Pulling Copper

[troutman10]

I am looking to get a set up for pulling copper. Where do I start? Do people make their own? Do I buy specific things to set up? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for help in advance.

[lrworkman]

penn 309 reel, 600 ft roll of copper, 8.5 ft downrigger rod w/roller tip (will have to make this), 20 0r 30lb leader about 10 to 15ft, green and silver flatfish (or spoon) and lots of reeling!!

[FLXTroutman]

Many of the trollers on Lake O. use 45 # copper spooled up with power pro backer and 45 # copper wire, and 50' Ande 30 # flourocarbon leader. I just picked up the one below in the link from A Tom Mik.

http://www.atommiktrollingflies.com/reels.htm

The line is marked every 100' with a small piece of shrink tube, you may call them and have them mark it every 50' if you wish. I ordered mine on last Thursday online and it was at my door on Saturday, ran it with a spin dr Sunday and it was the first rig that fired. The rod does not have a roller tip, I bought the rod that A tom Mik sells for the copper rigs very nice action. Remember when letting out the copper to thumb the line in free spool and let it out nice and easy cuz if you bird nest the copper line you will be a very unhappy fisherman. I believe Tim Bromund aka Fishstyx said conventional wisdom is that for every 100' of copper out you achieve about 22' in depth at 2.5 to 2.8 mph down speed (don't quote me on that).

Others "pulling copper" use the hand lining method on the FLX. I have heard it described but have yet to see it first hand. I know a guy who does it exclusively with Pflueger spoons that are quite heavy I am told and he does catch big lake trout off the bottom.

[final flight]

IRWORKMAN, is the penn 309 a line counter/ level wind. the largest LC i can find is the daiwa 47LC. and i'm not sure if it will hold all 600 ft. right know i'm struggling with a penn that is not a level wind and it sucks trying to keep it from overlapping. thoughts would be appreciated

GOD bless rollie

[dcso]

i got 600 ft on an accu depth 57 and it works great

[jekyll]

DCSO:

How much backing and what type did you get on with the copper?

[jekyll]

DCSO:

How much backing and what type did you get on with the copper?

[dcso]

600ft of copper and 20ft of fluro leader. there wasnt anymore room, it just fit

ted

[dcso]

that was 30lb copper

[lrworkman]

309 is a level wind and single strand will fit, are you pulling or trolling?

[Splitshot115]

I use a Cabelas DM45 with a Cabelas Whuppin Stick roller guide,

just respooled one of them with 45lb test and got 740 ft on it with no backing. I usually use Opti copper, which is rated at 30lb test and 600 ft

fit nicely on them with no backing. I like the Whuppin sticks as they have alot of back bone.

Splitshot115

[ccarlini]

on the finger lakes they use a victrola with stranded copper and a copper heavy weight spoon with single hook mounted on it.trolled slowely while jerking the wire off the bottom, works great

[final flight]

i spooled 45# copper on a cabela's depth master reel (had no other use for it other than a paper weight) only could get 415 ft. hope this will reach bottom in the 80-90 ft. range, thanks Scott for showing me how to pull copper on the lake. when all else fails it will certainally fill the cooler!!

NOW.. the question is how much 45# copper will go on a Penn 309LC??? went to Cayuga lake today 3 lakers and a landlock,several small ones. started late (7:30 ) ended early (10:30 ) no need to pull copper they all came on a kavorkian spin doctor and a uncle pinch fly. 69ft. down 80-90 ft. of water. 2-3 ft. off the ball. wire dipsy never fired, no takers on the free sliders.

[Splitshot115]

Rollie,

325 should get you on bottom at 2.0 or less mph surface speed in 8o fow

depending what size spoon you have on. Try to 1 3/4 oz Silver minnows

they'll scrape bottom alittle quicker than the suttons but don't have as much action.

Splitshot115

P.S. Hope the boat ran well.

[chowder]

Split, can you outline for us greenhorns this copper technique, it sounds like the type of spoon is key,where do you get Sutton spoons?

[Splitshot115]

I usually order mine right from Sutton, you can get them at South Sore Marina and Seneca marine also.

Pretty simple actually, as I said in the above post what equipment I use.

Just get it on bottom and work it so it flutters, will usually put fish in the

boat when other methods fail.

Splitshot115

[chowder]

What size or number Sutton spoons do I want- I found a couple of places to order them from, Thanks

[Splitshot115]

88 heavy w/single fixed hook I think the other one is a 23 heavy single fixed hook.

Splitshot115

[Sparky]

Ditto on Splits suggestion,

Just have your net ready!!!

[georged]

A Penn 68 reel will handle 600 feet of copper. You can find them used on Ebay. If you can not find a roller tip rod you can purchase a twli tip which is specifically made for wire line.