Rayman96

Frank, I am living proof of that. :rolleyes: 30 years ago my first reels were PENN 209s and then I thought I upgraded to Daiwa Sealines. :rolleyes: Since then I have bought into this Okuma advertising, but now find my way back to PENN. For casting I have one Daiwa Millionaire and two Abu Garcia 6500 C3 reels. Both models have performed well for me for close to 10 years!! ;) Back when I first started, PENN and others were made in the US. Today sadly they are all made overseas. :mad: I will be purchasing more PENNs when I need more reels, for sure!!

You can do an end for end switch on your lines and not have to replace every year.

It will drain a little faster if you remove the fill cap or dipstick to allow air into the crankcase.

PENN 320 GT2 LC x2 for me. Good solid reels with no problems first year. Clickers are real loud and strong. Nice feel to the crank handle. You have to engage the spool manually. According to PENN they have a 12 lb. drag. Used for leadcore this year and will switch to wire for next season. They are more money than some Okuma reels but I think they are worth it!

http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store/Blacks_Releases_for_Downriggers__Outriggers__and_Kites.htm http://www.downriggerrelease.com/

Ken, I don't know how far or often you trailer, but my concern was more for safety than axle load rating. A single axle has a small footprint. A tandem has better weight distribution and handling characteristics. Safer for you and the boat. Having a flat tire on a single axle could be disastrous. When buying a boat from an individual or a dealer, you are ultimately responsible. Here is one from my experience. I bought a boat from a dealer and at the time of purchase I specifically asked what size of ball would fit the hitch. On the way home I could feel a little bit of slack in the coupling and thought it would be a matter of a small adjustment. Turned out to be a 2 5/8" coupler and not the 2" I was told!!!! Could of been really ugly!!!! Fortunately for me the coupler was tight enough and the tongue weight was right and the tow home was over flat roads and it was a short trip!!!! I thank God to this day.

Matt, could it be that your rods are too soft for that depth? I have a pair of old rigger stix that no longer have the backbone to fish that deep. Quality lines have less stretch to deal with. I like Trilene Big Game and Ande when it comes to mono. I'm sure there are others that will work as well. The rubber band needs to be well secured to the line or the mono will slide through. Hope that some of this helps.

Very nice boat for sure!!!!;) The boat has a great layout for any activity, especially fishing! I'm sure the pictures don't do it justice as it looks to be in mint shape! Personally I think the trailer may be a little light. I would like to see a tandem of the proper load rating under this rig. In any case looks like you have chosen well. May your cooler be full next year!

I use braid for divers and flat-lines in that order. I also like braid for vertical jigging for walleye and smallmouth bass. When it comes to riggers then I use mono exclusively. This is my preference and you may choose otherwise!

I try to land the fish at the back of the boat. I can't afford to spook the fish and it take off into the other riggers or deployed divers with line and lures in tow. If the fish is tired and close to the surface, it will slide into the net without much resistance. Once the head of the fish is in the net, there's only the bottom of the net to swim into. One thing though. I have a good sized net on board. The handle isn't quite as long as I would like but the hoop is 30 by 30. I use a rubber band to keep the bag of the net out of the way. Head first always for me and my crew. Nobody feels worse than the guy who knocks off a fish with the net. No scolding needed.

245 Contender...............96" beam. http://www.iboats.com/Penn_Yan_Marine____1990/bp/63b64547r2

Link has an error in it!

http://www.fishing-lures.ca/index.php?page=fishing_gear http://www.fishing-lures.ca/index.php?page=mcrockets4

Now you've gone and ^$#%@#$ made me hungry again!!!!!!!!!!!!:lol:

If you don't mind me asking, what type of snap was on the sampo swivel?

They are made of lead, which is soft, so be careful how you bend them. Once bent, they will not track true.

At full tilt the unit may run out of oil. Make sure you have enough oil in the reservoir or it will happen again.

From what you describe, the antennae has trouble capturing signal from greater depths. Keeping the antennae wet by draping a wet towel over it can improve signal capture and stabilize readings. Read this on another forum. HIH

That idiot who hit your boat is a small percentage of the goofballs out there. Also not worth risking your life, you never know what some idiot will do. If you want a good laugh, then pick a busy launch and pick a spot out of the way with a good view. I got a new perspective on mankind and had a good laugh at the same time.

From flasher to bait I've gone to 50 lb. line. Presently Trilene big game. You could also use a fluorocarbon leader material, but with a dipsy, a stealth approach is not necessary but quality line is. In this situation a snubber would be useful as well. So rigging goes like this. Wire to dipsy, then snubber, leader 50 lb., flasher leader 50 lb. then lure. Also use quality ball-bearing swivels. Check your knots and leaders for nicks and wear everytime you send them out. HTH

I too have been stiffed by riders. I'm sure some still owe me money to this day. They avoid me wherever I go. I've watched them at gas pumps and in stores turn and walk away to avoid a chance encounter. Best money I ever spent!

some of these products have worked well for me renew 3000 comes to mind http://www.epabest.com/RVAppearance.html

I use singles on everything except body baits. I may convert some of these and see how they work. I use singles as well on the meat rigs. 3/0 and 4/0 single siwash on spoons, depends on the size of the spoon. 4/0 owners octopus hooks for flies squids, and meat. Some may think this is overkill, but I don't think so when I look at the size of fish I am targeting.

The only thing that might help is to replace the carpet in the affected area.

Dragen Miok of Michigan wins week 3 of GOSD salmon derby. http://www.sportshows.ca/SalmonDerby/updates.php