Oswego7/5

[eric cooper]

Fished out of Oswego Saturday evening after the storm rolled through. Set up at 3 pm running all F/F on riggers down 65 and wire dipseys back 220 on a 3 setting. Trolled from 150 to 275 feet marking very little bait but did end up with 7 hook ups. Unfortunately we only boated 1 king as we eitther pulled hooks or cut mono off before we got the copper cleared. First and last trial with copper for me, ran it down chute and lost two big kings because of it. Selling my set up in the classifieds on here if anyone wants a 500 copper set up. Fish are a bit spread put but if we get good winds this week things are looking great for next weekend.

[steelfire]

I hear you on the copper. It sucks. BUT...there are some days that it out fishes everything else.  I started running mine on my planner boards way out to the sides and have had better luck and less tangles.

[xstreamguideservice]

You've got to put the copper setups on boards away from the other presentations. Do yourself a favor and don't give up yet. I've had days the copper setups are the only thing putting fish in the net. At the end of the day my clients "feel" like they've had one hell of a trip.

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[Paul Czarnecki]

You most certainly CAN run copper down the chute. You just can't ignore it when you have a fish on another line. You MUST pay attention to where the fish is and where your copper is and move your copper accordingly. The copper is far enough away from everything it should never be a factor. Copper didn't lose those fish--YOU did---by not paying attention to what was happening around you.

[BAD JU JU]

Eric

 

Get rid of the copper i did after trying it several times with alot of cash invested, I do just fine with riggers and dipsies. Unless you want to be one of those guys who thinks he owns the entire eastern end of the lake and screams when you get to within 2 miles of their boat.

[Iceman]

_{Any time you have copper in the water, it is a FACTOR, especially when a big King runs across the spread. You are doing yourself, & everyone else a favor by getting rid of the copper.}

 

_John

Edited July 7, 2013 by Iceman

[rolmops]

Two years ago I saw an interesting solution for running copper out of the chute. On "Just horsin Around" they let 4 or 5 hundred feet of copper out and just before the backing they put a BIG bobber. Then they let it out another 50 feet and dragged it along with the copper rod up in the rack . When there was a big hit and the copper might be in the way they let out another 200 feet of backing. The backing stayed above the surface out to the bobber and the copper was out of the way. Now that we have double keeled otter boats,we no longer use this bobber thing. The copper goes off to the side.

Edited July 7, 2013 by rolmops

[Fishtails]

 

 

You most certainly CAN run copper down the chute. You just can't ignore it when you have a fish on another line. You MUST pay attention to where the fish is and where your copper is and move your copper accordingly. The copper is far enough away from everything it should never be a factor. Copper didn't lose those fish--YOU did---by not paying attention to what was happening around you.

 

     Well said Paul!

 

 

Personally, I think you should ALL sell your copper set ups. That would mean there are more fish in the lake for me 

[jason]

Just get a musky bobber for your chute copper. That way you know how far back you copper is. And you can let copper go back farther to clear you fishing area. I prefer the coppers over dypsy. There are days when im running 5 coppers. 2 on each side of the boat and a chute one. Don't give up on copper. Once you learn to use it you will love it

[Sk8man]

On salt water we used balloons instead of bobbers if they get messed up on the way in or something you just pop it or cut it off quick, it allowed you to see where the wire started and you could let out line (lots of backing on reel) once you knew position of fish on other line (s) to get it far away from everything.

[eric cooper]

No doubt my inexperience with copper played a role in losing a couple fish. I was paying complete attention however, and the fact is that the fish ripped a rigger across the copper before I could bring it in. No biggie, its like everything else out there. Some people love it and some hate it.

[rlconverse]

Im by no means a pro at copper but what iv found is keep the tip high n not let the "belly" of the copper get wobbing side to side. Other then straighted hooks we havent lost any on copper.

[skipper19]

Copper does take some attention in the chute. I have had it get into a fish on another line often. Sometimes after ya move it around, it seems like the fishes name is "Muphy" and goes right where you thought the copper was safe. If it's a 300 or less I will try to bring it in when a fish has taken a wire diver. The diver and flasher sometime can take the fish on an angle and head right for the copper. Rigger hits are never too much to worry about as much as the other long lines. I generally will run one copper and it is in the chute, but when steelhead are numerous I keep it out of the chute. I have never run copper off the boards, but that is because I have 15 foot outriggers that are much simpler for me to use, and less things in the water. Rough water they really shine. I run the riggers high and back to the stern so the line enters the water way back behind all the other sets. I also run two different weights of copper at the same time, a 30, and a 45 lb when fishing two copper sets. They run at different angles of depths at the same speed thereby reducing the effect of running the same plane with each other.

Even still, there are some issues with ambitious fish like steelhead or coho that show up in schools. Two on or more can be a little tense, given their propensity to running 90 degrees to boat travel and jumping and coming back under the copper. That is when you need to know, did the fish jump over the copper and come back under or did he go under and then jump on the way back to the boat wake. It can help to determine the way to move the rods over and under to keep up with the fish and avoid a more severe mess.

Mark

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[BAZOOKAJOE]

Buy some otter boards with double keels!

[Paul Czarnecki]

No doubt my inexperience with copper played a role in losing a couple fish. I was paying complete attention however, and the fact is that the fish ripped a rigger across the copper before I could bring it in. No biggie, its like everything else out there. Some people love it and some hate it.

If a rigger fish "ripped .....across the copper" all you had to do was lift the copper rod up and over the line with the fish on it. A rigger fish is not going to do loops around your copper. If the fish hits a port side rigger and runs over to the starboard side all you need to do is lift the copper rod OVER the rigger rod and take it to the port side---copper cleared.

Truth be told---wire divers are FAR more "dangerous" to rigger fish than copper will ever be simply because they are always under tension and the wire acts like a knife. I have never seen copper cut a fish off---EVER.

Good luck with your choice--whatever it is.

[on the lam]

If a rigger fish "ripped .....across the copper" all you had to do was lift the copper rod up and over the line with the fish on it. A rigger fish is not going to do loops around your copper. If the fish hits a port side rigger and runs over to the starboard side all you need to do is lift the copper rod OVER the rigger rod and take it to the port side---copper cleared.

Truth be told---wire divers are FAR more "dangerous" to rigger fish than copper will ever be simply because they are always under tension and the wire acts like a knife. I have never seen copper cut a fish off---EVER.

Good luck with your choice--whatever it is.

100 % accurate. ..

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[jj7leaf]

Eric

 

Get rid of the copper i did after trying it several times with alot of cash invested, I do just fine with riggers and dipsies. Unless you want to be one of those guys who thinks he owns the entire eastern end of the lake and screams when you get to within 2 miles of their boat.

If you got screamed at for crossing behind someone, you probably deserved it and were TO CLOSE.

I have never had anyone yell at me about how close I cross, even when they have boards out. 

If you see boards you should assume COPPER... 

If you are getting screamed at on a regular basis (enough to post on here about it!) you should look at how close you pass alongside and behind others.

 

my $.02

[eric cooper]

Thanks for your $.02 jj7leaf but you mistook what I said. What I meant was that the fish peeled line off the reel and headed straight up and across the transom.  Never been screamed at by another fisherman, believe me.

[jekyll]

Most of the copper incidents with other boats are during the fall stage when everyone is congregating in 100 or less. A 300 copper does not reach back much farther than a dipsy stretched to 300. If you cross a stern within danger of a 300 copper, you may very well take out their dipsies as well.

 

I took a guy out last month for his first trolling trip. He is a master fisherman who travels around the world chasing all sorts if fish but, he had never trolled for salmon. He commented on how technical trolling is. He was amazed at how much you need to master with each different technique: sink rates, presentations, line characteristics, speeds, deployment techniques, turn effects etc. Copper requires a unique skill set that once learned and mastered, takes most of the angst out of the equation and yields a very effective tool for catching fish. The techniques need to be learned. Time and experience will allow you to run it with confidence. If someone approaches your stern too closely, you can speed up for a bit and reel in a bit of backing. Both will allow you to protect your rig.