silver one

15 lb ANDE on the riggers and surface lines, run 20 lb flourocarbon leaders off of the lead core and swr. 25 lb ANDE on mono dipseys. I have run Ande, Trilene Big game, Courtland flea flicker. stren. Cajun, and I just put all Ande back on two weeks ago, The big game is ok and the flea flicker works well for what it was designed to do but is junk to run on trolling rods. The big game is ok, and the cajun want bad, But I went back to Ande because If my little study our catches and losses were least with the Ande.

Ive caught them as early as the first week in March in South haven. St.Joe however is a bigger fishery and holds more fish and the dishcharge water from the river emptying into the lake is warmer. It just depends on the winter and how quick the water changes temp. The fish follow the bait fish. find them and you will find the fish. You will generally catch fish anywhere along the shorline this time of year, just more in some ports. Just watch the reports. I would recomend St.Joe

We will be there on sat the 17th. We meaning my son and I .

If these snow storms keep up I may not hit my usuall last weekend in march maiden voyage. I cant get her out of the barn as i need part of my yard to turn her aroung and its butt high with snow.

Wow! Sharp rig. LUND! you must be rich. Just curious Where did you pick this up

Ive always run the black coated lead balls by cannon with a trailing fin. What are some of the differences that you guys are seening in the way the pancake weights run vs the cannonballs?

1. Hand painted Tad Polly by heddon 2. Hand painted hot-n-tot By thin fin befor storm bought it 3. Fresh skein tied on a pacific coast snell rig on spinning rig fished like live shrimp and squid. 4. Fly rig with blood leaches 5. and yarn flies tipped with a single egg.

I also run 3 to 4 per side. I would not say I have a problem with tangles as much as it would seem. I think last year I had 2 tangles all season. I just remember relating the tangle with a long leader. other factors that day were current and wind as the boat was tought to controll. Guess I shoud put in all factors. I started last year with 60 foot of leader and when they got down to 30 things just started running smoothly. Just restrung them again and went back with 60' as it makes sense like someone in the replys stated (better to start long). Appreciate the feedback. Forums like this give guys alot to think about and different things to try and find out what works best. Ive been fishing the big lake for almost 30 years now and always find a better way to do something from the feedback on the site. thanks guys.

Call cabellas! I had a line counter on one of the two that I own go bad and they replaced them free. The newer ones were replaced with newer components as was stated to me by cabellas. They were a gift and make great mono dipsey set ups. Beyone that I have all Okuma and Penn.

http://www.animatedknots.com/albright/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com Here is a site that shows pics and slides of knots that I use when im not sure if Im calling it what it really is. I dont see handover knot so maybe its the same as something else. This is a good site for all knots from fishing to boating.

Do you have a good way to describe a handover knot. As I know how to ty alot of different knots just dont know exactly which is called what?

Good feedback. For the most part I run only flashers and flys behind the dipsey, Unless its late aug early september as I will run a #5 mongoose J Plug off of a Mono dipsey because it is a deadly set up. The leader lengths for the lead core ive found that with my 221 islander that on turns I will sometimes get the two crossed if the leaders are that long . And yes I run them on walley boards. That is why I went down to 30' Has anyone eles run into this? Hit man, I like your discription of your set up for the wire as I went through terminal yesterday and scrapped 3 snubbers as they are starting to tear and about a half a dozen flys that I scrapped the beads and hooks off of because the skirts were shot. Do you put a bead on bolth ends of the piece of snubber or only on the bottom.? As far as what I use for leaders, I use Seagar flourocarbon. I have some Gama from the GR sport fishing show from last years Engle/Bale show Just have not run out of the seagar as I buy it in large rolls. How does everyone like the Gama? Any Issues?

Dont have pics as We did not always carry a camera. On the super tramp in 1982 we landed a 29lb chinook off of manistee, and in 1998 My brother in law (God rest his soul) landed a 38 lb again on the super tramp, that I know he has a pic of but canot locate as since his passing this last feb his personal affects have dissappered, If I find the pic I will surely post it. Thats the biggest fish we have ever landed form on any of our boats since 1976 on the first fishin tramp boat.

Just uncovered the boat for the first time and got all equipment out for the yearly check. In stripping all line and oiling reels tightening reel seats stuff like that etc. got me thinking about a couple of questiions for welcomed opinions. I just restrung my lead cores and was puutting on the leader and was curious as to what leader lenght everyone uses. last season I ran with a 30' leader on my lead core and was very succesfull. But id like to know what everyone elese is doing and if they are doing better then me? Next I came to my new wire line rigs. In talking with some guys Ive found that some just crimp sleves and swivels on the ends to hook to a dipsey. And I have seen my buddy Gregs tekota/tolora setups from big lake outfiters with little 2" snubbers on the end with crimps hoding it on. I have also herd that some guys are going from wire to mono with an albright knot and are having alot of success. What are pros and cons to these and which work best? And what are you leader lengths if you are using mono on them. Need I deas so I can see what works best for this rig as this is the firt time since 1979 my boat or my dads has had a wire rig on it. I know I can get some feedback here.

Glf I have had, over the years Polaris. Ray Jefferson, And Uniden and found they all work fine as long as you spend a Little extra money and buy a really good antena. This will determine, more of, how well it will work. Im not even sure if they make polaris radios still. Currently have a Uniden and works well

I take gas moneys from people however in the 15 yr of my own that ive been doing this and the total of 30 year with my father that we have been doing it you always, and I mean always, come out in the negative numbers when you add all of your expenses up. If you go into this thinking your going to come out on top with expenses you might just as well get out now. Dad always said no matter how you slice it a Boat is a hole in the water you dump money in. But if you love it like most of us do you will make it work. Just make sure the guys you fish with are stand up guys and willing to split all the cost of a trip.

Depends I run my riggers everytime I go our so I change those yearly and even twice a year depending if the line starts to look chalkey or frayed. Some riggs are specialty and only run at certain times so evaluate and go from there. Best thing ive found is dont leave your rods in the sun when not using them and store them inside even when it is fishing season. You guys that have boats in barns in the summer probobly have alot of heat build up during the day and then cools off at night, I have found this to speed up the deterioration factor. Found by always keeping them stored in my shop in the basement will have alot less brakes and better looking line overtime. Ps this is on all mono, leadcore and wire riggs.

Rubber bands!

I like the rubber band but have not found it necessary as of yet. Set the clip as tight as it would go and have not had one come off in 4 years. Makes it easier for pulling it off when you have a fish on. just my two cents worth. Thanks for the pic though this may come in handy if we have a chop Though I dont like to fish of there over 3 ft.

heavy action is right. I used them for dipseys when I first got them and they do creek. Now I use them for swr rigs on the surface running with line boards.

I have a pair of the depth master linecounter reels and they so far in three seasons have held up pretty well. One of the line counters failed the first season I used it. Finished the season with the reel, called cabellas, told them about it and they sent me a brand new one to replace it.

I too was on gun around 4.30 with my 9yr old son. We were scouting the local waterfoul population for sunday morning and took a couple of light fishing rods with us. Found a nice little school of perch in around 4' of water. Ended up with 8 perch and 6 gills. Sunday morning eneded up with a limit of Mallards and 1 goose. Monday morning ended up with a limit of mallards and one buffle head. Not a bad weekend to be fishing or hunting. Got a pic of my boy with a couple of mallards with good color. Have not taken off of the camera yet. Will get them posted soon.

number 1 would be a toss up between a stinger jaw breaker on full core or silver streak blue geen dolphin on the rigger 40' off the ball 10' above flasher fly rigg on my two inside riggers wich are always my two deepest

1.) 8" spin doctor w/double crush glow with green ice fly 2.) 8" spin doector White and green hologram with seawead fly 3.) 8" spin doctor green double crush glow with White ice fly 4.) Opti doger (smoke) with white glow fly by purple toco 5.) Opti doger (green glow 50/50 with aqua fly by purple toco also runs well with g fly Dr. Death.

1.) Singer Jaw Breaker on full core. 2.) silver streak Monkey shine. 3.) silver streak blue green dolphin. 4.) stinger bloody nose. 5.) pro king orange tiger.