Holland Evening 5/31

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

Fished south of the harbor mouth from 5:30pm to past sun set in 130 to 175 FOW.  Ran 2 downriggers, one SWR and one dodger/UV blue Salmon Candy fly in the range of 55'-75,; 2 dipseys on a 2-set in the range of 43'-57' (Smart Troll); 2 outriggers with 300' and 200' weighted steel - both clipped with a 12oz torpedo diver (about 60' and 50' down based on past Smart Troll measurements).  Finished the night 1 for 4.  Ran one rigger with a clean spoon down 140' on the counter for about 45 min but no action.  Ran into 120'-90' after sunset but no action.  Only marked bait on the final run in closer.  Data below.  

 

[ZachEno]

Fished south of the harbor mouth from 5:30pm to past sun set in 130 to 175 FOW.  Ran 2 downriggers, one SWR and one dodger/UV blue Salmon Candy fly in the range of 55'-75,; 2 dipseys on a 2-set in the range of 43'-57' (Smart Troll); 2 outriggers with 300' and 200' weighted steel - both clipped with a 12oz torpedo diver (about 60' and 50' down based on past Smart Troll measurements).  Finished the night 1 for 4.  Ran one rigger with a clean spoon down 140' on the counter for about 45 min but no action.  Ran into 120'-90' after sunset but no action.  Only marked bait on the final run in closer.  Data below.  

 

Thanks for the report. How are you liking the Smart Troll? How many probes do you have and which rods are you running a probe on? Thanks!



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[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

This is my third year with the Smart Troll system.  The software upgrade made to the app mid-2022 really helped the stability of the temp & depth readings.  Prior to that, the data would wander out of range or update at a very slow rate.  In my opinion, the prior issues are fixed.  I have 4 probes.  Battery life handles a 6 hour float.  I typically run a 6 or 9 rod spread based on the number of people I have aboard.  I am not a fan on running a bunch of junk (i.e. long lines) on boards - bait doesn't get deep enough and a tangle can take 30min or more to recover from.  I always run my red & green probes on each dipsey or the inside ones if I run a pair on each side.  What ever the diver is, accuracy the charts from the mftr' are best if running 2.0mph or less.  Running 2.5-2.7mph has the bait much, much higher.  Today, I cannot imagine running dipseys without a Smart Troll probe.  If I am running a 4-rigger spread, I will put another probe down on the deepest rigger with the paddle wheel attachment.  Out of the box, the paddle wheel speed is not accurate.  My system, it typically runs about 1.0mph faster.  The app allows you to calibrate the speed to another system (e.g. SOG, Fish Hawk, Depth Raider).  I mainly use my Depth Raider for speed at the ball (miss the Fish Hawk on my former boat but to run electrical from the sensor unit to the dash is a night mare on my Rampage, so I have learned to embrace the Depth Raider).  The 4th probe is a back-up in case I lose one or to check the depth of another line, such as lead core, weighted steel or copper.  I don't leave the probe on junk lines when I am fishing.  I place an OR16 center pin clip at the front and the back of the probe and attach both clips to the line just in front of the dipsey, not between the dipsey and the bait - less chance of a break off loss in this positioning.  I believe the instructions call for attaching the probe to the line with only one clip at the front of the probe.  I feel greater security using two clips.  The app is written for an Android platform so if you only have an i-Pad, it will not work.  I picked up a used Samsung S2 on the internet with the bigger screen.  The S2 has a 4-5 hour battery life so it is best to plug it in to a 12V receptacle or connect it to a battery pack I just purchased an INIU 10,000 mAh portable charger for just this application on Amazon for $30.  Bottom line, the system is pricey but being the data geek I am, I am happy I made the investment.

[ZachEno]

This is my third year with the Smart Troll system.  The software upgrade made to the app mid-2022 really helped the stability of the temp & depth readings.  Prior to that, the data would wander out of range or update at a very slow rate.  In my opinion, the prior issues are fixed.  I have 4 probes.  Battery life handles a 6 hour float.  I typically run a 6 or 9 rod spread based on the number of people I have aboard.  I am not a fan on running a bunch of junk (i.e. long lines) on boards - bait doesn't get deep enough and a tangle can take 30min or more to recover from.  I always run my red & green probes on each dipsey or the inside ones if I run a pair on each side.  What ever the diver is, accuracy the charts from the mftr' are best if running 2.0mph or less.  Running 2.5-2.7mph has the bait much, much higher.  Today, I cannot imagine running dipseys without a Smart Troll probe.  If I am running a 4-rigger spread, I will put another probe down on the deepest rigger with the paddle wheel attachment.  Out of the box, the paddle wheel speed is not accurate.  My system, it typically runs about 1.0mph faster.  The app allows you to calibrate the speed to another system (e.g. SOG, Fish Hawk, Depth Raider).  I mainly use my Depth Raider for speed at the ball (miss the Fish Hawk on my former boat but to run electrical from the sensor unit to the dash is a night mare on my Rampage, so I have learned to embrace the Depth Raider).  The 4th probe is a back-up in case I lose one or to check the depth of another line, such as lead core, weighted steel or copper.  I don't leave the probe on junk lines when I am fishing.  I place an OR16 center pin clip at the front and the back of the probe and attach both clips to the line just in front of the dipsey, not between the dipsey and the bait - less chance of a break off loss in this positioning.  I believe the instructions call for attaching the probe to the line with only one clip at the front of the probe.  I feel greater security using two clips.  The app is written for an Android platform so if you only have an i-Pad, it will not work.  I picked up a used Samsung S2 on the internet with the bigger screen.  The S2 has a 4-5 hour battery life so it is best to plug it in to a 12V receptacle or connect it to a battery pack I just purchased an INIU 10,000 mAh portable charger for just this application on Amazon for $30.  Bottom line, the system is pricey but being the data geek I am, I am happy I made the investment.

Very nice! Thanks for all the info. These things have always intrigued me since they first came out.



Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman