Lake Ontario 101

[douG]

Fished out of Port Hope yesterday. We had two riggers down with fleaflicker line, and I thought I'd put out a deep diving crankbait on the flat line, and chose a big Rapala TailDancer. 20 lb pp on that rod.

 

Almost immediately I get a huge hit on the Rap that bends the rod over, then nothing. Two minutes later, another monster hit, then nothing. After 15 minutes of more nothing, I check my lure to find that both trebles have been straightened.

 

I replaced the hooks with #2 heavies, up from the stock #4s. Then my rigger with a husky jerk went nuts. Nice heavy fish, easily pulling drag. The 12-15 lb bow came up and danced for us twice and then shook off. Checked the bait and found another straightened treble.

 

I couldn't believe I had just gotten 3 straightened trebles. I didn't think I had my drag set tighter than 6 or 7 lbs on both reels, but I guess that it was too tight. Do other Lake Ontario fishers strip and replace stock hooks on Raps?

[Raf]

always doug. the 'stock' trebles on the raps don't hold up well. it probably wasnt your drag either, just the fish twisting the beejeebus out of the hooks.

Edited August 31, 2007 by Raf

[Fang]

Yep

 

been through that as well especially in the spring on the south shore. The early chinooks beat the crud out of a stock treble hooks. Used to loose almost half that were hooked from that alone.

 

When I run minnow baits on Lake Ontario (salmon) now i tend to replace the tail treble hook and put on 2 siwash. Size the siwash 1 or 2 bigger than the hook gap of the treble and put them face to face on the split ring. You kind of get an offset double hook out of it.

 

Has worked out fine for me

[Raf]

we actually replace all the trebles on our minnowbaits with single siwash's for spring lakers. more to do with the quick release and well-being of the fish but the hooks are stronger. i honestly have not perceived a difference in hooking pct vs trebles.

[dwc67]

i switched all my trebles over, do your lymans to the stock hooks are crap. the bows have destroyed three split rings on me in my last 2 trips, rainbows hit hard

 

i like siwash but they end up through the eyes of small fish, so bring a cooler

 

east end is picking up? horrible year out there

[Sinker]

I replace the hooks and the split rings......if the hooks don't go, the rings do. No worries on smaller fish, but great lakes or musky.....don't take the chance!

 

 

 

Heres the lure.....

 

 

Lucky for me I got that fish.....but just by the skin of its teeth!

 

 

 

Sinker

Edited August 31, 2007 by Sinker

[douG]

Lesson is learned. Thanks for the advice, friends. Nice to hear from dwc Dave as well.

 

Sinker, that little ski put the hurt on your tackle for sure. Sweet catch.

[Rizzo]

glad sinker mentioned the rings and not just the hooks...I had the o-ring straighten one time, now I replace them

[Greencoachdog]

Obviuosly your drag setting left something to be desired. Unfortunately straightened hook and broken rods are one of the cons of super braid. I feel that with some good ol' stretchy mono and a rod with a faster tip, you would've landed those 2 fish on the "factory" hooks. There are lots of people that change the split rings and hooks on their baits, and I believe that would be the cheaper route.

 

I like to set my drag for the rod. Rig the rod as you normally would and then hook the lure or hook to a stationary object, then pull back on the rod and "load" it until you have the desired bend and loosen the drag 'til it slips a little taking into consideration the leader and hooks strength... reel up the slack and load it again to see if the drag is at the desired setting.

Edited September 1, 2007 by Greencoachdog

[bosc]

Hooks and the rings DouG. For lake Ontario you have to beef them up. Also rety the knots often both on the braid and mono.

 

Good to hear you got out again....and you got some exciting action.

[addict]

owner hooks thats all im gonna say.

[douG]

Glen, thought that too about the braid, shoulda backed off the drag a bit due to the lack of stretch, but I still lost another with the fleaflicker line, which has to be the goofiest stretchiest crap out there. Drag was firm but not tight, like I said, around 6 lbs which puts a perfect arc to my fenwick.

 

Then again, I know how to set drag on my Abus. Honest. I do it just like you do. Steelhead are incredible.

 

Humbled again.

[Greencoachdog]

Another thing I like to do when trolling our lakes around here. Because we have so many snags here, standing timber and stumps below the water line... is to set out my line at the desired distance and then back off the drag until line just starts to "bleed" off the spool, then tighten down my drag just a smidgeto keep line from "bleeding" off the reel. Then when I get a fish on I can adjust the drag just a little tighter if need be, if I hook a snag... I knock the boat out of gear and bring in the other lines and go back to unsnag my lure. That's when the PP and Spiderwire come in real handy!

 

I hope this helps!

Edited September 1, 2007 by Greencoachdog