Articles That Appeared In The 2004 Newspaper
Disclaimer: Product features, opinions along with contact information given may have changed since the following articles were written.
| New
Look At Old Theories
GLPAA - A New Series Comes To Town Lead Core: It Is The Little Things That Make The Difference The Secret Of Downrigger Releases Trolling For Alternative Species Downrigger Fishing Produces Results |
New
Look At Old Theories By
Larry Hartwick It
seems like every year I am told that with the changing water clarity in
the Great Lakes, things are much different than they were a couple years
ago. Relic and out of touch
are a few of the things that I have heard over the past few years, so in
trying to keep a somewhat open mind, I took a serious look at some of the
practices that we have used in the past.
Here are a few of the things I explored again this year. DOWNRIGGER
WEIGHTS 10#
weights still continue to out fish heavier weights. Sway is not, repeat NOT, a bad thing. It helps define both currents and speed. Without sway on the
downrigger wire, an angler is totally dependant on electronics, which
sometimes can give false readings due to certain weather factors. LEAD
LENGTHS Short
leads continue to produce more fish for me than long leads after the sun
comes up. Short to me means
6-10 feet from the release. There
is a period during pre dawn that there is a noticeable preference for
slower moving baits, therefore longer leads.
Refer to the ”Nothing is Engraved in Stone” theory.
Otherwise, if the 40’ leads quit working about the same time the
sun starts to peek out, SHORTEN the leads to INCREASE the action on the
lure. LEAD
CORE Lead
core continues to be a hot topic both on and off the water. Anytime that a
vessel needs 600 feet of clearance to maneuver, there is going to be
conflict between vessels. A
little courtesy goes a long way. There
are times when boat traffic is not going to allow a vessel to claim 600
feet of territory. This game
is supposed to be enjoyable so do your part. I
have heard a lot of theories on how much depth a full core achieves, so
being somewhat a skeptic, I had to find out for myself. So, we put out a full core with a big nasty treble hook on
the end of a spoon and proceeded to slide progressively shallower.
We did not touch bottom until the digital depth found a little peak
at 34 feet, after hitting all the way across the peak, it floated clear in
35 feet of water. The boat
speed was a steady 2.4 mph straight line GPS speed with no waves or
current present. The full
core was set in the same manner that it would have been if it were
actually fishing with regard to leader lengths. A half core would drop
about half of that distance. 2.4 mph was used as the speed because it was
in the middle of the normal speed range.
Obviously it would drop deeper at a slower speed and be higher if
the boat was moving faster. This
varies tremendously from the claims I have heard previously, with some
claiming to achieve 50’-75’ depths. SPREAD
PATTERNS Downriggers
continued to be the hot ticket once we did some homework; we found that we
had been fishing below the majority of fish on some days. Higher
spreads resulted in some phenomenal midday catches.
Note that I said spreads, hodge podge set ups with no regard to a
pattern were useless. A
“V” pattern spread worked the best. LEAD
CORE ALTERNATIVES I
am continuing to look into ways of getting a lure into lead core ranges
without taking up a football field. Several
things have shown promise when fished in conjunction with dual planer
boards. The Snap Weights hold
the most promise; however, I did not have time to test the drop of each at
2.4 MPH with 100 feet of line out. DODGERS
AND ROTATORS Dodgers
still work great for me, although I can see why the “rotators” (Hoochie,
Coyote, Etc… ) gained so much favor in the last few years. They have a
very wide speed range which makes them very forgiving. This is something
that a dodger is not. A
dodger is very speed sensitive. I would think this is the reason the
“rotators” have gained so much popularity in the last several years.
There are a couple of them that work very well in the right conditions. RELEASES I
still adamantly dislike rubber bands; there are a lot better alternatives.
Salmon anglers should be looking at the OR-8 Heavy releases. This
is the right release for Great Lakes Salmon, especially if attracters are
being used. It is the only
release that I use attached to a downrigger weight for Salmon and using
the OR-8 will increase hook ups on fish. DOWN
SIZING Less
still continues to be more when the sun is up. A 2-3 downrigger set up
with a couple divers will still light them up all day long, while the boat
pulling everything but the kitchen sink usually is watching the action.
It is hard to down size spreads, but give it a try. SPEED Speed
still kills during midday periods on the right day. If the fish are present, keep increasing the speed until they
bite. I’ve caught both
Walleye and Salmon at 5 + mph. While
this certainly is not the norm, it does assure you that they can catch a
lure at 4 mph. Choosing lures
that will handle the speed is critical, the regular size Silver Streak is
one that will. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Good Fishing. |
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GLPAA
- A New Series Comes To Town
By Larry Hartwick Last
year I was privileged to fish a new tournament series hosted by the Great
Lakes Professional Angling Association or GLPAA for short. 2003 was the
first year for the GLPAA tournament concept that is the first Salmon &
Trout Series in the Great Lakes. The series is structured very similar to
many of the Walleye Tournament Series that abound across the U.S. It is a
Pro-Am format that intends to separate the experience level of amateur and
pro anglers. In other words, pros fish in the pro division and amateurs
fish in the amateur division. A pro angler is defined as either having a
captains license or having crewed upon a charter boat within the last 12
months; however anyone wishing to compete in the pro division may do so. The
tournament format consists of 4 qualifying tournaments and an end of the
year Salmon Show Down at Rogers City. To qualify for the Salmon Show Down,
it is necessary to finish in the top 5 in either Pro or Amateur Divisions
at 1 of the 4 qualifying tournaments. This means there will be a maximum
of 20 teams per division at the Salmon Show Down. In reality there could
be less due to some teams fishing more than one qualifying event. There is
no entry fee for the Show Down, as part of the qualifying tournament fees
are used to fund the Salmon Show Down. Why
am I so revved up about this circuit? There are more reasons than are
possible to express in this short article, but here are a few. The
largest reason is the stated goal for the existence of the circuit, to
promote an Existing World Class Fishery and to introduce Young Anglers to
the sport. In my opinion, they hit a home run the first time at bat in
accomplishing both goals. There was exceptional coverage of the events by
the media and I’ve never seen so many rod and reel combos handed out to
youngsters in my life. They made a lot of friends and hopefully some young
anglers as well. There should be more to choose from than just golf or
soccer. Secondly,
the circuit does not discriminate against Lake Trout, which continues to
be the Bread and Butter fish of the Great Lakes, while some tournaments
continue to give them a trash fish status by excluding them. GLPAA does
not; they believe that Lake Trout are an important part of the Great Lakes
fishery, as do I. Thirdly,
anyone has an honest chance of competing. A team can only weigh six (6)
fish per day. What this equates to is that no one can run away from the
field with a huge 1 day catch. No one is out of the running after day 1,
as it takes two solid days to win and adds some exciting twists during the
weigh-in process. This allows a team to fish with as few as 2 persons,
with the maximum being 4 anglers. The winning Salmon Show Down amateur
team this year consisted of only 3 anglers, so having one less angler was
not a disadvantage to them. The
last reason and really the clincher for me, is in my almost 30 years of
fishing tournaments, I have never seen a tournament that was more straight
forward or clean as far as the rules. The rules are black and white, with
no gray areas existing that favor some participants while hindering
others. Rules are strictly adhered to with no exceptions. There are added
checks and balances that help insure that fish do NOT magically appear on
a vessel. This is the way things are supposed to be! Every fish that came
out of the cooler to be weighed got the “Magic Wand” treatment to
insure there were no foreign objects in the fish. GLPAA did an outstanding
job of adding credibility to their circuit. I’m fired up and ready to
have fun again. Congratulations
to 2003 Pro Division Champs aboard the Kilfish, consisting of Capt. Phil
Paquette, Mike Marjan, Dan Paquette, and State Rep. Matt Gillard. Looks
like Matt added to his campaign fund. Congratulations
to 2003 Amateur Division Champs aboard the Riptide, consisting of Capt.
Rob Burkhard, James Burkhard, and Sam Vyse. These guys beat all teams by a
20# advantage. Maybe they were fishing the wrong division. Good Job! For
an added bonus, both the Kilfish and the Riptide Teams are automatically
Qualified for the 2004 Salmon Show Down because of being the defending
champions. I have also
learned that each team member competing in the 2004 GLPAA circuit will
receive a FREE, 1 year subscription to the GREAT LAKES ANGLER magazine.
Talk about a lot of bang for the buck! Look for the 2004 qualifying event schedule on the web at www.glpaa.com, call 231-578-1788, or by writing to GLPAA, P.O. Box 1923, Traverse City, MI 49685-1923. Tentatively at this time the following are the dates and places for the 2004 tournament series are: Harbor Beach, May 22nd & 23rd;Oscoda, July 10th & 11th; Alpena, August 7th & 8th; Ludington, July 31st and August 1st; Salmon Show Down – Rogers City, August 21st & 22nd. |
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LEAD CORE: It Is The Little Things That Make The Difference By
Craig MacPhee, AKA Sick Time In
my short years of fishing the Great Lakes for Salmon and Trout, I have
been adamantly opposed to this stuff we have all come to know as lead
core. Before I realized the value of this great tool, I swore to all
of my fishing buddies that there was no way I was going to resort to
dragging lead core behind my boat. If the ole Silver Streak off the
ball will not work, they just are not biting was my philosophy. It
seemed like every time I went fishing on one of Michigan's Great Lakes,
all I ever heard on the radio was, "Hey man, watch out, I have 2
miles of lead core behind me." This
all changed the day my friend Skip Berry called me from his boat (“The
Terminator”) from Grand Haven, Michigan (while I was patrolling the
freeways of Detroit) to let me hear the drag screaming from his third
consecutive 20 pound King. And you guessed it...on lead core.
I made up my mind on that day that I was going to figure out what all the
hype was about. After
that fishing season, I spent the entire off-season doing my homework.
I figured out that I was in the market for four Shimano TDR 1903
rods and four Penn 330 reels. Once acquiring these set-ups, I was
faced with several choices on how to rig each with the lead core. I
heard that some people prefer to use monofilament for backing while others
use some form of super line. I originally went with the
monofilament, but soon switched to a super line because I found I could
get more line on the spool. PUTTING
IT ALL TOGETHER Once
mounting the reels on the rods, I rigged each spool with 20-30 yards of
20# Ande monofilament. I never plan on letting a fish take me to the
monofilament, but I use this as a backer to the super line so it has
something to bite into. Next, using a blood knot, I connect the
monofilament to 300 yards of 50# super line. Now, I take the end of
the super line and dab it about a 3" length from the tip with super
glue. As it begins to dry, I wet my fingers and pinch and twist the
line a few times where I applied the glue until it begins to stiffen.
Once it sets, I take either a half core (50 yards) or a full core Mason
27# lead core (100 yards), pull about 4-6" of the lead from the
middle of the lead core and break it off. This leaves a 4-6"
hollow spot at the start of the lead core. Using a Willis knot
(designed by the great Charter Captain Willis Kerridge) I thread the
stiffened super line into the hollow spot in the lead core until it
bottoms out onto the lead that is 4-6" up. Now, you will not
believe this until you try it, but a simple overhand knot about 3"
into the now super line threaded lead core is all you will ever need to
keep this from separating. After
all that rigging, I tie a 20-50 foot piece of Ande leader from the lead
core to a Sampo swivel then hook it to one of my favorite Silver Streak
spoons. Leader weight will vary from 15-20# depending on the time of
year and the size fish I am targeting. PUTTING
IT TO USE I
have found that there really is not a guaranteed method that works every
time on the water, but what is true is that lead core has its place, and
when its working, it is an extremely effective method to take those very
wary fish. Through
the help of some good friends, I was taught the basics of lead core and
the general theory behind it. Persistence to always do my best on
the water has driven me to find some little tricks that work when the
typical half/full core methods are not working. Generally,
I have found that running a half core and a full core on each side of my
spread seems to help keep my fish box heavy. Typically I will run
each behind the new OR-31 Off Shore Side Planer SST Boards (Left and Right
models available). Larry Hartwick and I experimented with these
extensively (before their introduction) in between tournaments and found
that they track true and do not take all of the life from the fish we are
catching. The only modification we made was to add another orange,
OR-19 release on both the back of the board in addition to the one being
on the bracket. You can experiment on your own using either the
supplied corkscrew or adding the additional release in its place.
You have to trust these releases because they will hold your board without
all of the other nonsense associated with the competitors’ models.
With these boards, running 2 to 3 rigs off each side is not a problem.
In my opinion, these are not only as good as the past models I have used
but surpass the performance of them for less money. Now
when it comes time to letting out the lead core, you can’t just let them
all go and pray they do not tangle. You have to have a system that
works for you. What I have found is that the first thing you want in
the water is a half core set-up. It sets up the fastest and will
catch those fish in the 15-25 foot range off guard. Hold the first
rod far off to the port side of the boat and begin to let your lead out.
Once you get it all out, hook the port side (OR-31L) board ABOVE the lead
core onto your super line approximately 2-5 feet. Now you have 150
of lead core plus 20-50 feet of leader behind the board. Let the
board out a good distance from the boat (this depends on boat traffic and
wave conditions) and set it in your highest rod holder. Next, I do
the same thing on the starboard side of the boat (using the OR-31R).
Now you are effectively running 2 half-core set-ups. I ALWAYS run
them on the farthest outside of my spread so that when a fish strikes it
more often than not will strip line and go over the top of the full cores
we are about to set. Now
for the full-cores. These
ALWAYS go on the inside of my spread. Setting these full cores, I
hold the rod straight off the back of the boat and let the line out.
Make sure you do not let it out too fast or you will end up with quite the
rat nest. (Lead core really tightens when it tangles...) When
you get all of the lead core out, you are effectively running 300 feet of
lead core and a 20-50 foot leader behind the board. This should get
you into the 35-45 feet range. Attach this in the same fashion to
your Off Shore Side Planer SST boards as you did with the half cores.
Now you slowly let the full core out until it is 10 to 20 feet ahead of
and in front of your half core. Set it in the lower rod holder and
you are good to go. Now do the same thing on the opposite side.
When
they are running properly, your boards will look like a flock of geese
behind your boat. Picture a "V" pattern with your boat
being the lead goose. Set your drags so they click when line is
pulled. You want them set tight enough that the boards alone will
not take any line out but light enough so that the slightest bite from a
fish will trigger a scream from the reel. Let the reel be your
tattletale. DO NOT watch your rods tips because they will pulsate
like a fish strike pretty much non- stop. Sometimes
you will get a head start and notice that one of your boards will take off
south (when you are going north) and fall out of the "V" pattern
before you hear your drag. This is a good thing! Treat this
activity just like you would a strike. Now, when you DO get a
hook-up, and your drag begins to whine, get to it as fast as you can and
take it out of the rod holder. Do NOT start pumping and trying to
set the hook. Lead core does not work well like that. What we
found works for us is to lower your rod towards the water, tighten your
drag, and reel up the slack until your board begins to straighten behind
your boat. Once you get the slack out, you can lighten your drag
again and start to work the fish. A constant pressure on the fish is
what you are looking for. During
my first experiences with lead core I wanted to pump it like I would a
downrigger fish. This resulted in lots of lost fish. There is
just too much slack in the line behind the board if you do that.
Concentrate on your board and not the fish. You have to get the
board in before you can reel the fish in. If the board dives, let
up, if it is moving across the top of the water freely, reel. Use
patience and consistency in your reeling action to get your board to the
back of the boat. When you get it close (within 15-20 feet) point
your rod at the board keeping the tension tight. Slowly reel the
board to within 5 feet and lift so either you or your partner can unhook
the board from the super line. What
you DO NOT want the board to do is dive. If it does, you will
not only be fighting the fish, but the board too. Once the board is
released, reel like crazy bringing up the slack until you feel the tension
on the fish again. Now, fight your trophy in a controlled manner
without all of the pumping action you are probably accustomed to.
Once you get to the leader, your forearms might be a bit pumped, but you
now have to land your fish. Give and take with the fish bringing it
to the back of the boat until your partner can get a net under it.
If the fish cooperates and you do everything right, the trophy is yours! UTILIZING
MORE OFF SHORE PRODUCTS TO PUT FISH IN YOUR BOX Sometimes
the fish are VERY wary and begin to get extremely boat and tackle shy.
When this occurs, fish usually go deeper and stay away from just about
anything you throw at them. This is where lead core can be your best
friend. I
use a Raymarine L750 fish finder and trust that if it marks a fish, it is
a fish. If I notice the fish on my graph are deeper than the 20-45
feet that the half and full cores are reaching, I utilize an OR-20 Snap
Weight System to go deeper. A good rule of thumb to remember is the
deeper/heavier line goes on the inside of the shallower/lighter set-ups.
If you remember this, you will be happier with a lot fewer tangles. To
get deeper, I start off by adding 2-3 ounces of weight on my full core
set-up directly above the lead core where it meets the super line.
With super line you have to make sure you use the OR-16 red clip with the
pin in the center that comes with the OR-20. Once you attach your
weight, let out approximately 50 feet of super line, then attach your
board. Keep the length of line between the weight and your board
somewhat consistent and you will be able to reproduce the depth that you
find is working. If you cannot judge 50 feet, count the passes that
your level wind makes across your reel. The better you are at
reproducing the set-up that works the more fish you will catch on purpose
rather than just by chance. I
have successfully run up to 4 additional ounces of weight on a full-core
set-up behind the OR-31 Side Planer SST boards. NOT
THE CATCH ALL BY ANY MEANS... This
article was not written to be a one style catch all on everyday. As
you all may know, each day on the water can bring something new and
exciting to the table that we have to overcome to be successful. I
have full faith that each of the products mentioned above is a quality
product that I have tested personally. Each product can be found on
my boat if you look today. The
next time you find yourself thinking that lead core is not any fun to
catch fish on and that it is too hard to work for the average angler...
think again! I bet that using Off Shore Tackle Company LLC products
will make using lead core easier than you ever imagined. NOTE: Mason now markets a product named Redi-Core that features either a half or full core with backing that is spliced and reel ready. |
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Little
Boards, Big Fish By Mark
Romanack It
is amazing how a little planer board roughly the size of an envelope can
routinely produce fish that barely fit inside a 100 quart cooler! Also
amazing is how a pair of in-line planer boards can double the amount of
fish taken on each trip! It
is no secret that in-line boards like the new OR-31 Off Shore Tackle
Company LLC Side Planer SST board are tearing up Salmon and Trout
throughout the Great Lakes and beyond. As the Great Lakes and other top
waters continue to clear up from the plankton filtering effects of the
zebra mussel, planer board fishing has become more and more essential to
angling success. In-line
planers have become so common in the trolling world that it is hard to
imagine fishing without them. The key to catching more fish with the Side
Planer SST boards is learning how to rig them so multiple lines can be
fished without the necessity of clearing lines while fighting fish or fear
of tangles.
When
targeting large fish like Salmon, it is best to rig an OR-31 so the board
can release at the strike and slide down the line. Rigged in this manner,
two, three or more lines can be fished per side of the boat, leaving the
back of the boat free to fish diving planers, downriggers, lead core or
other lines. This
OR-31 Side Planer SST board is a Striper, Salmon and Trout slaying
machine. In the package the board comes equipped with an OR-19 (orange)
release mounted on the tow arm and a pigtail at the tail of the board. The OR-19 is designed to function with heavy line sizes
favored by Trout and Salmon trollers along with providing the grip
necessary to insure that fish are hooked solidly before the board releases
from the line. The
OR-19 can be attached to the tow arm of the OR-31 as it comes in the
package or the release can be mounted using a split ring. Both rigging methods work and each has some advantages. FIXED
TOW ARM METHOD OR SPLIT RING METHOD? Using
the fixed tow arm method allows the OR-31 to achieve the greatest outward
coverage or planing ability. This is especially important when running
multiple lines. The
split ring rigging method allows the OR-19 to move freely on the tow arm.
While the outward coverage of the board is slightly reduced, it becomes
easier to trip the board for changing lures or if a small fish is hooked
and the board does not release at the strike. A
SECOND TOW POINT To
insure the OR-31 runs properly and achieves the maximum amount of outward
coverage, a second tow point at the back of the board is incorporated. The
OR-31 comes factory equipped with a pigtail and is ready for action. INCORPORATING
A SPEED BEAD When
rigging an OR-31 to release and slide down the line, it is important to
incorporate an OR-29 Speed Bead (not included in the package of the OR-31)
onto the line about three feet in front of the lure. The OR-29 stops the
board from sliding all the way to the lure. In
a pinch a plastic bead can be threaded onto the line or a split shot
added. The Speed Bead is a faster, stronger and more convenient board
stop. SOME
FINE TUNING TIPS How
the line is placed into the OR-19 on the tow arm also influences the
performance of the OR-31. If the OR-19 is simply pinched open and the line
placed between the rubber pads, it takes a considerable amount of pressure
to pull the line free. When a fish is hooked, the angler may need to give
the rod tip a quick jerk to free the line from the OR-19 and send the
board sliding down the line. Small
fish pose a problem, because it can be difficult to trigger the line from
the OR-19. An easy way to combat this problem is to wrap the line around
your finger a few times to form a loop when setting lines. Place the wraps
of line in the OR-19 release with the loop protruding.
See Illustration. This
simple step allows the OR-19 to hold securely enough that the board runs
properly, good hook sets are achieved, but the line can be triggered from
the release with only a quick jerk of the rod tip. Rigged
properly the OR-31 is death to Striper, Salmon, and Trout and a great tool
for presenting spoons, J-Plugs, body baits and other common Trout and
Salmon lures. If a pair of these trolling aids can double your fishing
success, imagine how many fish you will catch running 4, 6 or more Side
Planer SST’s! |
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Stacking
Up Trout And Salmon By Mark
Romanack Everyone
who fishes Salmon and Trout wants to stack the odds of success in their
favor. Stacking lines is the key to putting more lures in the water and
Off Shore Tackle Company LLC (OST) is the leader in stacker technology. A
stacked line is a means of adding a second fishing rod and line to a
downrigger, effectively doubling the number of lines that can be fished
from each downrigger. OST’s
OR-2 Medium Tension Stacker Downrigger Release is comprised of two OR-1
downrigger releases attached to a short and slightly longer length of
steel leader material. The two lengths of leader material are joined with
a heavy duty stainless snap that is designed to clip over the downrigger
cable. To
use a stacker release you must first rig the main line onto the downrigger
weight. An OR-1 medium tension downrigger release is the best choice for
Trout and Salmon fishing. Let your lure the desired distance out behind
the boat, (20-50 feet works good) pinch open the OR-1 release and place
your line near the back of the rubber pads. Close the release and lower
the downrigger weight five to 10 feet below the surface. Take
the OR-2 release and clip the stainless snap over the downrigger cable and
close the snap. Take the release on the short lead, (it should be
positioned on top of the longer lead) pinch open the release and bury the
downrigger cable into the rubber pads. Next grasp a second fishing rod and
let the desired lure 10-20 feet behind the boat. Take the stacker release
on the longer lead and pinch it open. Bury the fishing line of the second
rod deep into the rubber pads and close the release.
See Illustration. Now
when the downrigger weight is lowered two lines will be deployed a fixed
distance apart. Stacking helps not only to set a second line from a
downrigger, but also helps in spreading out lures in a trolling pattern. Two
downriggers equipped with stackers will often out fish four downriggers
that aren’t equipped with stackers. Stackers allow a second line to be
added to your trolling pattern without adding the additional cost of
another downrigger. Also keeping the number of downriggers to a minimum
helps in reducing the amount of cable hum created when trolling.
It is a good idea to keep the stacked line on a shorter lead than
the main line to avoid tangles. Also, the stacked line should be a lure
like a spoon or shallow diving crankbait that will not dive down and foul
the main line. These simple tips help to reduce the chances of tangles and
keep the stacker and main line fishing effectively. SMALL
FISH PROBLEMS? When
small fish are a problem, try using the OR-7 Light Tension Stacker
Downrigger Release (white). Designed for Walleye, Brown Trout and smaller
Steelhead and Salmon, the OR-7 functions the same as the OR-2. The lighter
tension of the OR-7 is ideal for smaller fish.
STACKERS
VS SLIDERS Many
anglers use sliders instead of stacker releases. A slider is simply a
spoon or other lure rigged on a short length of monofilament with a heavy
duty snap swivel on both ends. One snap swivel is attached to the lure and
the other clipped over the main fishing line. When the lure is tossed into
the water it slowly works its way down the line. How deep a slider fishes
depends on how fast the boat is trolling. When a fish is hooked on a
slider, the rig slides down the line to the downrigger weight. Because
there is no tension on the slider rig, many fish that strike are not
hooked securely. Compared
to a stacker rig that can be fished at any desired point along the
downrigger cable, sliders are crude by design and function. A stacker also
provides the necessary resistance to insure the fish that hit are hooked
solidly. The cost of a stacker rig is well worth the investment when you
consider how many more fish it will produce and how they can help anglers
duplicate a productive trolling depth. |
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The
Secret Of Downrigger Releases
By Mark Romanack The
sport of fishing is full of secrets. The sport of fishing is also full of
short cuts and homemade products that are designed to save anglers money,
but end up costing them fish. For
every commercially designed and manufactured downrigger line release there
are two homemade options available to anglers.
All the homemade versions are inexpensive; unfortunately, all these
homemade products will let you down at the worst possible moment. “I
am always amazed that an angler will spend hundreds of dollars on quality
downriggers, then go fishing with a two cent rubber band as a line
release,” says Off Shore Tackle Company LLC (OST) CEO, Bruce DeShano.
“When it comes to homemade line releases I have seen them all.
I have also seen a lot of fish lost needlessly because an angler
got penny wise and dollar foolish.” UNDERSTANDING
DOWNRIGGER RELEASES A
downrigger is only as good as its weakest link. The downrigger line
release has to function flawlessly or expensive downriggers can not do
their job properly. The
secret to producing a quality downrigger release is understanding how
important the tension setting on these releases is to fishing success.
If the release tension is too light, fish that strike will pull the
line of the release easily and not hook themselves in the process.
If the downrigger release tension is too heavy, the angler will not
be able to trip the release when a fish is hooked. MAKING
A BETTER MOUSE TRAP While
the function of a downrigger release sounds simple, the fact is building a
quality release is very difficult. Achieving
the desired results is difficult because of a number of variables that
must be taken into consideration. When OST manufacturers a line release they take into
consideration line stretch, line diameter, trolling speed and lure type. There
is no such thing as a one size fits all downrigger release.
OST produces three different downrigger style releases to insure
optimum fishing success. The OR-1 Medium Tension Single Downrigger Release
is designed for fishing Salmon, Trout and Steelhead.
The OR-4 Light Tension Single Downrigger Release is designed for
Walleye and fishing smaller Trout and Salmon.
The OR-8 is a Heavy Tension Single Downrigger Release designed for
salt water fishing and Muskie fishing situations. The
tension setting of each of these releases can further be adjusted by how
deeply the line is placed between the rubber pads.
The rule of thumb is to error on the heavy side when choosing line
releases and setting the tension setting. It is also important to note
that line releases are designed to function with monofilament line, not
super braids (AKA super lines) or other braided lines. RELEASE
MAINTENANCE Rubber
pad style downrigger releases are designed to hold monofilament line
securely without damaging the line. Over time however, the line will begin
to cut into and wear out the rubber release pads. The rubber pads in all
OST downrigger releases are inexpensive and can be easily replaced as
needed. Super
braid lines are not designed to be used with rubber pad line releases.
If these lines are used, the rubber pads will need to be replaced
frequently and it may be necessary to use a higher than normal spring
tension on your downrigger releases. Commercial downrigger releases may seem expensive compared to rubber bands, alligator clips and other homemade releases but there is no substitute for quality and function in the world of downrigger release aids. The only way to guarantee you will hook and land the maximum number of fish, is to insure you are fishing a quality line release. |
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Trolling
For Alternative Species By
Mark Romanack It
is widely accepted that trolling is one of the best ways to catch Salmon,
Trout and Walleye. Any time anglers are faced with the chore of finding
and catching fish on large bodies of water, trolling is the obvious
choice. Trolling can be just as effective on smaller bodies of water and
equally deadly on a wealth of other species.
Panfish, Pike, Muskie, Bass and even Catfish are fair game for
trollers who know when and how to target these fish. PANFISH Crappie
are classified as panfish throughout their range. The title comes from
their size, not their feeding habits or behavior.
Crappie may be small compared to other species, but these
widespread fish are also aggressive predators.
During the weeks prior to the spawning season, Crappie are
especially active and readily caught using trolling tactics. During the pre-spawn period, Crappie often stage in deep
water areas adjacent to the shallow flats where these fish spawn.
Huge schools often suspend in open water where they are easy
pickings for anglers who troll small crankbaits behind the Off Shore
Tackle Side-Planer. The
same medium or light action trolling rods, reels and lines used for
Walleye fishing can double as Crappie trolling equipment. The crankbaits selected however, should be Crappie sized
models. A few examples of good baits for Crappie trolling include the No.
5 Shad Rap, Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnow, Rebel Crayfish, Cotton Cordell
CC Shad, Norman’s Baby N and Bandit 100 series, but just about any small
sized crankbait will produce Crappie. Fishing
two in-line boards on each side of the boat makes a good Crappie trolling
spread. Crappie often run
small and it can be difficult to detect bites and hooked fish. To solve this problem equip the Side-Planer with a Tattle
Flag kit. The spring loaded flag kit allows the flag to fold down from the
weight of a hooked fish. Even
small fish are readily detected on a board equipped with a Tattle Flag. The
Tattle Flag is sold only as a kit, not as boards equipped with Tattle
Flags. Each kit comes
complete with a flag, wire (linkage arm), spring, spacers and two OR-16
Snap Weight Clips. It takes
about five minutes to convert an ordinary Side-Planer into a Tattle Flag
board. Start
out trolling by varying the lead lengths on each crankbait to maximize the
vertical spread of the lures. Experiment
with lead lengths until a few fish are caught, then simply duplicate
productive lead lengths and lures with other lines. Pre-spawn
Crappie sometime scatter in open water, but usually the best schools form
along the deep water edge of breaks, weed lines and other cover. You will
have the most success trolling areas adjacent to flats, emerging weeds,
submerged brush and other cover that Crappie use when spawning. Early in
the season water on the north and west ends of the lake receive the most
exposure from the sun and warm first.
Schools of pre-spawn fish will be attracted to these areas first,
then other areas as the lake begins to warm.
Other
panfish such as White Bass readily fall victim to this same trolling
strategy. White Bass are especially aggressive and noted for traveling in
huge schools. PIKE/MUSKIE
TROLLING Northern
Pike and Muskie are also especially vulnerable to trolling.
These fish will strike at trolled lures most any time of year.
During April, May and June these fish are most apt to be found in shallow
water near flats with emerging weed beds.
Later in the summer, adult Pike and Muskie abandon the shallows and
head for open water where they often suspend in the water column and
target Whitefish, Ciscoes and other pelagic baitfish. Trolling
crankbaits in cooperation with Side-Planer boards can make short work of
these toothy critters in both spring and summer.
Early in the season it is tough to beat a trolling pattern of
stickbaits, worked over the tops of emerging weed growth.
Most stickbaits only dive from six to eight feet, making them ideal
for fishing over the tops of emerging weeds growing in six to 10 feet of
water. Some
of the top Pike producing baits in this category include the Reef Runner
RipStick, Rapala Husky Jerk, Rebel Minnow, Storm ThunderStick, Mann’s
Loud Mouth, Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogue and Bomber Long A. In clear water select natural finishes and reserve brighter
colors for fishing water that is stained or dirty. Set
these lures from 40-80 feet behind the boat and attach a Side-Planer to
the line using both the front and rear mounted OR-14 line releases.
Squeeze open the pinch pads and place the line near the back of the
rubber pads. To insure the board stays securely on the line, check to be
sure the spring in the OR-14 is slid into the forward (toward the pads) or
heavy tension setting. Pike
and Muskie living in shallow water can be very spooky.
For the best results, let the Side-Planers out to the side at least
75 to 100 feet. Stacking two
boards per side of the boat makes an effective and manageable trolling
pattern. Pike
and Muskie strike hard and then immediately make a short, but powerful
run. The Side-Planer will
telegraph this strike by dragging backwards sharply in the water from the
weight of the struggling fish.
When trolling Side-Planers there is no need to set the hook.
Instead, keep the boat trolling forward while reeling the fish
towards the boat slowly. Adjust
the drag tension on the reel so the line slips a little while the angler
is fighting the struggling fish. Fight
the fish by keeping steady pressure on the fish and reeling slow and
steady. Stop reeling only
when the fish makes a run. As
the angler begins to win the battle, the board will be reeled within reach
of the boat. Remove the board from the line by pinching open the two
releases. Once the board has
been removed from the line, you can slow down the boat or put the motor in
neutral for the remainder of the fight. A
similar approach works when these fish suspend over open water. Instead of
using only shallow diving stickbaits, mix in some deeper diving crankbaits
into the pattern. Pike and
Muskie like high action crankbaits. Some
good choices for open water trolling include the Storm Hot n Tot, Bomber
25A, Reef Runner Deep Diver, Storm Deep ThunderStick, Rapala Deep Husky
Jerk, and Luhr Jensen Power Dive. When
setting up a trolling pattern, vary the lead lengths and lure running
depths to cover as much water as possible.
Often Pike/Muskie will suspend just above a thermocline where the
water is cool and well oxygenated. The
book Precision Trolling is a trolling guide that shows the running depths
of hundreds of popular crankbaits. The
data provided is based on lead length and line diameters, making this
handy reference the final word in crankbait running depths.
Currently in it’s 7th edition, Precision Trolling is $29.95 and
can be ordered by calling Precision Angling Specialists at 1-800-353-6958.
CATFISH
TROLLING When
most anglers think of Catfish, they see images of bottom fishing with live
bait. Many species of cats,
especially channel Catfish, are aggressive predators that can be readily
caught using board trolling tactics.
In many bodies of water such as Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and
Lake Erie, Catfish travel among packs of suspended Walleye because they
prefer the same roaming schools of minnows. Cats
can be caught using the same trolling techniques used for Walleye.
Crankbaits, spoons, weight-forward spinners and crawler harnesses
are all good lures for Catfish trolling. Adding
a touch of live bait to a crankbait trolling program can help target a few
more Catfish bites. There is no doubt these fish feed by smell as well as
sight. Simply adding a small
piece of nightcrawler to the back hook of a crankbait is an easy trick
that interests both cats and Walleye. Another
trolling technique that is deadly on cats is crawler harnesses trolled
behind Off Shore Tackle Snap Weight in-line weights. As with other species, Snap Weight trolling works best when
combined with Off Shore Tackle Side-Planer boards. Like
suspended Walleye, Catfish can be anywhere in the water column when they
are hungry. The best approach
is to vary lead lengths on crankbaits and the size Snap Weights used with
live bait rigs to achieve a number of different depth levels.
Change lead lengths often and let the fish communicate which lures,
weights and depth ranges they prefer. Cats
taken from the Great Lakes often average eight to 10 pounds.
Few fish pull any harder than a channel cat hooked in open water. BASS
TROLLING The
words Bass and trolling are seldom found in the same sentence.
Tradition dictates that Bass are one of those species that anglers
normally cast for. Ironically,
both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are easy targets for trolling tactics. Early
in the year slow trolling over the top of flats with emerging weed beds is
a good way to target Bass that are cruising the shallows looking for an
easy meal. Shallow diving
stickbaits are the key to fishing this shallow water environment. As
the weather and water warms, Bass will begin to use deeper water.
Trolling diving crankbaits along weed edges, meandering breaklines
and even in open water often produces amazing catches of both Large and
Smallmouth Bass. The
trick is to keep moving and fish tight to cover including weed edges,
rocky shorelines, sunken islands, reefs, the tips of long points and other
places where Bass can find both food and cover.
The Side-Planer is a great tool for searching out bass and other
alternative species. Salmon,
Steelhead, Trout and Walleye are the most popular species targeted by
trollers, but they are not the only way to get your string stretched. Panfish, Pike, Muskie, Catfish and even Bass are waiting to
be taken. When you start trolling, you never know what you will catch. |
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Trolling
Super Lines By Mark
Romanack Have
you ever had an in-line planer board pop off the line and drift away?
Sure, anyone who has spent much time trolling these boards has experienced
this problem at one time or another.
Often
the board pops off the line because the angler did not get the line into
the release mechanism correctly. Sometimes the board pops off because the
line is jerked out by heavy seas or trolling at high speeds. If the line snags, the board can also be pulled from the
line; however, the most common reason in-line boards pop off the line is
because an increasing number of anglers use super braid lines. Most
line releases are designed to work with monofilament, not super braids.
The thin diameter and low stretch properties of super braids make them
great trolling lines, but they simply do not work well with most planer
board releases. Off
Shore Tackle Company LLC’s OR-18 Snapper solves the problem of in-line
boards popping off the line forever. This unique line holding device is
both a line release and line holding device in one. Instead of using
spring tension to hold the line between rubber pads, the Snapper uses a
cam action lever that can be used two ways. To
use the Snapper as a line release, adjust the single set screw to set the
desired release tension, then place the line between the rubber pads and
close the cam action lever backwards. When using the Snapper as a line
release monofilament lines from 10-30 pound test may be used. To
use the Snapper as a line holding device, adjust the set screw for a heavy
tension. Place the line between the rubber pads and close the cam action
lever forward. A pin in the cam lever fits into a hole at the front of the
release, making it impossible for the line to pop free of the Snapper’s
grip. As
a line holding device, the Snapper can be used with super braids,
monofilaments and other line types. Ideal for anglers who troll with super
braids, this easy to use product can be opened and closed with only one
hand. The set screw adjustment on the Snapper allows this line clip to be
adjusted to securely hold any diameter or type of super braid line. When
using the Snapper there is no need to wrap the line around the jaws.
Simply open the jaws, place the line between the rubber pads and close the
jaws using the cam action lever in the forward position. That is it, the
line is secure and there is no danger of line abrasion. The
Snapper is sold as an after market item for the Off Shore Tackle
Side-Planer board. To install the Snapper, simply remove the bolt and nut
that holds the standard release in place. Replace the release with the
Snapper and you are ready to go fishing. Off
Shore Tackle recommends using a Snapper on the tow arm and an OR-14 as the
rear tow point attachment when rigging the board to stay on the fishing
line. The Snapper also works well in combination with OR-12TF Tattle Flag
kits. Keeping the Side-Planer on the line and fishing is a snap with the Off Shore Tackle Snapper. |
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Downrigger
Fishing Produces Results By
Larry Hartwick Although
I am very comfortable fishing planer boards, divers, or lead core lines,
my number one method for putting fish on the lines is downrigger fishing.
This statement will probably surprise some people, but the first lines
that get set on my side of the boat are the downriggers. It does not
matter whether we are targeting Salmonoids or Walleye the downriggers
remain my first go to method. Why? Because they produce results! Twenty
years ago, articles on downrigger fishing were very prevalant in the
outdoor magazines. The
problem lay in the fact that the material in the articles was the same old
stuff with different authors slant applied to the story. Some bordered on
plagiarism as writers struggled to be experts in fields that they were not
qualified to write about. People
got really tired of reading a gaggle of words that said nothing of use to
an angler of any experience level. With
this in mind, we have probably neglected the people who are starting to
learn downrigger fishing or would like to if they were armed with the
proper knowledge. This
article is designed to cure that problem. Downrigger
fishing is also called Depth Control fishing for good reason. It is really
the only trolling method that can be repeated with a high degree of
precision. It offers day after day of repeatability no matter what boat
you are on. What
you will need to get started are downriggers, trolling weights (AKA
cannonballs), line releases, rods, reels, line, and terminal tackle (i.e.
lures). Either
manual or electric downriggers work great.
Choose the one that fit your budget and needs. Our manual downriggers can also be converted to electric down
the road. If you choose a manual downrigger, make sure that one turn of
the crank handle raises the weight 2 feet instead of 1 foot. This obviously equals half of the effort required to retrieve
the weight. |