IRISH56

Gotta go with the R&R's as well, $$$ spoon out the LOC last year and a whole bunch more. Big fan of NK's also. DAN

Saw her up close this weekend - pic's don't do it justice, she is a beauty! DAN

Got an e-mail back from Shawn's today - looks like we'll be slipping the boat and staying right there for the weekend. Can't wait!! DAN

I don't know ... I was kinda enjoying the couple of feet of snow, sub zero wind chills etc. etc.. Who wants to be out on the lake, catching kings and drinkin' beers It can't come quick enough DAN

It's not gonna be the biggest laker posted up here but here's a couple of Niagara Bar slobs from a few years ago. Fish on the right went about #13 and the other went about #11 or so. The #13 is the biggest laker I've ever caught. We did a pile of lakers that day in about 30 fow, mostly on dodger/fly rigs off riggers set near the bottom or off a thumper rig. We were fishing right in front of Fort Niagara at the mouth of the Niagara R.. Enjoy. DAN

Nice lookin' ride Bill - all that boat and no hardtop?? Love the room in the cockpit w/out the doghouse. You gonna have her ready to fish out on the 'Bar this May?? DAN

I'll second Capt Levi ... buy both. I bought an Eagle fishfinder and Depth Raider two years ago for right around $7 bills. The FF is the SeaFinder 480 DF, plenty of power and detail and you can split frequencies to track your rigger balls. DAN

The down speed and temp monitors help accelerate the learning curve IMHO. Getting tuned in to blowback, bend in the diver rods and the action on a thumper rod takes some time - especially for the recreational fisherman. Admittedly - I only fished a few years without one and saw a fairly dramatic increase in the # of hookups after adding one. The key a lot of times is repeating the set up that works (lead, depth, angle & speed) and the down speed takes the "guesswork" out of it. I definitely agree that temp a lot of times isn't all that important IF the fish are there and in feeding mode. A lot of times though finding the right temp or a temp break puts you on active fish. As far as recommendations are concerned I would highly recommend the Depth Raider w/the Sub Troll second, $$$ is roughly the same. I personally like the large digital readout of the DR and the smaller display and probe vs. the sub-troll. I fish w/both (not on the same boat ) and they are both quality units. My two cents. DAN

The "IRISH56" screen name is pretty boring, had to come up with a NET ID here at work and it was the only thing I could come up with for a screen name on other sites on short notice. "IRISH" is my lineage and "56" was my shield # at the time. Boat name is "Murphy's Law" - "Murphy" ... well I'm sure you can figure it out due to the above lineage reference, "Law" ... I'm a cop. If anything can go wrong on the boat it normally does just in the nick of time i.e "Murphy's Law." DAN

Where are you guys gonna be staying?? I'll be up for at least a few days fishing out of Wilson harbor, staying on Grand Island. I'd like to track you guys down for a cocktail or two. DAN

I try and run them about 10' to 12' behind the rigger ball - I think it's more of a problem to run flashers any longer than that as compared to dodgers. I can't say as I've ever tested the theory of losing the roll or "snap" with a longer stretch but it makes sense you would lose some DAN

What's the main difference between single and 7 strand wire, besides the obvious thank you ?? I know the vast majority of guys use the 7 strand for their wire divers etc. but I'm curious as to why. I'm looking at rigging up a wire diver rig and I see the single strand wire available and a little less $$$$. Money is not the driving force for me but it got me wondering what the difference would be fishing wise. Thanks. DAN

I think it was in Great Lakes Angler that I read if you have a high power sonar you may find this type of depth reading issue in shallow water. I have a Seafinder 480 DF but I have yet to experience any problems in shallow water. I think it just has to do with a sonar that's designed for deeper water - what the article said anyways DAN

What Josh said!!! Depth Raider all the way ... although I think Josh just likes the name DAN

I'll start it off ... My vote is for Wilson NY because that's where I mostly fish out of Seriously - Wilson is a relatively short boat ride from the Niagara Bar & Olcott. Between those three areas you can normally find good concentrations of fish. If all else fails you can fish the inside on the 'Bar for lakers or even head up into the lower Niagara R. during certain times of the year. From what I've experienced and read the greater Wilson area has produced at least the most consistent fishing so far this year. Check the LOC derby leader boards from this year and past years, a lot of board fish being caught there. IMHBO (In my humble, biased, opinion) DAN

Mark - appreciate your response - thanks. I'm all for getting the right equipment for the job, I'm still praying for a couple of Tekota's for father's day Thanks again. DAN

I have both Magda 30DX's and Convector CV20's. I love the Magda's and wish I had bought 20DX's instead of the Convectors. The drag just seems to be all or nothing - too tight or not enough. I also have problems everytime out with the freespool lever (I think that's what it's called - the lever you flip to release tension on the spool). It very frequently sticks with any tension on the spool. You have to reel a little in to get it to release. I've never had a problem with the Magdas on Finger Lakes fish or Lake O. kings - I won't run the Convectors for Kings. Question for you guys - I am thinking about switching one of my 8' 6" Classic Pro rod/Magda 30DX combo's to a wire diver rig. The rod I'm not so concerned about - just replace the tip top w/a Twilli tip, do any of you run the 30DX's as wire reels. Just want to see if anyone has had any issues with it, I'm not expecting any but thought I'd ask while on the subject. THANKS. DAN

OK I'm in. Not a lot of folks around me though DAN

Finger Lakes region of NY - -but I was born in Michigan

I bought 2 Walker Kingfisher II's (manuals) new when I bought my boat and had nothing but problems from the get go with them. Had a rod holder come loose and almost lost a wireline rig and then lost the same rod holder (and the rod/reel that was in it) shortly thereafter Walker replaced the holder but not the rod/reel - said I should have used a 1/2" wrench to tighten it not a pair of channel locks. I tightened the s#$% out of it after the 1st incident but ... Lost two handles within the same year. Sold them the beginning of the following season and got a pair of Cannon Uni-Trolls from my bro' who had upgraded to Mag 10's. For manuals you can't beat the Uni - Trolls IMHO. Have used the Mag 10's and will be buying Mag 10's when I switch over to electrics - not soon enough DAN

I definitely don't put a spoon down on a rigger w/out a slider unless they're running shallow. Haven't tried the mupp rig yet but I've heard it's productive also. I run spoon stackers on top of dodger/fly rigs though with good seperation - I've heard of guys running sliders off dodger/fly rigs but I can see that being a real mess. Does anybody run those consistently??? DAN

Didn't see any recent posts on the LOC derby so I thought I'd throw one up. The fishing was pretty awesome out in the west end. The three days I fished w/my brother out of Wilson were some of the better days we've had, only at this big lake trolling thing for a few years. Double digits in fish all three with some real nice upper teens and twenties. We caught fish from 90 fow out to 280 on just about everything we put in the water, riggers, high and low divers, wire, braids, leadcore etc.. We didn't do the numbers that a lot of guys did but we had a blast. Oh yeah - we managed a 7th place king, 25.14# Every bird gets a worm sooner or later. DAN

Heard about this site from a few other sites and see a lot of familiar names. Great looking site - looking forward to putting it on my daily surfing pattern and gaining some more valuable insight and hopefully providing some now and again. Name: Dan Murphy Location: Central NY Fingerlakes Region, boat docked on Cayuga Lake Boat: 17' Trophy DC I mainly troll Cayuga L. w/ a few early season trips to Lake O. for browns. I fish a fair amount with my brother out of Wilson NY (Lake O.), always the Spring and Fall LOC Derby. Only about 5 years into it and can't believe it took me this long.