What should be my next rod setup?

[sslopok]

I fish Lake Huron.

My current rods:

4 braid divers

1 wire diver

(1) 7 color leadcore

2 downriggers

I normally run

3 braid and 1 wire diver

2 downriggers with free sliders

1 leadcore if the lake is calm.

Downriggers seem to rule on my boat, so I was thinking 300 copper down the shoot. This is going to be my 3rd year running my own boat on big water, you guys know better than me.

[SlamDunk]

With the limited equipment you have, I might suggest a shorter segment of leadcore or copper. Then, get yourself a couple different sizes of torpedo divers or snap weights to allow you to clip on and get added depth when you need to. With limited setups its important to make each setup as versatile as you can, IMHO

[SeaCatMich]

It somewhat depends on where and when you fish but I think the 300 copper would be a good addition. The latest diver curves for copper show that it is very speed dependent. Depending on your trolling speed, a 300 in the 32# is going to get the lure into the 60 to 80' range with a stealth presentation the divers don't really provide. The 45# copper gets a little deeper but not much and the 32# gives you more space on the reel for backing (or even a smaller reel). Instead of putting it out the chute though, I'd get a Church Walleye board and put it outside of your divers.

I'd do a board with the 7 color too on the opposite side of the boat as well. With this you can run a nice 8 rod spread with a rigger, 2 divers, and a board on each side. With only 2 anglers on board it gives you the option of adjusting the spread to match what the fish want by going to a 4 diver/2 board or 2 rigger/2 diver/2 board setup. If the fish are not in an aggressive mode the boards with weighed lines can be very productive.

As SlamDunk suggests adding weights to the board lines gives you the ability to make them get to a variety of depths. I use both Torpedo Diver and Stinger DiveBombs with good success to cover those in between depths.

[sslopok]

I already run the 7 color on an offshore board and have a few more boards that I could use for the copper. I fish southern lake huron, mainly Port Sanilac in the late spring and throughout summer up until mid October. Depths fished are up to 130 fow. I normally only fish with 1 or 2 other people on board.

Would a 32# 300 copper work well with a 45 convector?

At this time I am only interested in running 8 rods. 8 will keep me plenty busy.

Thanks

[Nailer]

Take one of your braid divers and convert it to a 300 32# copper. Get a second wire diver, so both sides of the boat match.

300 32# should fit on the 45d

[sslopok]

My extra diver only has a convector 30 on it like the rest of my braids. That would have been an easy way to get a 32# copper into the mix though.

I misspoke about my leadcore setup, it is an 8 color.

[Turfwrench]

Hey Brandon, as you know we fish out of the same port most of the time. My program usually consist of 4 riggers starting out set 35, 45, 55,& 65 down with free sliders. I then deploy a wire diver off each side one usually at 140 out and the other at 170 out. Then I will send out highlines running deep diving body baits and spoons on a 3 way swivel. Although we don't have a lot of salmon around we do get a few and usually I get them 50-85 down. The Atlantics I have caught came from the top 35 fow along with the majority of steelhead. Some days you will note a lot of fish marking 15-30 down and I have found these to mostly be walleye suspended over the deep water. So basically I have deeper sets for the salmon and higher sets for walleye, steel, and Atlantics. I rarely drag close to the bottom for lakers as they usually will hit the deeper rigger or wire lines.

[SeaCatMich]

I already run the 7 color on an offshore board and have a few more boards that I could use for the copper. I fish southern lake huron, mainly Port Sanilac in the late spring and throughout summer up until mid October. Depths fished are up to 130 fow. I normally only fish with 1 or 2 other people on board.

Would a 32# 300 copper work well with a 45 convector?

At this time I am only interested in running 8 rods. 8 will keep me plenty busy.

Thanks

Here is a link to a PDF on the Blood Run Tackle site that has fill charts for many of the common reels for various copper sizes and backing.

Per Gregg at Blood Run you can add 75 yards to the backing number listed if you go with 50# braid instead of 30# mono.

http://www.bloodruntackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CopperDiveChart.pdf

Not sure how the Offshore boards will do with longer coppers. I had them before going with the Walleye boards and ran up to a full core on them and that was the most I thought they could handle.

[SUPERTRAMP]

With the limited equipment you have, I might suggest a shorter segment of leadcore or copper. Then, get yourself a couple different sizes of torpedo divers or snap weights to allow you to clip on and get added depth when you need to. With limited setups its important to make each setup as versatile as you can, IMHO

I second what is here. I don't have a limit on equipment but I used to fish out of a 16' Mirri Craft, 2 riggers 2 dipseys and 4 long lines when we had enough people. I suggest being versatile on your set up by using torpedo divers or divebombs. start with your 6 color add a 225 copper and use a 3 oz. dive bomb to get to the same depth as a 300 copper. use Walleye boards do get your longlinde out to the side. Attach the dive bomb about 6' above the leader and let the lineout to the backer. Attach the board and run it out let it slide out by using a little drag or thumb pressure. Good luck. That 225 copper with the dive bomb you will be running about 75 to 80' down.

[sslopok]

I just checked out the dive bombs and I think that is the answer. 225 copper with or without a dive bomb would be like having to 2 setups. Unless my ex-wife decides to buy some gear I will have to be pick away slowly...

[overthelimit]

I fish pt sani.7-10 times a season and would not go without at least 1 or2 short cores w/ a super slim spoon in orange or red. 2 color or 3 color lead on a board well away from the boat is almost always good for a steelhead or 2 out of that port.

[SeaCatMich]

I just checked out the dive bombs and I think that is the answer. 225 copper with or without a dive bomb would be like having to 2 setups. Unless my ex-wife decides to buy some gear I will have to be pick away slowly...

Actually getting multiple sizes of Dive Bombs will get you a great deal of flexibility. On leadcore each ounce on a Dive Bomb will add 4' to the dive curve. I have not seen any info on what it does on copper, but I'm thinking it would be at least as much. Torpedo Diver weights are even more efficient but they are more expensive.

[ginger]

I fish Lake Huron.

My current rods:

4 braid divers

1 wire diver

(1) 7 color leadcore

2 downriggers

I normally run

3 braid and 1 wire diver

2 downriggers with free sliders

1 leadcore if the lake is calm.

Downriggers seem to rule on my boat, so I was thinking 300 copper down the shoot. This is going to be my 3rd year running my own boat on big water, you guys know better than me.

you may want too consider changing out 1 or 2 of your divers,test this past summer showed no difference in depth on wire and braid dips they run the same depths in any condition of water,tests were done with the smart troll.