring you fish them. Yeah its a early thread, but i need something to drool over this winter.

[bandrus1]

I run 3 off the boards on each side and 2 down on the riggers

the riggers are spoons and the boards are sticks of various kinds

ALWAYS have the old trusty silver and black rapala in the water

[BAZOOKAJOE]

3 rods off the otter boats per side in a v formation. 80-120 ft back. All stick baits of various colors, sizes and diving depth with front hook removed. Run 15 ft of 15 lbs floro as a leader off my 8' 3" ugly stik rigger rods that are spooled with 20 lbs mono. Got a few spring kings this way too. 2.0 sog give or take. Might run small spoons off the riggers if I fish deeper than 10 ft. Fire tiger and black/silver with orange belly seem to be the hot colors.

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[bandrus1]

I use 8lb maxima as my line

[Popeye]

3-4 per side off the otter boats 125' back. Sticks one side spoons the other (let the fish decide where I go from there). Slide diver each side 20 back 20 out bright spoon 5 setting (this is close enough you'll see the spoon prefer orange here). Corner riggers back 75 w/ spoons. Center rigger 50' or less spoon or small flasher/fly.

[Mortigan]

talking about spread and gear, how many rods in water? how many off the planers? how many down the chute? go to lures, and best period in the spring you fish them. Yeah its a early thread, but i need something to drool over this winter.

How many bodies on the boat?

[Chas0218]

8 total off the boards and 2 on the riggers. All really depends on the amount of people. If only 2 I like to run 5 on the boards and1 on the rigger.

[Gill-T]

Two or three lines per side off Otter Boats. Two downrigger lines. One chute 1.5 color leadcore, one flat line. Line running close to bank has 30 lb mainline with 15 lb leader to keep bait off bottom. Spoons off boards have one or two split shot. Like Capt Werner, sticks on shore-side, spoons on the lake-side, and then let the fish determine the flavor of the day. To allow your spoons to run at slow stickbait speed, chose a thin spoon blank over a heavy and consider changing from a treble to a siawash single hook.

[ifishy]

the last two years my best set up has been leadcore off the corner 2 colors out with a 28 spoon i run two sticks off the boards and if its slow i'll put down a rigger or an extra stick out its a 14 ft boat with a 5 foot beam so its only two people though and its tough to run 6 when i cant spread with depth also a good set up for Land locks in the fingers but there i run two riggers two short cores and two sticks with the cores and sticks on the boards and will swap out as the fish dictate.

[Fish Hunter]

Sticks off the boards, 150, and 125, and Suttons 100 back off the riggers.

[BALLS DEEP]

Do people recommend going with tx-44 side planers or otters?

[Jolly II]

Generally I've got 6 rods on planer boards, 3 each side, with either spoons or sticks, depends on what the browns want that day.  I run them back 100' to start on a typical day, 150' with clear water.

 

I usually add 2 riggers in the mix with spoons, sometimes those get swapped out for flat lines when I'm in super close.  Leads off my riggers are usually 50 feet. It's really surprising some days to see the browns taking spoons practically out of the prop wash.

 

As for leader material, I usually have 10lb Pline mono. 

 

As for inline boards, I've never used them, but have seen many that are running inlines.  The TX44s might be too big.  I think it would be more fun to fight these fish with just a clean line. 

[jobsite]

As said above, I also enjoy running lines off otter boats as there is then no additional weight on the fishing line to take away from the fight.

 

When I first heard of running a lure in the prop wash, I was hesitant. After I tried it, I was hooked. I almost always run something in the prop wash now. Its amazing how some fish are attracted to the boat when most are repelled by it. The prop wash lure doesn't seem to be a hot and heavy hitter for me, but the ones I do get there are sure fun.

 

We try to run as many lines as possible, but there are also the days that less lines take more fish.

 

There's nothing like a football brown on 8 pound line.

 

I like orange or bright green rapalas or smithwicks off the planer boards in murky water and silver/black or blue/black in clear water. But, of course, we all own the full realm of color options, right?! Haha. Lure collecting... its what I do.

[DoubleG]

I almost always run something in the prop wash now.

When you say prop wash, how far back are you talking?  Are you running it deep on a rigger or flat line?  Spoons or stick baits?  I've read about guys doing it but I've never tried it.

 

Thanks

 

GG

[Captain Carl Bish]

When you say prop wash, how far back are you talking?  Are you running it deep on a rigger or flat line?  Spoons or stick baits?  I've read about guys doing it but I've never tried it.

 

Thanks

 

GG

If there is color in the water I run a 4 X 4, four down four back, spoon standard size, moonshine ratchet jaw was the one I ran last spring. Silver orange, fire tiger, gold have all produced in the past. Way back in the '80's we ran blue and silver looters for cohos in this manner.

It is awesome when this rod pops! Usually the 4 X 4 fish are larger than the day's average.

CC

[Fish Hunter]

We run 2 sticks off each side at 150 and 125, and spoons out the back at 90-100.

Smithwicks, Jr. T/sticks, jointed Rapalas, etc.

Generally running Bill Clintons(taped Sutton)off the riggers down 4-6 ft.

30 class Pfluegers, on Shimano Voltaus rods/10 lbs. = fun.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Fish Hunter

[hairbone]

When you say prop wash, how far back are you talking?  Are you running it deep on a rigger or flat line?  Spoons or stick baits?  I've read about guys doing it but I've never tried it.

 

Thanks

 

GG

 

I have always run the lure a foot behind the props whitewater trail on the rigger 3' down,  on my boat that is 15' back.  Never tried this for browns, but does work on atlantics & lakers in the spring and fall. 

 

I did try this with a torpedo diver down the chute 15' back on Champlain and LMAO when a land locked rocketed over the outboard!

[jobsite]

DoubleG... I set a spoon about 3' down right at the end of the turbulence of my prop wash. Depending on speed, wind and water conditions, that can be from 6 to 12 feet behind the boat.

[DoubleG]

Thanks guys!!