SlowPoke

Don't worry about deleting. Besides, you bring up a good question about temperatures. There have been some drastic swings in temps, I've noticed it on Erie and have recently read about it on Lake O. The last time I was on Lake O it was pretty stable. People are still catching fish despite the fluctuations but I tend to think it reduces your odds. I find the best fishing comes within a period of stable weather and that probably applies to water temp as well. I don't think I would turn the boat around and go home if I found the water was a little chilly but I do think it makes for tougher fishing. -Brian

I don't think it is a skamania... although I'm no expert, I just found out about them last week myself. The head/jaw/gills look like salmon to me. A salmon with an eating disorder. -Brian

Thanks for the link fisher. Poacher, I have an open mind. Can you answer my questions? If you're looking for stealth and you want to target depth with spoons, try running a Slide Diver on your backing ahead of 4 colours and 20 yrds fluoro. You can determine your depth to the SD from your line counter and add 20ft depth for four colours. This gets your bait out from the boat and the Slide Diver is way out of sight from the bait. When a fish hits, the SD releases and slides down the line. -Brian

Leadcore + Dipsy eh? 1. How on earth do you expect to determine your exact running depth? 2. What makes you think a dipsy would pull the rope-like leadcore down any further than braid? Either someone is playing a crual joke on you or you're confusing leadcore with wire. -Brian

Ooops, I may have accidently buried your high score

Why would you run a dipsy off a leadcore rod? The benefits of leadcore is the stealthy (device free) approach and the almost idiot-proof zing of the clicker when you have even the smallest fish on. Running a dipsy and leadcore is redundant and you would have to crank down the drag to keep the dipsy from pulling line. The tap-tap-tap of a small fish will not trip the dipsy and your rod tip won't move because the leadcore will deaden the action to your rod tip. Consider using mono for backing, it's much easier to tie. My setup is 20lb Seaguar FC, 10 Colour 27lb Leadcore, 20lb Trilene XT backing. When you deploy your bait, set the clicker and back the drag off all the way. The resistance of the clicker will prevent line from peeling out. When you get a hit, the clicker will zing and you set the hook while thumbing the spool. Then adjust your drag and start cranking. -Brian

Don't take your bench seats out, they support the sides of the boat from buckling. Do a search for member name "karem". He has done some nice work on his boat without jeoparodizing the strength of the hull. -Brian

Good score but it won't last... I'm just getting warmed up! Who are the other names on the board?

What do you plan on towing with it? Try Boatfix.com, they show 100lb on the site but maybe you can call. Some good prices there. -Brian

Good report Emil. We saw some strange temps from Port Glasgow as well. Surface temps were somewhat normal from 65-70 but the down temps fluctuated wildly... from 65* to 45* in a matter of minutes over a flat bottom. Air temp started around 66 at 7:30 and kept climbing throughout the day to over 90 by noon. The waves picked up a bit but nothing like last week! -Brian

Great report Jen, you sound like a kid in a candy store! -Brian

While fishing with a friend I learned of a Trout strain called Skamania. Essentially an elongated Rainbow, the Skamania is native to the west coast and stocking efforts in the Great Lakes took place in the last 10-20 years but return rates were low and stocking was ceased. When I learned of the species, I imediately recalled Gnoddy's Lake O post in which his wife was holding a couple of really long but seemingly skinny bows. I wonder if these are Skamania that found thier way into Lake O? Gnoddy's post... Here

Sorry bly... they were on the water when she caught it and it was a it wasn't a red devil. -Brian

You're all right and that's why I have two transducers... 50/200 has a 30* and 12* cone angle 200 has a 25* cone angle If I was fishing the Great Lakes exclusivly, the 50/200 would be ideal but on shallower lakes the 200 12* is essentially just a depth guage. Nothing really stays in the cone long enough to determine if it's a fish, a bait ball or clump of weeds. If you're routinely fishing depths of less than 30' I would opt for the single frequency 200 kHz 25* transducer. -Brian

Fished out of Port Glasgow today. Weird day... no bait to be found, ran into lots of floating weeds, down temps fluctuating constently and every fish came off a different lure. We don't need no stinking patterns! Started off with Harold shaking a bow off the hook. I brought in a wally and had it sitting in the motor well when it spit the hook. When I reached for it, it winked at me and jumped back in the water. Got a bow on the leadcore, small but acrobatic with 5 colours out. It's reasting peacfully in my neighbours frezzer right now. Harold lost a wally, landed a nice one and then another little fella. Met a guy on shore who's wife caught a muskie on a spoon. One of these days I'll have an outting that lives up to the "got my limit in two hours" rumor. We were on the water for about 4 1/2 hours. Harold with a nice wally... -Brian

TJ, you thed you were going to call me before going to the Gay Pride Parade!

Subject said it all

A Masters degree eh? We don't go fer them high-falutin emdumactions 'round these parts, right Jed? My hat is off to you for managing higher education, a new family and still finding time for fishing! Great introduction and looking forward to some reports. -Brian

Good job Emil. I wasn't planning on going out this weekend but....maybe... fishing looks pretty good! -Brian

Great report Shaun and I especially like that first picture! Cliff, you leave those offshore fish alone... you can't have 'em all! -Brian

Gary! Happy Birthday and welcome back! Don't worry about wetting a line, they're in there waiting for you... take your time! -Brian

LOL, I'll send you an 8x10 glossy. Next year I'll pose for you at the stump outside my cabin. Great report and pictures! -Brian

Ben_Daniels is correct in his reply for adjustment. Something to keep in mind but it's difficult to explain... Unadjusted, your spool is actually pushing line out unlike a spinning reel. When you make your cast, the weight of the lure initiates spool movement but the lure is already slowing down by the time your arm reaches full extension. The finely balanced spool takes much longer to slow down and thus pushes line out before the lure can take up the slack. Ultimately, you want the spool to slow down at the same pace as the lure. If you find a method of casting in which you are consistant, it will be easier to make your adjustments. For me, it's left hand, overhead. If I switch to right hand, side arm I will have to re-adjust even when throwing the same lure. The pro's can easily compensate with thier arm action and cast a mile backhanded through thier legs without re-adjusting! -Brian

Nice salmon and some killer 'bows! Great report! -Brian

Mine seems to hesitate when zooming into 6nm (if I recall correctly). It may have something to do with the level of detail in your preferences. Once it figures everything out, it zooms in and out quickly. I hope that is what you're experiencing and not technical issues. -Brian