killerbe20

I dropped from 4 riggers to 3. Part of my reasoning was i only have a 8'10'' beam. The main reason i switched was because i run two SWR rigs on each corner. Much fewer issues last year with only 3 riggers. I found myself Fishing only 3 of the 4 riggers previous to 2009 much more often then wishing I had extra down riggers the past season. I also have found leadcore and copper becoming increasingly more successful every year. I do do most of my fishing in the "off peak" times though.

I completely agree with relying on cable blow back/diver rods/etc for judging speed. I grew up working with an old school captain who after 40 years of chartering still does not have any sort of down speed sensor. The times my depth raider has helped me is on those "tough" days and with difficult currents. It helps me catch fish in all directions once i have figured out the speed that is working. sometimes the differance in bites can be .1 or.2 mph. that is nearly impossible to judge by watching the bend in your diver rods.

i dont have outriggers on my boat but a lot in Racine do fish them. Most of them either have adjustable rod holders such as the big Jons or rail mount holders such as Lee's. Lots of options and angle possibilities.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

yes you can never have too much of anything when it comes to fishing, but it sounds like you have a really good compromise with your wife. as long as you are catching fish and enjoying it, i would keep things as is.

more rod holders are nice for moving rods around and options for running rods. I also like having "spare" rods in case of any mishaps then i can grab a different rod instead of re-rigging immediately. but you also said you are not as hard core as some of the rest of us.

as far as the flashers/etc or any baits for that matter, more is better. them dang fish are always coming up with new ways to steal our favorite baits. always have back ups of those, plus they are easier to hide from the wife!

I run anything behind my divers, depends on what they are biting on! Last year was mainly flasher/spin doctor/dodger and fly.

This like asking whats better, "coke or pepsi" or "miller lite or bud light"

everyone has there own favorite. If you look at some of the older posts, some guys are very passionate about their feelings as well. Its all personal preference.

I personally had bad luck with the Fishhawk 840 that came with my boat when i bought it. Two summers ago i switched to a Depth Raider and have been very happy with its performance. The Fishhawk X-4 and the new Cannon are very appealing to me, but have no reason to try them right now.

I have fished on many boats with the Sub-troll and don't like it as much as my Depth Raider. The probe is larger and it seems to me to have more of a delay in speed readings.

Then again I like Pepsi alot more then Coke and am a die hard Miller Lite drinker.

Thanks for everyone helping me out!

We found a great place to fish about half way between Strugeon Bay and Bailey's. We had the Lake all to ourselves. If only there were some fish there........

I use 7 foot ugly stick rods for my leadcore and copper. They are model CAL-1101 med/heavy. Only $30 and stand up to the abuse they can receive.

I only have 10 color lead cores. I know this is considered a big "no no" by most, but i have never had a problem with it. I clip my board on what ever color i want to run. The offshore snapper releases i run has never damaged the leadcore. Even with the Church boards and releases i used to run I never had a problem. Side note: Some guys by me have added the snapper release to their church boards with a little modification. The only down side to doing this is the bow in the line from the rod to the board if you are running a short lead core. I would rather deal with that and only have 4 leadcore rods instead of 10 separate leadcore set ups.

Last summer I took the boat up to Sturgeon Bay to fish the KD tourny and for a little "vactation." Did not do well in the contest, but had a blast. I plan on going up there again for the tourney but I think the boat will be in Bailey's Harbor. Much shorter drive from the place we have to stay and honestly, fishing the bank during the contest really was not much fun. I'm not a mathematician but Copper + Leadcore + Lots of boats + Auto Pilot Not Working = BAD NEWS!

Facebook seems to be a very widely growing "thing." If any of you are on there feel free to become a fan of Proposition Sport Fishing, or me on my personal page for that matter. I know there are not many from Wisconsin here especially the Racine area, but I plan on keeping a running log of whats happening in the area on there. I will continue to try and post on here as well, but the summer can get kinda hectic.

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Racine-WI/Proposition-Fishing-Charters/245813662700?ref=mf

or you can access it from my website. Thanks all!

I cant wait for the ice to melt! I feel very positive for 2010.

Although i will use anything that catches fish, i mostly use Shure Hit Bait/Alderton Tackle's Marauder. It comes in three sizes and is made locally in Racine. Its been around for a long time, just not huge marketing. He is a link to a older picture of the magnum size. I like the offset hook, something different for the fish. If i get to the boat soon i can take some pictures of more recent designs if anyone is interested.

Two summers ago I came across a Canon rebel xsi for $300 which brought me into the DSLR world. I figured not a huge investment and wouldn't be leery of bringing it on the boat. Little did i know at that time how much a good lens was gonna cost me. Its not quite the quality of the cameras you guys are using, but i already feel uneducated enough. Even using the stock lens, the pictures are outstanding. Now i hate having to take pictures with my wife's regular Canon digital camera. Once you go DSLR, you'll never go back!

Not sure if everyone has already heard or not but I did not see any posts about it yet. This week Johnson Outdoors was awarded a long awaited patent on its side image sonar and has quickly fired a lawsuit against Navico/Lowrance. I live in Racine the home of the Johnson Companies and first read it in the local newspaper. Here is a link to the press release from Johnson Outdoors website.

http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/corporate/media/News.aspx

HA! I have always run them in the "more action" hole....After further review and looking at the excellent diagram, I have actually been using the less action hole. They have worked for me but Alderton Flashers or Protrols have always been more productive. Maybe I should start reading directions and get out of the "ah, i can figure this out myself" attitude more often!

I absolutely love my raymarine units. I have two of their A65 units, which are not in production anymore, but have been replaced by the a50,60,70. Their new A-series units have more features such as Sirius weather and do not require the separate sounder module. Shopping around lately i have seen Raymarine c-80 and c-120 displays within your price range. Unfortunately with these units they are just the displays and you have to "build" up the system which requires purchasing more sensors, modules, etc. Your $800-1000 deal could wind up costing you $2000-3000 by the time you get it up to its potential.

One more thing to consider is the rumors, although never confirmed, that Raymarine is in financial trouble. I have a boat full of 1 year old downriggers and rod holders with a lifetime warranty from a company that does not exist anymore. Not a good feeling.

I wish lake michigan still had a bunch of those big guys! i cant remember the last time a say a 30 pound fish.

Some browns from April 09 caught off Wind Point, first trip of the year. Actually thanks to a report from here!

http://www.greatlakesfisherman.com/gallery/files/1/7/5/0/image00007.jpg' alt='image00007.jpg'>

20+ caught by Arron Cook of the Colorado Rockies.

After a year of poking around this website, i have upgraded to a paid subscription. I have found this site to be in my opinion the best for lake michigan fishing. I love that everyone is nice, friendly and does not ever ridicule anyone's questions or opinions. My only gripe is that there are not enough of us "westsiders" around here!

thanks! will do asap

the only problem i have ever encountered is a crazy fish taking the diver and going to the side into the copper/leadcore inside board. this doesn't happen often and i don't know if there is too much you can do to control where a juiced up fish goes after he/she bites.

john,

i dont know if you have your heart set on raymarine or not but lately i found some incredible deals for garmin autopilots on ebay. good enough to make me think about replacing my perfectly good autopilot.

that's awesome! I'm glad to see you repaired your ps3 and maybe it will help me WHEN mine breaks. Better yet i like the search engine thinking. i'm going to have to put a ps3 forum on my website now!