Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy

I am in the same boat as you, figuratively speaking! When looking to buy a boat, the wife said it had to be "family-friendly," NOT just a fishing boat! Challenge accepted! Read on: My 21' Steiger Craft Miami has a 3-sided cuddy cabin with canvas/isinglass back curtain, which is great in the early Spring and keeps me getting drenched in the rain. I have the boat set up to quickly & easily convert from fishing-friendly to family-friendly, or vice-versa. In her Fishing mode, I run 2 manually operated downriggers on rod holder mounting plates, with 2 rod holders mounted to each downrigger. The second rod holder can be used with Stacker Clips to double my downrigger opportunities, or in the Spring run 2 DR's & 2 surface lines. A trident rod holder on both gunwales holds 3 rods each for lines to the Big Board Planers. 2 quick-release Down-East style rod holders are mounted on each gunwale for dipsey diver rods. My Planer Board mast & motors are located on the cabin roof with a quick release mount. Conversion to Family mode takes less than 10 minutes with someone on the ground to assist, or vice versa. I pull the downriggers, remove the Down-East and the Trident rod holders, then disconnect the Planer Board mast & motors. Now she is family-friendly! Problem solved! My wife is happy, and I am happy, too! Tight Lines!

I bought a Mr. Heat Propane stand alone for around $100 before Christmas, so my wife got me a heater for the boat...... either that or a Cabela's/Bass Pro Gift Card. Actually, I used it more than a couple times working on the boat and trailer. It's stored indoors, but not heated indoor storage. Absolutely thrilled you are interested in fishing together sometime. My friends that fish, I'll be lucky to get any of them to go until some really warm days in April. I'm probably going to trolling solo most of the time, and occasionally with my wife. She's not a fan of the cold, and legally can't fish until April 1, when her 2024 license is valid. She never fished before. But she has watched me fish when we have went camping. Buying a 2023 license would only be worth the price if she fished every day the rest of the month, and that isn't going to happen. So, there is always have room for a fishing buddy. I'll let you know when I get the 2024 shakedown cruise behind me and see where that leads (what else needs replacement or fixing?). After that, anytime you feel the urge, let me know and we'll make it happen. My phone is 219-306-1225. The picture of the planer motors I posted has changed slightly. I reconfigured the motors on the bracket so a quick release mount can be attached. The post was a picture taken immediately after removing it from the box.

You have a minimum of $1000 worth of spoons with 240! That is based on pricing them between $4-$5 each, assuming the spoons are in good condition. New spoons are running around $7-$13, depending on size and brand. And J-plugs, which aren't easy to find new any longer, are worth at least $5 each or offer the lot of 17 for $70-75, depending on their condition and if they are complete with harnesses. The best advice I can offer where you won't get any disagreements with estimates is do your own appraisal of value. Go to E-bay and search each general item (i.e., spoons; lures; etc.). You should find items similar to those you are offering for sale and can get a relative feel for their value. Just trying to help you get the most for what you have to offer.

Sorry, forgot to attach the pics.

Wow! Mind Blown on the subject of line. Great info; just took a while to digest and absorb. Completely new to braid, lead core and copper. No experience, so trying a little of everything spreading it across 16 reels. Planning on making and attaching leaders and setting up the terminal tackle over the weekend. Will apply the info you provided, as it is a great starting point that gives me a leg up on the learning curve. I can easily run 10 lines with 3 off each Planer Board, 2 on downriggers and a stacker on each dr. I also have a 5-stand rocket launcher on the roof, which is basically a 5-stand rod holder. It's been a minute since I piloted a boat while trolling lines, so I'm not going into this being too ambitious. As it is, I'll be lucky if I can find someone to go out with me half the time. My wife really isn't into fishing, but her licensed presence onboard allows me 3 more lines in the water and 5 more fish. However, she works during the week, and I am retired. Trying to avoid the Weekend Warriors. Another Wow! We both have boats with similarities. Both 21', Deep V, OB propelled, and trailering. Very Sweet! Yours is center console, though. Do you have an Isinglass/canvas enclosure for your helm, for the colder days on the Lake? Do you ever fish further South in Indiana waters? I'm planning on buying a Michigan license for later in the season when the fish move deeper. And I want to keep the wife happy, so we were looking at taking some fun trips up the coast of Michigan to New Buffalo, Saugatuck, and Holland. And at some point, I just know I'm going to want to put a line in the water. Michigan is a great outdoor State! I'm still waiting on getting mine back from the Honda Marine repair shop. My engine has 2400 hrs on it, so I bit the bullet and had them give me a full assessment, along with all the preseason maintenance. The news was very good. The previous owner took excellent care of the motor, and it should last another 2400 to 3600 hours, if maintained properly. I should be getting her back this week or early next. Then I have installs to perform. Maybe in the water by March 7. If you ever feel like heading to Indiana, you are more than welcome to join me. At some point in the season when the fish move further North, maybe I could join you. Beats the hell out of trailering a boat that far! Don't know about you, but I only get 10-11 mpg when pulling my boat. It's a beast weight-wise at 4800# without the engine, and all the other add-ons and gear. Sending some pics of the Planer Boards and motor unit I will eventually being running. Take care. Let's keep in touch! I've learned quite a bit from our discussions. Thank you. Paul

Dave, Thank you for sharing your experience regarding line. I've known about zebra mussels for over 25 yrs, and being in the shellfish family, it makes sense they clean the water (like clams, oysters, etc). What I didn't do in my mind was the connect those thoughts. Namely, they clean the water, line is now more visible. Duh! As I previously mentioned, I have little knowledge regarding line choices. What has been your experience with Braid? Braid with Lead Core? Copper Braid? I am experimenting with all 3 to see what works. I did receive my spools of fluorocarbon and fluorocarbon leader over the weekend. And unless there is some sort of gauge to discern the difference, I cannot see or feel it. Both are Clear, 30 lb., appear identical when put to a blind test, share the same diameter at 0.020", and both have the same stiffness/suppleness. The Fluoro line is a 200 yd spool of Suffix Advance; and the 100 yd spool of Fluoro Leader is Seaguar Blue Label DSF. Since I cannot discern any difference, I think I now have 300 yds of Fluoro I can use as leaders. lol Again, thank you for relating your knowledge and experience. Typically, fisherman don't like to share too much info, play it close to the vest and trust no one! However, with the plethora of Perch, Salmon and Trout in the Lake, there is more than plenty for all. A few last questions, if you will... Tell me all about your boat. (I know, I'm opening a can of worms!) Do you trailer or have a slip? Which is your Home Port, and have you been out Salmon fishing yet? I am still a week to 10 days away from being ready. Boat is coming back from OB Mechanic on Wednesday or Thursday, and I have installs to complete before launching. Nice communicating with you. It is always good to make new friends with common interests! Paul

Sent a text to your number just after 3 pm. Because today was so nice, thought you might be on water; so didn't want to step on your fun. Got my Lead together, too!

Dave, Why do you use fluorocarbon leader on mono lines? Why not just run mono? I have 4 reels loaded with mono and were planning on using them for my surface lines for Coho. Back in the late 70's early 80's, before the rise of Braid, wire, lead and copper, our reels were loaded with mono. And we put our share of fish in the box, losing a few but none because the line broke. Into the 90's and beyond, my Salmon fishing was limited to Charter's for lack of a boat, or friends with a boat that actually want to go out and fish!. So, I never really kept up with all the changes in line; so I am ignorant on that subject. Right now, I have so many irons in the fire, it's not a wabbit hole I want to get into. This is going to be a year of learning and relearning, which was expected. Just itching to get that first fish of 2024 in the box, and any advice or helpful hints along the way are much appreciated. Paul

Dave, Thank you for the info. Finding out Leader Length is quite the conundrum to decipher. In YouTube videos, everyone has a different opinion on leader length. A lot depends on how you have your line deployed, whether it be dipsy divers, jet divers, down-rigger, then add spin doctors or flashers, and let's not forget shallow diver flat lines. I've seen or read about lengths from 4 foot to as much as 50 feet. Most seem to settle on 3 to 4 wingspan lengths (approximatlet 18 - 24 ft), as you measure out the leader and some line loss from tying the FG Knot. I'm going to be working on leaders this weekend, so I am going to make several, but in different lengths and see what works best for my situation. 20-30 foot sounds like a sweet spot, so will make several. Thanks again for the recommendation. Paul

That sounds like a good plan. I need to gather up my lead. I got pieces scattered here, there and everywhere in my garage. Will get in touch with you later today. My number is 219-306-1225. Paul

Wow! Now that is thinking outside the box, and I like it! Yes, some photo posts would be great! Where is your home port? From what I surmise, we are around the same age (64-65). Would love to meet you in person for a beer (or three) and talk Boats, Salmon fishing and give you some of this Lead because you have been providing some great advice! I do appreciate you sharing; however, sharing is a two-way street. Since I presently don't have much to offer in terms of Sage advice, I do have a small cache of Lead I'm willing to share with only you, since I already committed to purchasing 2 - 10 lbers. At most I will only need enough to make a couple back up balls. I can always get more Lead.......admittedly yes, I'm a Scrapper!

Appreciate the info. I should probably just buy a mold because I have about 40-50 # of lead I've collected for recycling never cashed in, Lead melts around 620 deg, and with 35 yrs of steel industry experience (including melting, pouring and casting), this wouldn't be difficult. However, with other boat preseason prep, I bit the bullet and secured 2 new from Ebay for $74 with the shipping. Thought I got a really good deal; "but it's only a deal if you think you got a deal," says my wife! These were offered in 5 or 6 different weight sizes, up to 15 pounders. Know of anyone interested in a couple of 6 lbers? LOL

Yes, they are pricey! Ebay seems to have the best prices on downrigger balls, and some are brand new or out of the box new, but never used. I am not too proud or bougee to save a few dollars here and there.

Good to know, before I go! Thanks!

Thank you for the info regarding Indiana-based fishing info. Maybe in the next year or two, I'll go to electric downriggers.Excluding the purchase price of the boat, I've already got over $10k into the upgrades, equipment purchases, etc. So they'll have to wait, for now! Did not want to turn them down as they were free from one of the friends who owned the boat we fished from back in the day. Not installing a Planer mast. The roof of the helm sits 8-10 foot above the water, so I opted to do quick-release roof mounts, pulleys on shock cords, and planer board snubbers. Saw this set-up crush it on a Lake Erie Walleye Charter last year. Was so f...ing impressed with the simplicity of this concept, I just knew I had to have it for my boat! Now that I'm about $1500 into this project, it's going to be time soon for the rubber to meet the road! We'll see how they work for Salmon. What weight ball do you use on your downriggers? I have 2 - six pounders and 1 - four pounder. Was planning on running both 6's. Paul

Dave, Again, thank you for the good advice and info. I will check out those YouTube vids! I was planning on posting whether it's a good day or not so good day. Notice no mention of bad day; let's face it, if you are out on your boat, it ISN'T a bad day! Back in the day, I used to keep a pocket notebook to log specific fishing info, even though I did not own the boat. Since I have a nice, unused journal, it will be my Captain's Log and the plan is to use it for fishing, as well as general boating. I'm pushing 65 and forgetting is easier than remembering, so I've learned to write it down! Paul

Thank you for the response. I'm going to find out first-hand, since I ordered a wrist-spool of fluoro-leader and another spool of just fluorocarbon fishline last night. While on this subject though, how long is your typical leader in your set-up? It's been a minute, or 15, since I was the one making lure & line set-up choices. So many things have changed, especially with line (braid, lead braid, copper braid, fluoro, mono, etc). Out of 16 rods/reels spooled, 3 have mono, 4 lead-core braid, 4 with copper braid, and 5 with just braid. What has been your experience with the various lines?

Are Fluor0carbon Leaders the same material you get on a spool of Fluorocarbon? On sites that sell these products, the descriptions for both are the basically identical. I can buy a 200 or 300 yd spool for a lot less than a spool of 30-50 yd leader spool and make my own! What are your thoughts and experience?

Hello everyone, I'm the new guy and my name is Paul. Although I am new to boat owning, I am not new to boating in general, nor fishing. I bought a 21' Steiger Craft Miami DV in late October 2023 from an avid Chesapeake Bay fisherman in Maryland. This boat's not been in Lake Michigan yet, let alone any freshwater! She came with a Honda 225 hp OB motor, a Garmin GPS/FF/Chartplotter, a marine radio, and a permanently mounted, 5-tube rocket launcher on the roof. I'm upgrading her for Lake Michigan/Lake Erie Sport fishing by adding 2 manual downriggers and 2 electric planer board motors for running extra-large planer boards, capable of spreading out 3-4 lines per side. Also, adding a Garmin Radar Array which integrates with my Garmin GPS/FF/Chartplotter. Once she returns from the OB Mechanic, installations will begin, along with bottom prep/painting. High hopes are to be in the water early March 2024. Since this vessel was never named, Reel Therapy was chosen! She's a fishing boat! Primarily! Except when the wife wants to go to the beach in the summer. Read on an you'll understand! So why did I buy a boat? I bought her because the expense of Charter's limited my fishing and was tired of trying to coerce friends with boats to go out. And fishing from shore on the Big Lake just doesn't hold my interest. I had been looking into buying (a.k.a., searching boat selling sites), and dropping subtle hints for 6-9 months. Whenever that subject was brought up, it was immediately shutdown. Clearing the wife-hurdle was NOT going to be an easy task! After coming to the realization, it was about perception, I knew the hill had been taken! You see, her minds picture of a boat was something in the Bass Boat variety, like a Tracker; you know, sits fairly shallow in the water, overpowered OB engine on the transom for getting out to those hotspots super-fast! When she saw the boat photos in which I had interest, the GREEN light was given! The icing though, was her encouragement to invest a little more if it yielded something better, which is how a Steiger Craft ended up in Indiana. Steiger Craft only make 100 boats per year, each handcrafted hull is completely fiberglass and includes a lifetime warranty. They are an East Coast fishing vessel with dealerships in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. Emails between myself and Steiger Craft left me with the impression "Reel Therapy" will be the only Steiger Craft on Lake Michigan. As much as I am impressed with the boat, I am more impressed with my wife. Obviously, she really loves me, sees the same future of fun times ahead with fishing and boating, and is my perfect 1st Mate! So that's my boating story for now, with much more to be written. Speaking of stories to be written, does anyone on here contribute. I don't see much in terms of recent posts! As I navigate around, the Forum posts are old (a year or more), and new posts are just selling equipment. I joined in hopes of finding/sharing tips on what lures and colors are working, and other techniques fisherman are having success with for filling the cooler. It is disappointing; however, sometimes, it just takes someone gets things started. Once I get the bugs worked out and am more familiar with the operation of my vessel, expect Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy to post-up!