Looking for a Victrola fishing box!

[Joel Radecki]

Looking for one or two Victrola fishing boxes to buy before this summer . Also would buy twin minnows if anyone has any they’re getting rid of .Please let me know if you have anything to sell thanks !

[Sk8man]

Kinda like asking for someone to give up the rights to their high producing goldmine.....just joking

[troutman]

I attached a poster of a great show coming up...I've seen these boxes for sale there...you can find just about anything you need at this show...hope this info helps...tight lines🎣🎣🎣

[Sk8man]

Good idea..... if the guy is there he has some beautiful victrolas

[Joel Radecki]

21 minutes ago, trputman54 said:

I attached a poster of a great show coming up...I've seen these boxes for sale there...you can find just about anything you need at this show...hope this info helps...tight lines🎣🎣🎣

I’ll have to check it out thanks for the help!

[troutman10]

FYI...There's a Victrola in the classifieds. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by troutman10

[RV6]

I have never seen or heard of a Victrola Fishing Box .What is it used for ? thanks ;paul

[whaler1]

Cmon Sk8man, in a thousand words or less. Something that was used for getting down deep for lakers?  

[troutman]

15 hours ago, RV6 said:

I have never seen or heard of a Victrola Fishing Box .What is it used for ? thanks ;paul

Pullin' copper

[Sk8man]

Bill   It is mainly used for bottom fishing for Lake Trout. There are spring (s) (some have only one others have multiple usually two) inside that are wound up with a "key"  to create tension on single strand copper wire to which either a somewhat heavy spoon with the fixed hook facing upward to avoid catching on bottom or snagging weeds, OR a small thing resembling a flatfish on a leader (Twin minnow). The spoon is dragged slowly along bottom all the while "feeling" the bottom. The Twin minnow is run close to bottom. The operator holds the wire between his thumb and forefinger and uses a jerking motion ( often 2 small jerks followed by a long one or the reverse of it) as the spoon drags along the bottom (hopefully on cobble so you can feel it better). Like wise the twin minnow is pulled usually slightly and just off bottom, but everyone has a little different technique and success may depend on minor things that are done and firsthand  experience is probably more critical to this technique than anything else in fishing and closely relates to success. Sorry Bill I couldn't resist ( But I did make it in less than a thousand words) Oh I forgot..... any slack in the wire as you troll along is taken up automatically by the spool on the top of the victrola.

Edited February 23, 2023 by Sk8man

[RV6]

Thank You I understand now. That is a technique I have never heard of. Pretty amazing would like to see it in action. I have 7 Victrolas but they are worth too much to become fishing gear. But I am going to look for a throw away. I do use copper on a pfluger fly reel 1495  Thanks ;paul

[Sk8man]

The Victrola is one option for jerking copper and another popular one is the A and S automatic reel which often used monel wire ( a silverish colored  soft wire somewhat like copper in many respects but at least for me tended to kink and break more often than copper.

 

[whaler1]

2 hours ago, Sk8man said:

Bill   It is mainly used for bottom fishing for Lake Trout. There are spring (s) (some have only one others have multiple usually two) inside that are wound up with a "key"  to create tension on single strand copper wire to which either a somewhat heavy spoon with the fixed hook facing upward to avoid catching on bottom or snagging weeds, OR a small thing resembling a flatfish on a leader (Twin minnow). The spoon is dragged slowly along bottom all the while "feeling" the bottom. The Twin minnow is run close to bottom. The operator holds the wire between his thumb and forefinger and uses a jerking motion ( often 2 small jerks followed by a long one or the reverse of it) as the spoon drags along the bottom (hopefully on cobble so you can feel it better). Like wise the twin minnow is pulled usually slightly and just off bottom, but everyone has a little different technique and success may depend on minor things that are done and firsthand  experience is probably more critical to this technique than anything else in fishing and closely relates to success. Sorry Bill I couldn't resist ( But I did make it in less than a thousand words) Oh I forgot..... any slack in the wire as you troll along is taken up automatically by the spool on the top of the victrola.

Thanks Les, great description. Do many people still use them?

[Sk8man]

A few diehards like Frogger and Signalman on Seneca and there are still some on Cayuga, Keuka and Canandaigua. It is the one technique though that takes years to perfect with a lot of hands on experience and not because it is particularly "difficult" but rather the little nuances make all the difference in the world. Two people on the same boat doing it can appear to be doing about the same thing but with vastly different results, and the bottom characteristics felt through the wire are very important - so knowing the bottom very well where you are fishing is also a game changer. You troll at very slow speeds and usually on a diagonal from shore gradually letting out wire while feeling the bottom to know where the lure is. My grandfather did it on Seneca in the early 1900's from a rowboat

Edited February 24, 2023 by Sk8man

[RV6]

What a historic account of Victrola Fishing Just fascinating. Thank You for continuing this thread. I want to build one and try it Thanks ;paul  

[Joel Radecki]

17 minutes ago, Sk8man said:

A few diehards like Frogger and Signalman on Seneca and there are still some on Cayuga, Keuka and Canandaigua. It is the one technique though that takes years to perfect with a lot of hands on experience and not because it is particularly "difficult" but rather the little nuances make all the difference in the world. Two people on the same boat doing it can appear to be doing about the same thing but with vastly different results, and the bottom characteristics felt through the wire are very important - so knowing the bottom very well where you are fishing is also a game changer. You troll at very slow speeds and usually on a diagonal from shore gradually letting out wire while feeling the bottom to know where the lure is. My grandfather did it on Seneca in the early 1900's from a rowboat

I’ve been doing it on Seneca and Cayuga sense I was a kid and don’t think I’ll ever go back. Such a fun unique way to fish !

[Reel Doc]

Les, do you have a U-Tube video to show us how this is done?  Looks like there's no handle to reel in the line.  Need strong hands and fingers for sure.   A freshwater version of Old man and the Sea!!

[Frogger]

Les, I think we should get Whaler up on Lake O this spring in let him try is hand on a big laker……….

[Reel Doc]

1 hour ago, Frogger said:

Les, I think we should get Whaler up on Lake O this spring in let him try is hand on a big laker……….

Now that would be the video all of us would love to see!!

[Sk8man]

Reel Doc Although it could be done on Youtube  or with a Go Pro etc. the absolute best way to get the true gist of it is to watch in person someone experienced doing it because as I said the "nuances" or small things are critical to success. I did fail to mention that most folks use something to protect their fingers from the wire (often a thumb and forefinger cut from a pair of thick leather work gloves) because if you snag up on bottom or even have a large laker at the end you could potentially severely cut or even lose a finger from the wire cutting. It is a technique done totally by hand without any reel etc.  The slack in the wire is taken up automatically by the spring (or gear) inside the box. So as you change depths the victrola or A& S reel roll the wire onto the spool for you. In the old days various things were used to manually wind up the wire onto while trolling, OR the wire was coiled on the floor of the boat trying hard not to kink the wire.

Mike: It would be a lot of fun watching Bill do it wouldn't it (especially experiencing initial hit and then the "head shake" of a real big one

Edited February 24, 2023 by Sk8man

[Joel Radecki]

31 minutes ago, Reel Doc said:

Now that would be the video all of us would love to see!!

Here’s a short clip of us bringing one in . Hope it uploads and gives you guys an idea .

[Reel Doc]

Why single strand copper vs the woven?  Would think the later would be easier on the hands and less likely to snap.  

Thanks for that video, but also agree that initial hit and classic laker head shake would give your hands and arms some tingles......I'm thinking I for one need to stick to a rod and reel.

[Frogger]

Why single strand copper vs the woven?  Would think the later would be easier on the hands and less likely to snap.

 

Braided copper doesn’t get down as fast due to weight or drag. I’ve seen some use it though. Shallower water like 25-40ft will work. Also tends to pick up weeds more so than single. Definitely softer feel to your point though. 

[Sk8man]

That is exactly it as Frogger says and additionally you can't get as much of it on the spool and you try to shoot for as close to at least 600 ft. of copper as you can get. I think I found that .024 diameter copper worked best for me and I  had tried .018-.032. The thinner wire will kink easier too and the single strand will kink easier than braided.

[Joel Radecki]

7 minutes ago, Sk8man said:

That is exactly it as Frogger says and additionally you can't get as much of it on the spool and you try to shoot for as close to at least 600 ft. of copper as you can get. I think I found that .024 diameter copper worked best for me and I  had tried .018-.032. The thinner wire will kink easier too and the single strand will kink easier than braided.

Where do you usually find your copper wire ?