killerbe20

reminds me of florida fishing. opens a lot of possibilities as long as the alwives are readily available for netting.

no roller needed for braid

if it were truly the e-chip, wouldn't make all others obsolete? I have had hot ones that lose their e-chip and continue to catch fish the same. i'm not completely convinced.

absolutely, if i had to replace the leader everytime i had to cut back a foot or four i would go nuts! sometimes it would be numerous times a day on the same rod.

i usually start with +/-10 level winds worth of fluorocarbon and replace it when its down to about 10 feet

Blood Run is super soft and plyable. Very very easy to work with and even tie a knot with. I never knew there was a problem with the wire i was using previously until i bought my first spool of Blood Run wire. New for me for 2011 will be: -adding 32# Blood Run copper to replace some of my leadcores. -I am planning on expanding my "keep it simple" philosophy. I really believe salmon fishing is a lot more simplistic than most people try to make it. Find the fish and be there when they bite. -Besides adding a few more Okuma Titus reels and some tackle, most of my expenditures for 2011 have been spend on the bottom job. -In the plans is to add a second Depth Raider but that will most likely be later in the summer.

hey phil - Jalensky's is having their seminar series this weekend and they have Lowrance and Navionics reps there. If you have a free minute to stop by, they may be able to help answer any questions for you.

Had a deadbeat Ebay winner and the second highest bidder back out at the last minute. I just want them sold. $500 plus shipping.

amen, brother!

usually pulling a spoon behind an attractor requires a longer lead then your standard fly. That will allow the attractor to do its job while allowing the spoon to maintain its distinct action.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/116979223.html

I have heard putting electrical tape on the spool first solves the problem but i can not speak for that. I think i would go with a really short section of mono to tie on the spool and then connect to the braid/wire. dont really like spicing lines together but that connection will probably never see the light of day anyways.

i am not too sure about the release mechanism. would like to see one in person.

its a nice entry level reel. if you are using it everyday, it may or may not hold up. for simple recreational use i think it is a fine reel.

all the spro swivels one could ask for! http://www.srmo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SPRO_SWIVEL i use the regular power swivel in either 35lb or 50lb, cant remember off hand.

used to use a similar setup for fishing lake trout. did not do it for stealth, did it for bottom bouncing. instead of the torpedo we used lead weight. you could bounce the bottom for trout on a rigger without bouncing your downrigger weight. worked really well.

sounds good!

well, after not being able to decide on a place on my own, and not wanting to pay for the nicer places, i finally let priceline.com choose for me. i named my own price, got turned down a few times, but finally ended up with Springhills Suites by Marriott in Walker for $54 a night! i couldn't believe it! they are advertising $100 a night for that same time frame through all the internet sites. hopefully all ends up as it appears. i have heard that they sometimes give you rooms next to elevators, vending machines, high traffic areas, basically the least desired rooms. thats fine with me. just being able to go to sleep knowing im not going to loose any years off of my life from the tones going off for a call in the middle of the night is enough for me to sleep like a baby.

I am not too convinced on roller rods anymore. i have been using Daiwa Interline rods with absolutely zero wear on them in years of use. Tony from Eyefull Custom Rods has some great information on new material for standard eyes that with withstand the abuse of wire. http://www.greatlakesfisherman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20872

i know guys that havent touched theirs in years, MAYBE a "ring around" the waterline if that.

I hear you on that. I used the cheap stuff over the barrier coat on my old boat. i have since been convinced enough by others and their boats that VC-17 is definitely an advantage over the long haul. there is basically zero build up to create drag on the bottom which helps performance and nothing to have to sand down later. it is inevitable that at some point all those layers of paint will have to be knocked down. one time paint job may not seem like much weight but year after year it adds up. as long as you are able, it really is not hard to do yourself. i am going to have about $1000 invested in sanding, prepping, barrier coat, VC-17, and misc materials to do my 29 Tiara. My time is what is costing me so much and i am too anal to let anyone help me unless i absolutely need it. another thing to think about, the epoxy barrier coat is there to prevent the fiberglass from absorbing water. hard to actually believe but it does happen. I know of an insurance company requiring a barrier coat being put on a boat because the survey recommended it.

i am basing off my personal labor, but i am extremely anal and spending much more time and care then a marina probably would. i dont know what the going labor rate is but a slip neighbor was told $4000 to do his bottom. that was Skipper Buds though.

i can definitely attest to the $3300.00 job! unfortunately i am getting paid from myself, i think i got a good deal from myself though!

Interlux VC-17 is what i am switching to this year. It is an extremely thin, hard, smooth copper based paint. i believe it was actually designed for racing sail boats. cleans up extremely well in the fall and in the spring just wipe with acetone and reapply if desired. You do not get the thick layer over layer over layer that traditional bottom paints end up with. most people have stated noticeable increases in speed and fuel economy as well. i will find out soon! unfortunately i do not believe you can just throw this over any other paint. you would have to start from scratch and apply some type of epoxy barrier coat first. it is also very expensive at ~$50 a quart.

i really like the walkers for all the reasons already mentioned. i do modify mine a bit. I take the 124 top and match it with the 107 bottom. I like the larger surface area of the 124 without needing a ring but i also prefer the smaller weight over the one that is provided with the 124. it just stinks having to buy two divers to make one. the things we do for happiness!