flea trouble and, maybe, a solution

[rolmops]

We had a terrible flea problem fishing out of Oswego. The fleas made our downrigger cables clog up and the mono became useless. After hand lining in some fish and loosing most of them in the flea F-ups we took out all our mono and started running just leadcore and weighted steel. The leadcore soon fouled up as well, but the weighted steel and the 19 strand torpedo stayed miraculously clean. Today I will strip the weighted steel off two rods and fish the downrigger rods with with just 19 strand torpedo wire and a few foot of leader material. I'll keep you guys informed. 

[emtystringer]

Looking forward to your report

[Landshark]

I'm eager to hear

[Xxx]

Yea me to, I’m getting me 4 spools of 19 strand to fish this week, I’m not even worried about the twilly tips as they should last 4 days of fishing, my daughters are coming along and I don’t want any foul-up. I’ll put the tips on later, unless he comes up with something different. I have 2 set ups but no wire. This was going to be the year anyway!!

[bandrus1]

Need to get it set in your head you need to be pulling rods every 10 to 15 mins to be cleaned.. it sucks but it's what has to be done

[Xxx]

34 minutes ago, bandrus1 said:

Need to get it set in your head you need to be pulling rods every 10 to 15 mins to be cleaned.. it sucks but it's what has to be done

 

👍👍👍 thanks will be doing that. I’m only going to run 2 dipsys per side and riggers, may get ballsy and add a cheater but that will be decided if the rest of the paraphernalia is going per plan!!

[bandrus1]

From what I was told you will have your hands full running 4 rods at a time between cleaning and number of fish

 

I am going tomorrow but what I was told was you are better off running less rods correctly than more stuffed with fleas.

 

The captn I talked to said riggers were on 10 min clean cycle and wire was 15

Edited July 7, 2018 by bandrus1

[bandrus1]

I will report back I still have 30 lb flea flicker spooled up.. have not heard from anyone how that old school line holds up

[TrophySeeker]

I will report back I still have 30 lb flea flicker spooled up.. have not heard from anyone how that old school line holds up

Did not hold up well last 2 trips out...

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

 

[relaxer]

They clogged wire today they were so bad at the Oak.

[garrymny]

On 7/6/2018 at 6:33 AM, rolmops said:

We had a terrible flea problem fishing out of Oswego. The fleas made our downrigger cables clog up and the mono became useless. After hand lining in some fish and loosing most of them in the flea F-ups we took out all our mono and started running just leadcore and weighted steel. The leadcore soon fouled up as well, but the weighted steel and the 19 strand torpedo stayed miraculously clean. Today I will strip the weighted steel off two rods and fish the downrigger rods with with just 19 strand torpedo wire and a few foot of leader material. I'll keep you guys informed. 

How will you attach the wire line to the downrigger release? I use chamberlains, and I don't think wire will work with them or blacks release. Maybe a pinch style would work, but  wire is finicky anyways as far as alll the sudden breaking because of a kink or coil or what not.

[rolmops]

So yesterday, I tried several things with different types of torpedo wire.

i used 7 strand, 19 strand and weighted steel.

The 7 strand on the dipsies did load up with fleas, but it was easily removed.

weighted steel stayed spotlessly clean. 19 strand used as backing for the  weighted steel, stayed spotless.

Next I tried 7 strand and 19 strand for the down riggers. The 7 strand did load up, but unlike mono it was easily removed. The 19 strand was kept on the rigger for almost an hour, and it did carry some fleas, but the fleas were very easily removed and never slowed the reeling in process.

I used the wireline rods on the down riggers and this might be a factor.

The difference between the 7 and the 19 is probably because the 19 is very smooth. 

I will be using 19 strand until this crazy flea problem goes away.

We use rubber bands to connect to blacks.

Edited July 9, 2018 by rolmops

[Sk8man]

Good info Thanks

Edited July 8, 2018 by Sk8man

[relentless]

They were sticking to 30lb flea flicker and 30 sea flea just as bad as 30lb big game on the 7th and 8th.  Lead and copper not so bad just didnt catch anything on them.  

[longbow]

Blood Run sea flea 30lb SUCKS!  $40 down the tubes, and hand lined two fish in.  Folks are running lead and copper on there riggers with longer leaders with decent results.  

[Fat Trout]

Has anyone tried this stuff.  I may put it on my flea flicker to see if it helps.  I use it for spinning real line in light weight casting situations.  It seems to make the line slick.

 

 

[Brwntrt]

on the same concept... spraying WD40

[Sk8man]

As with WD40 IF it does work it is only briefly at best and both substances are a terrible idea for the wtaer and environment.