Line or wire?

[zimm298]

So I'm just getting started in setting up for fishing the fingerlakes and Lake O. I have several reels and rods that I want to set up, my thing is I have no idea where to start. The reels are Okuma 30's I believe, and they came with 8 foot downrigger rods. I'll take all the advice I can get. I'd like to be able to fish a few times this winter on Seneca to work on figuring out how to do the downriggers, and be ready to fish the trout in the spring. I also read a lot about you guys using planer boards, so treat me as the newbie to this that I am. I grew up fishing the Chesapeake Bay, and now live up here and am going crazy trying to figure it out on my own. I'm also going to have to put a kicker on my boat since my Evinrude is grumpy and hates to run at idle to troll, so some starting trolling speed ideas would be great. OK! I give. HELP!! Thanks!!

[ifishy]

best advice i can give is get a pair of leadcores. they are the most productive rods i own.  i have a 4 color and a 6 color that i love on the 4 color i have a piece of mono splieced in at one color and and the 6 color i have one spliece in at two colors.  run a search on this site for how to set them up thats how i learned.  the mono means you can run them off a board at that leangth or the full leangth.  get good flurocarbon i like P-line and go the fingerlakestackle.com and pick some lures.  i only have a handheld gps so for speed fish anywhare from 2.2 to 3.0 vary untill you get a hit that repeat that speed each day is different.  I like big boards but inlines will work i have a homemade mast PM me if you wants some pics did the whole thing for under 50 bucks.  spring and fall are my favorit times fish are up high and inclose so with good weather i can fish lake O if not seneca has several launches so i can run from the wind (small boat).  If you dont want to do boards to start you can flatline the cores of the back while still using riggers also good in a crowd.  get a kicker its quieter and as a result the boards are less important i started catching more fish when i went from an old 40 hp to a newerish 7.5hp  I lost a lot of range but have better speed controll and better gas mileage i caught a lot more fish this year. 

 

for your rigger rods on the fingers you can use any backing you want but if your gonna fish summer the fleas can be a pain many on hear mention 30lb mono for that and it works like a charm get a spool of your prefered brand and fill the reel than go light with your leaders.  I use 10lb in the fingers but keep one rod with a 20lb leader for the spin dr I like the heavier line for the twist.  check your leaders often and dont be afraid to change them. with the finger lakes you want light releases on your riggers or something on a teather  because you will at somepoint hit a small fish and drag it around for a while.  winter on seneca is a good place to learn just keep an eye on the weather winter can turn quick.  best part of the small boat mine was only winterized for like 6 weeks last year.  I had it out in dec and feb. this is a good site to learn ask any questions you can.  most of what i know i learned from the people on this site so i try to pass on what I can but there are many here who know a whole lot more than I do

[Sk8man]

Hey Zimm I see you live in Canandaigua. I'd be glad to meet with you and can help you out with all of it if you wish. I'll PM you.

[zimm298]

Thanks ifishy! I'm watching the posts and just want to get this right! I can't do the horsepower drop like you did, I have a 140hp outboard. I'm going to get a kicker bracket and a little 2 stroke and away we go!

[ifishy]

the kicker is worth its weight in gas alone.  I have a 4 stroke nissan i can troll all day on less than 2 gallons i have a 6 gallon tank and top it off everyother trip at most and have never needed more than 2.5 gallons.  gonna fish infront of the genny today hoping for some big lake O trout.  good luck out there today is prime winter fishing weather.

[Captain Carl Bish]

Lake Ontario

It's all rather simple! Keep your lures in 50 - 58 degree water all season and you will catch plenty of fish.

You can start the year with running stick baits on the surface, planer boards with offshore releases. 20# line with a 12# fluorocarbon leader.

You will need two rods with 20# line for your rigger rods. You should then set up two rods for dipsy divers, these should be line counter reels with 1000' of 30# 7 strand wire, I would recommend Malin brand.

You sound like you are on the right track for a kicker, just pick a good one, you should be able to find a 2005-2007 15-25hp for about $1k.

Keep it simple .... better to have 2 lines running correctly than 4 lines tangled.