sherman51

Not to side track, but I have trouble getting my chamberlains to crank down hard enough. I can't run a flasher and fly on them past about 50 feet deep even when I have the horizontal adjustment cranked down as hard as it can. Any ideas?

you might try putting a small rubberband around the release when running flashers. or contact keith through downriggerrelease.com he may know of a solution to this problem.

sherman

in other words its a learning thing. its really hard to tell someone how tight to set the releases. you just start setting them alittle on the light side. if your getting to many false releases you tighten them down alittle at a time untill you stop getting to many false releases.

my answer for both of these problems has been solved with the divers and releases i use. i went to the lite bite slide diver, i can set it alittle tight and then set the lite bite arm as loose as i can. then it wont trip unless something hits it. but even a small fish will trip the diver.

i went to the chamberlain release for my riggers. it has 2 adjustments just like the lite bite diver. you can set the rod tension tight then set the lure tension loose. you can crank your rod down, but if even a small fish hits the lure it will trip. good luck with your fishing.

slidediver.com

downriggerrelease.com

all the things that could be causing your problems have really been covered. but i,ll throw my 2 cents in. make sure the trip arm is set and hasnt tripped. then make sure when you put it in the water it is pulling towards the side of the boat you want it on. on a 3 setting to the right it shoul pull pretty hard to the right.

this is how i had my divers set up last week on erie. i do use the lite bite slide divers and the no# are just alittle different but the basics are the same. i used a 9' rod for my front outside rod, my diver was set on 4.5 and i run it out 150 ft. my middle rod was an 8 ft rod with the diver set on a 3 setting out 120 ft. then my back inside rod was a 7 ft rod and the diver set on 1.5 and out 90 ft. there was very little space between the lines at the boat but they didnt run together or behind the boat. but if i got a hit on my front outside line. when i let it back out i would go over to the other side of the boat and start letting it out. i would just use the clicker on the reel to slow it down alittle so it didnt tangle. then when it was out 135 ft i would take it up over the 2 back rods and set it in the holder. now it should have 150 ft of line out so i lock the reel down and make sure its on 150. the diver will go up and over the other lines.

but it really sounds like your diver is tripped or your trying to put them on the wrong side of the boat. you dont want the trip arm so tight it wont trip but you dont want it so loose it keeps tripping when you put it in the water. thats why i love the lite bite divers. you can set them alittle on the tight side and just set the lite bite arm as light as it will go. then even a white bass will trip the diver, but you dont get false releases.

i hope something i,ve said helps you out. fishing with divers can be a fun way to fish.

sherman

i have to give kudo,s to big jon. and just have to mention tony at lord of the riggers. he sold me all my big jon stuff at the best price i could find. and i had one of the connecting nuts for my boom missing from one of my riggers, i called bj and they didnt even question it, they just sent me a new one.

and you did the right thing to contact them. you come out ahead and they have another satisfied customer.

sherman

Whats the shelf life on canned salmon?

im not sure just how long it would be good, but we have ate it after 3 yrs. it was just as good as when we first canned it. but we do use alittle salt as a preservative. we put a slightly rounded tea spoon of salt in the pint jars and half that in the 1/2 pint jars. then when we open it you can add anything you want to spice it up a bit. we usely just put cracker crumbs and onions then make salmon patties. but we have made casseroles and it was real good. my wife had an uncle that just bought the bottles of hot sauce and added it to the jars of fish and ate it right out of the jar with crackers.

sherman

seems like the stinger gets the most votes. even tho the paint comes off, they do catch fish untill they lose there paint. i have a few on my boat and use them at times. the just have so many colors to choose from.

but i have fished gale force tackle right along beside the stinger and they do just as good as the stinger and so far no problems with paint. i have caught several central basin eyes on the gale force spoons and harnesses and the paint is still holding up. and the greatest thing about them is i can just tell them what color i want and so far they have painted them up for me. but i always order atleast a dozen at a time of each color i order. good fishing to all and be safe and have fun.

sherman

i,ve never had this happen before. but 2 years ago i had bought some challenger 3d worm harnesses and hooked a nice hog walleye on erie, we got the fish close enough to see the fish behind the boat, and they seen the boat and started fighting, the fish got off and i brought it in and the hook had broke off. about 1/2 hour later we had the same thing happen again.

i contacted challenger and they had me mail the lures to them for inspection. they sent me back some new lures to replace the 2 bad ones and a few extra ones. the only bad thing is i still have about 2 dozen of the first batch that had the bad hooks. so it scares the crap out of me every time i use one of them. but they do catch fish.

sherman

i can tell you how we did it for many many years and never had anyone complane.

the best way to prepair you fish is to fillet the fish with the rib bones still in the meat and the meat still on the skin, now take and cut the meat by making a slices about 1" wide going long ways on the fillet the cut cross ways making about 1" squares, then cut the squares off the skin just like you would normaly cut the skin off a solid fillet.

now just take 1 pint or 1/2 pint jars and start filling the jars with the 1" square pieces. when you get them full take a tea spoon of salt and put on top of the meat and then just put the lids on good and tight, then fill your canner with jars. start cooking bring your canner up to 10 lbs of pressure, cook at 10 lbs for 1 hour, then turn off heat and allow the pressure to drop to 0. then open the canner. we like to spread out a towel and take the jars out of the canner and set the jars a few inches apart on the towel, then just wait for the jars to cool and seal. then you can take the rings off and reuse the rings. the meat will last for years. i dont really know just how long it will last. but i have had it stay sealed and good for up to 3 yrs. good luck and have fun.

sherman

Frank, that is just AWESOME!!!!!! It is so cool that you are able to take some folks out to enjoy the wonderful resources available to us here. It is because of men like Elmer G. and so many others who have served our country that we have these things available to us.

It does give you a great feeling when you can share the things you love to do with others who may not have the opportunity to experience them otherwise.

You're a great guy Frank, I hope to be able to give back like this at some point in the future.

Good Fishing,

Troy

hey troy

there is no way i could have said it any better. guys like frank are just hard to come by. but it does seem like some very good people on this site.

sherman

i always like using the shortest rod at the back of the boat and go about a ft longer as i go forward. it just helps keep the rod ends and lines from tangling. i use a 7 ft rod in the back on a 1 1/2 setting the next rod is 8 ft on a 3 setting. then the next rod is a 9 ft on a 4 1/2 setting. then if im running 4 rods the very front rod is a 10 ft on a 6 setting. now i use all lite bite slide divers and the dials are just alittle different than say a dipsy. but this gives you an idea.

if i go to the central basin and marking fish deep in say 70 ft of water. i,ll put my 10 ft rod out on a 6 setting 240 ft. then i set my 9 ft rod on a 4 1/2 setting out 210 ft. then my 8 ft rod on a 3 setting out 180 ft. then the very back 7 ft rod on a 1 1/2 setting out 150 ft. then i just do whatever the fish want. if im marking fish up shallow at say 50 ft, i like to fish alittle above the fish. so i might start out with my front rod out 180 ft then 150 ft then 120 ft then 90 ft. this keeps the deepest shortest divers on the inside. if i adjust my depth i,ll adjust the whole side.

sherman

first off i would run the same size divers on one side. i usely run 3 divers per side, but have been known to run 4. but if you run the same size divers it just works better. if i was just running 2 divers, just run the front outside diver on a higher setting, like say a 3 setting. then let it out far enough to hit your target depth. then run the back inside diver on a 1 setting, and run it atleast 30 ft less than your front rod. that way if you get a fish on the front outside rod, you can let it back out without pulling your back inside rod. jest start letting it out on the far side of the boat then when you have it out about 20 ft farther than the back inside rod take the rod up and over the back rod and place it in the holder. that should put you out about 30 ft farther than the back inside rod, and just lock it down. and it will go out and over that line.

one other thing i always do, i make sure to use the same weight line and put the same amount of line on each reel. this just helps keep your counters accurate with the other reels.

hope i said something that helps you and doesnt just make it worse. its really pretty simple after you do it a few times.

and i use the lite bite slide divers. if i want to get really deep they have a kit that has a big ring and a 4 oz weight you can use. but for walleye the standard ring and weight is all i ever use.

if you have any questions about anything i said, feel free to pm me. i,ll help if i can.

sherman

i really like the okuma glt,s i bought, they have nice large double footed stainless guides with titanium oxide rings in them. they should last longer than im going to,LOL.

sherman

i went through this same thing not long ago. i guess you can use any rod for copper. but i broke down and bought a couple of the okuma leadcore/copper rods. i got the glt classic pro 8'6" m action. i may have paid alittle much for them but i liked the guides. 70.00 for 2 of them on ebay.

sherman

i had a set of big jon sportsmans riggers and used the 13 lb pancake weights with them. i did have one rigger that would kick the braker once in awhile. i would just push the reset button and keep going. but i was only going down about 60 ft.

sherman

it depends so much on how your boat performs now. if your already at peak rpm,s with the prop you have now, then going to a lower pitch can put you to high at wot. and may also hurt your cruising gas mileage. and it depends on how much slower you need to go. i have a 19 p high five on my boat, i tryed it with a 17 p high five, and only lost about 2/10,s of mph while trolling. this may not be typical with a 3 blade prop. but i just dont think reproping will cure your problem

you might want to think about making the jump to a good set of trolling bags or a good trolling plate. i,ve tried both and i like the trolling plate. the best one i think is out there is the easy troller. it has the bottom half hinged and spring loaded. if you give it alittle to much gas it will swing up instead of bending like the old happy troller. you can just do a search online and find them for around 100.00 plus shipping. or i see one on ebay once in awhile for around 80.00 plus shipping. good luck, and keep us posted on what you do, and if it works for you.

sherman

CONGRATS on your star pupil. i dont know who taught him to sell big jon, but thanks tony.

sherman

even tho i am a disabled vet i just couldnt make it with or without my boat. but i would like to thank each and every one of you that was a part of this. even the vets that showed up, it wouldnt be much without them. and theres just no words that can thank all you guys that took the vets out fishing and the guys who sets this up and makes sure everything goes as planned. sometimes the guys on shore just dont get there dues. so thank you one and all.

sherman

back in the day they was as good as anything elce on the market. if they are in good shape now you should get many years of service out of them. just my opinion, and im sure there are some people that didnt like riviera. but the first riggers i ever had was riviera manuals. then i got laid off that fall and sold all my gear just before christmas, so we could have a good christmas for our kids. that spring when i went back to work i got a new set of penn manuals, then got laid off again that fall and sold them. the next spring i got some used big jons. i stayed with big jon manuals untill 3 yrs ago. and switched to big jon electrics. mostly because i got some awesome prices on the big jons i got. i got a set of sportsmans off ebay, one was a boat show display and the other one was new, i got them both for 425.00. then last year i got a set of pro tournaments with auto stop on auction with no reserve for 510.00 and 25.00 for shipping. then i had to pay alittle more for my second 2. but the first 2 didnt have rod holders or swivel bases, but i already had those. but i,ve heard good things about the riviera electrics back when all i could afford was manuals.

sherman

i think the stinger is a great spoon, but the paint dont last for sht. i like the spoons i get from gale force tackle just as much if not more, the paint stays on alot better and they are much cheaper. and they,ve been doing custom colors for me.

sherman

what more could a person ask for. great people great fishing and everybody made it back in safe.

great report, keep them coming.

sherman

how many of you have used it or seen somebody elce use it for motion sickness??

Here ya go Mike

now thats just what he asked for. now tell us whats going on with the picture,LOL.

sherman

its always good to hear your getting fish. and for a total of 6 hrs that was some pretty good fishing.

sherman

not saying its your problem. but some years ago i was broke down on erie, and my radio did the same thing. i could hear others but couldnt get out. i had just put a new antenna on my boat. but i was able to contact the coast guard and talking through them i got a boat i had talked to before my radio had quit. he came and towed us in. sure enough it was a bad antenna. so they can cause this problem.

if you have a friend with an antenna you could test your radio by hooking up to his antenna. i know thats alot of trouble, but you,ve got to start somewhere. or try somebodies radio with your antenna.

keep us posted as to what you find wrong.

sherman

i didnt know him myself but i hate to hear we lost another sportsman. my prayers are with his family and friends. may god be with you in this time of sorrow.

i just lost 2 of my best friends and they were both great sportsman. i lost my little brother and my best friend on the 10th of may, then lost my oldest friend on the 26th of may. we became good friends when i was about 9 yrs old and he was 3 yrs older than me. i am 61 now so we were friends for many yrs. i miss them both every day. i try to celabrate there lives and not mourn there passing.

sherman