spread questions

[sjk984]

I am heading to manistee in july for the outing. This will be my 2nd time fishing Manistee. Last year I could only manage to get the DR set with stackers. I think I may have gotten the hang of deploying my walkers ( Thanks to Paulywood). What should I use in july. I plan on running regular spoons on my 150' and 300' copper. On the walkers I am going to try spin doctors and flies and j plug. On the Dr I will have 2 Flashers and flies stacked on one rigger and a j plug and mag spoon on the other rigger.

Is this a good start or does anyone have any improvments to try.

Thanks Steve

[anonymous]

Run glow lures on your riggers and divers early, and don't feel you have to go to the shelf early am to get fish. If you mark them before that, fish them. Don't be afraid to switch lure types and sizes on all your delivery systems until you find what is right. Check with Instalaunch for a report and keep that in mind as well. Good luck!

[Adam Bomb]

Anytime i fish i like to run a spread of rotators and flies along with spoons and/or plugs to see what the fish want. Normally start with some glow spoons on the riggers along with free sliders and on my four dipsey rods ill usually run a couple rotators and a couple spoons/plugs. Ill also deploy lead core with spoons and/or plugs. And as a pattern developes or doesnt i change things up as needed.

If i dont box out in the early AM ill normally head deeper and start switching to longer lead core and copper rigs as the suns coming up and begin to lengthen my dipseys with spinnies and flies or mag spoons. And ill start dropping my riggers deeper as well. Probably throw on a big paddle and fly down deep or a mag moonshine down deep. This is a great way to pick up somemore kings.

Or, you can crank the speed up and look for some temp breaks and fish up high for steelhead targeting the top 60' or so. Go with brightly colored spoons-oranges, pinks, chartruesces. Use longer leads on the riggers to target the bottom end of the spread, open the dipseys up to fish higher and farther from the boat in the water column and deploy LOTS of leadcore on boards. If you find a break youll likely have rods poppin'.

Good luck and have fun.

[Nailer]

On the Dr I will have 2 Flashers and flies stacked on one rigger and a j plug and mag spoon on the other rigger.

Is this a good start or does anyone have any improvements to try.

Thanks Steve

Steve, if you try this you could end up with a tangled mess.

If your going to stack the riggers than, run your flasher/fly on the bottom rod, and the spoon or plug on the top rod.

I agree with the others, Glow in low light rocks.

[sjk984]

Do plugs dive at all. Last year I ran a DW plug off the ball because I thought they dove a little, so I didn't want them to dive into the ball line. I usually seperate my stackers by 15- 20 ' And the top rods are run out of rod holders pointed out over the water at a 45 angle and the bottoms are turned inside the riggers. I just started doing this last year and managed a few with out any tangles but I am sure they will becoming.

Thanks Steve

[anonymous]

The plugs do dive a little, they are shown Romanacks trolling guide, but they have to be out a long ways to go down like 8 feet so the amount they dive on a slider would be minimal.

[SUPERTRAMP]

The stackers are a great way to get another rod on the Downrigger, be sure to keep your leads consistent and like mentioned befor spinnies and dodgers or paddles on the deepest and short leads. I no longer run stackers because I use the dipseys to take the place of the stackers, If you can legally run the rods why not has always been my policy. 5 people in the boat I run up to 15 rods, but if you get really busy u can get into trouble if everyone on board doesnt know what to do. I usually run my flashers and fly combos off the deepest rigger on the boat everything else except Jplugs it really doesnt matter. J plugs search side to side as much as diving and a lead of thirty feet will swing pretty wide across the pattern. Better to get them below your other presentations and just above the flashers.

[Nailer]

Do plugs dive at all. Last year I ran a DW plug off the ball because I thought they dove a little, so I didn't want them to dive into the ball line. I usually seperate my stackers by 15- 20 ' And the top rods are run out of rod holders pointed out over the water at a 45 angle and the bottoms are turned inside the riggers. I just started doing this last year and managed a few with out any tangles but I am sure they will becoming.

Thanks Steve

Run the flasher/fly back 10' or so. Stack the plug 10-15 above it and 20-30' back.

You want the high line running behind the low line. Any fish that checks out the low line but, doesn't like it will soon have a second choice coming along.

[sjk984]

heres another newb question. Last year i was running my leads off the ball like 50 -60' Is this wrong or just preferance. I wanted to run shorter leads but was affraid the ball disturbance would deter the fish.

Steve

[Nailer]

heres another newb question. Last year i was running my leads off the ball like 50 -60' Is this wrong or just preferance. I wanted to run shorter leads but was affraid the ball disturbance would deter the fish.

Steve

A lot of juys use the 100' rule. IE 10' down 90' back, 80' down 20' back.

Personally I'll run the deeper rigger 30' back, and the higher one 50' back, but I do not stack rods.

With your small beam and running a flasher/fly and, you run a long lead, it will loop around and get into your other rods.

When your up to Manistee, you will likely get some strong currents.

Heavy current, long leads, stacked rods, and narrow beam = a big tangle.

[sjk984]

Thanks I will be using shorter leads this year. Last year I was only running DRs so I had nothing to tangle with out side. This time I am going to be tring the whole package so avoiding tangles will be my number 2 priority after getting a fish or 2 for the kids.