SeaCatMich

As long as you don't mount it right behind one of the props or on a strake on the hull, it probably doesn't matter too much where it is on the transom. Unlike a depth sounder transducer you don't use most features of the FishHawk all that much until trolling. Surface temp can be used when on plane to find surface breaks but 90% of the time you use it going slow. Consequently air turbulence gong over the transducer isn't a big problem. On I/O or O/B boats I usually put the depth sounder transducer on the starboard side and the Fishhawk on the port. With the prop direction going clockwise when viewed from off the stern, the prop wash created on starboard side is down away from the hull while the port side is coming up toward the hull (and any transducer mounted there). Since the FishHawk is a receive only transducer it is better off on the noisy side. On an inboard, not a clue... but maybe that will help you figure out if one location would be better than another. As for distance from the downrigger, I have used my X4 probe on both of my outdown riggers but primarily on my starboard rear. On my 8.5' beam boat it worked well in all locations. The real advantage of mounting it near the primary downrigger it will be used on is routing the cable from the transducer to the display... if the display is going near the downrigger. If it's going at the helm, then cable routing for the connection might still be a factor and on most boats that still points toward a starboard location.

That would be great. I'm afraid that over here near Lansing, Gander Mountain and Dick's are our only options and neither has much. The last few times I was down to the Dundee Cabela's the line selection was pretty bad. I'm hoping the Grandville store being much closer to Lake Michigan is better for salmon gear. I much prefer to buy from a local place but at least a local branch of a national store employs people locally. Unfortunately getting to a west side store when they are open is also a challenge.

I get the racoon look every spring. At least I have improved and have not got sunburned in at least 4 years after the first trip of the year

Thanks. They haven't stopped making the Ande Tournament... it is still on the corp web page... but have not seen at a local shop for over a year and all of the catalog stores show it out of stock. I'd much prefer to find it at a local store but the only source I have found right now is eBay. Found out that Sufix is now owned by Rapala. I'm actually hoping to find a 2400-3000 yard spool because the 300 yard reel-filler size are real expensive compared to bulk.

I didn't say none but I can say in 40+ years I have only had 2 fish get into the rigger cables and only lost 1 of those and it was my 14 year old nephew on his first trip 5 years ago. Did take a bunch of scuffed up line off to get to the undamaged line though after both. I can count on one hand how many tangles have cost us a fish and even then it was not a break off. And yes that's with running no heavier than 20# test and most of the time it is 17 or less -- 12 to 15 in the spring/early summer. As far as break offs, the boat had one real bad trip last year out of Holland where we had 3 break off because they got into a leadcore and a wire diver -- Mull was with me and the day was a disaster as far as landing fish with us going 7 or 8 for about 24 but the rest just got off -- and they were not Coho or Steelhead. The rest of the year didn't have any break offs with 216 fish landed out of 226 hooked. I also really work to land every fish we hook. For the most part we don't bring them to the boat "hot" and the wide openness of the SeaCat makes it nice to fight them and land them cleanly. I'm meticulous with my tackle as far as checking lines and knots. In 1999 it was my first spring after moving to St. Joe and I was real eager to get on the water. Didn't do my usual winter routine due to moving and paid the price of not respooling with new line. The 15# Big Game was in bad shape. Broke off 3 or 4 of the fish on that first trip. At $5 per lure plus the fish, I have never made that mistake again and alway check line at the start of each season and generally replace the mono each year. 12 - 14# on the SG27LCA's each spring and then the 17 or 20# on the SG47LCA and Ticas at mid season. If I could find the Ande I would be all set but every where I have checked is out of stock or wants too much for shipping. No one had it or any other good bulk spool line at a decent price at the shows either. Thus why I started the thread. Maybe I'm picky

I have a pair of Maui Jim's with the titanium light weight frames that I use in relatively low light conditions or cloudy days. When it is really bright I go to a pair of Costa Del Mar with plastic frames and wrap around lenses that really cut out the reflected glare off the water. Both polarized of course. At the end of last year I also picked up a pair at Gander Mountain that have a magnifying lens area toward the bottom. Didn't use them too much last year but with the 50+ eyes not doing as good for up close work like knot tying thought they might be worth a try.

So it isn't too stiff? On of my best friends is mainly a bass fisherman and he uses it mainly for fishing in the ugly stuff because of its toughness. The last time I looked at it, it seemed pretty stiff but it was probably 20#+ rated. They are also one of the brands that I think way under sells the breaking strength rating of their products. Their 15# should probably be labeled 20+. I haven't seen it in a store in a long time. It used to only come in a very dark color too... is it available in clear or a lighter green?

I got an email back from Blood Run thanking me for pointing out the error on the website and that they updated it. At least the opening paragraph of the description is now different. I may have to get a spool to try it out. I do have some trouble believing the 30x more abrasion resistant claim though. To me that means that if "regular" line took 100 back and forth rubs before being roughed up or breaking, then the Blood Run "tournament" stuff would take 3,000 of the same rubs. That's an awfully big ratio. Its diameter is pretty much the same as most premium 20# test mono at .017 inch and unfortunately in my opinion, almost all of them test higher than rated. The 20# test Stren Original, Berkley Big Game, Ande Premium, and Sufix Superior are all .018 in diameter. Those same lines in are .014 to .016 in diameter for their 15 or 16# test. Ande Tournament and Sufix Titanium Plus are actually .016 in diameter. In fact, if the line breaks at 25# then why isn't it rated at that instead of 20#. If they are claiming the line is the equivalent diameter of other manufacturer's 16# test (which it isn't), then promote it as a 25# test line with the diameter of a 16 or 20#. That's what the Power Pro and Fireline super braids do. I really wish companies would shoot straight with their claims. It isn't like the information isn't readily available to be found out. It is one thing for a person to state an opinion... entirely different for a company to publish misleading or false information as facts.

I saw the purple "Tournament" line on the Blood Run website. The description for it and the "regular" downrigger line is identical though. The only hint of any difference is in the product picture. I emailed them to ask what makes the "Tournament" line so much better and worth twice the price. I do wish that they would make it in something other (less) than 20# test. I'm probably going to regret saying this out loud , but break offs have never been a big problem for me nor has fish getting into the rigger lines. It isn't like we are fishing for bass with weeds, rocks, and branches for the fish to get into out there on the big lakes. Aside from the downriggers there just isn't anything out there for the fish to get into and break off. If the drag is set right I don't see the need for any main line over 20# and based on my results, I subscribe to the same philosophy as Dan Keating and beleive the lighter lines get more hits -- especially when fishing spoons.

Thanks, I like PLine and use it for my 8# walleye spinning outfits. But for 300+ yards on a salmon reel it is too expensive to me -- nearly twice the cost of others (Ande & Sufix). On my rigger rods I usually run 12# test for spoons/plugs and 17# for flashers until July and then go to 17# for spoons/plugs and 20# for flashers/meat. Break offs are never an issue -- we use the drag and if necessary slow down the boat.

I have to respool a bunch of my rigger rods with mono and I'm considering a different line. In the past I have used mainly Ande Tournament in green and pink. Not sure what's happened but it isn't readily available anymore. I also have used Momoi Hi Catch but I wasn't overly impressed. Same for Big Game. So, I'm looking at something else. I have heard good things about Sufix and found some Sufix Superior at a good price, but I have never used it and don't know anyone that has used it. I'm also considering going back to original Stren. Anyone had any experience with the Sufix Superior? Any other suggestions?

If you do use the St. Joe marina island launch 1) The $5 per vehicle is for all vehicles -- if you have a tow vehicle and someone else meeting you there, it is $5 each... and you don't want to pay the fine of not getting the daily permit (don't ask ) 2) Don't go very far downstream from the ramps to go across the river. It gets shallow REALLY quick. Go in daylight the first time or two.

I have a pair of 300' of 45# copper setups. I'm just not interested in putting any presentation out any further than 300'. I also have 2 ten color leadcore, 2 five color, 1 three color, and a two color. When I want to get deeper than that or to an in between depth, I add Dive Bomb and Torpedo Diver weights. I'll also change to a lure that runs at a slower speed and slow the speed of the troll which will cause weighted lines to drop substantially deeper -- 30% deeper running 2.1 mph than 2.5.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/river-monster-barracuda-is-nearly-7-feet-long-102-pounds/ I think we wouldn't have an Asian Carp problem if we could just get a few barracuda like this one to survive our winter weather. Monster barracuda is nearly 7-feet long, 102 pounds Potential world-record fish taken in Angola is way bigger than average April 02, 2013 by David Strege Fishing for tarpon was slow on the Cuanza River in Angola, so when Thomas Gibson hooked into a giant fish that took a scorching run and stayed close to the surface, he and his fishing partner thought, finally, a tarpon. But what came to the boat was not only a huge fish, but a huge surprise. “It came to the boat fairly easily (too easily for a tarpon!) and once I got hold of the leader and pulled it up to the surface, we saw it was a HUGE barracuda,†Cam Nicolson wrote in an email to GrindTV Outdoor. “It was bigger than any barracuda I had seen.†The barracuda—a Guinean barracuda, to be exact—measured 6.9-feet long and weighed a potential all-tackle world-record 102 pounds. “I have never seen anything like it,†Iain Nicolson, Cam’s brother, told Sport Fishing. Indeed, Guinean barracuda in the Cuanza River typically average 10-20 pounds with the biggest the Nicolson’s of Angola have caught previously being around 65 pounds. Gibson, a Houston resident who is an expert at catching tarpon, submitted the recent catch to the International Game Fish Association, the keeper of fishing world records. The IGFA is currently reviewing the potential record. The current record is 101 pounds, 3 ounces, also caught in Africa. That fish was landed by Dr. Cyril Fabre in Olende, Gabon. Amazingly, the one Gibson hooked took less than 10 minutes to land, but it came with one harrowing moment. “We only had a lip gaff onboard [seen in photo below], so that was a little too close to the teeth for comfort,†Cam Nicolson said.

Not sure of the credentials of whoever wrote the piece, but there are many fundamental errors in the information and wasn't fact checked very well.

Many dance clubs have black lights as part of their lighting. Amazing how bright certain white shirts were/are in that environment. In theory a lure that reflects UV can be seen by salmon when other colors can't be seen because the light frequencies of the visible spectrum (red, yellow, green, blue, and violet) are filtered out as you get deeper in the water column while UV (ultraviolet) is not filtered out as deep. There are also substances that absorb light frequencies and in effect transmit light as the "stored" energy dissipates -- which is why glow and super-glow paints glow after you "charge" them with a light source and they glow longer when you use a very high intensity light like a camera flash. If that absorbed light is UV, it can be seen at further distances underwater in the horizontal plane as it is not filtered/absorbed by water as soon as the visible frequencies. When a person sees an object glow under normal light you are seeing its visible spectrum light/color reflected off the object. Humans can't see UV light or UV glow. When you expose a UV sensitive object to a black light it glows in the visible spectrum but indicates that it is also glowing in the UV frequency/spectrum too. We consequently don't really know what a fish really sees as it is likely different that what we see, but it is assumed that because they at times respond to "UV" lures better than what we consider human visible spectrum lures fish/salmon can see UV. Maybe some day we will be able to ask them what it really looks like.

I am not positive, but I seem to remember that flare guns are not legal for use or to carry into Canadian waters. I got the gun in an Olin kit along with the handhelds and I do like Jim/1Maniac and alternate which ones get replaced. 1 out of every 3 years or so i don't have to replace either.

That's nice, but it sure would be nice to also include the city boat ramp area too. In reasonably normal water conditions it has been a mini adventure to be able to launch and then get to the main lake channel. Whitehall is a great port to fish out of -- well worth the long run out through White Lake to get to the big lake... but I'm guessing that Great Lakes worthy boats are going to have great difficulty using the ramp this year. As a consequence, the trailer boats and the associated $$$ are going to find locations that do have water at the ramp and are less challenging to navigate to go fish.

2012 was really unusual... never really had "winter". Most years there is still a real good chance for a few inches of snow up to a week or so after the official first day of spring on the calendar (March 20). That's still a couple days out. I'm hoping for a significant improvement by the end of the month. When I had the condo and slip in St. Joe I was always the first boat in the water at Eagle Pointe and tax day was always my target, with the week prior for getting the boat cleaned up from its winter nap.

Will they sell it in non bulk (full roll) quantities? I don't see it listed on their "retail" part of the site. In fact the only 948 color/product code I see is the 948C.

Jim, I thought you were seriously looking at going to a bigger boat to let your wife go along more often with a less bumpy ride in moderate chop situations.

Chris, send me a PM with the source. Have not found one anywhere -- not that Lansing is going to have anyone carry it since we don't have a real Great Lakes tackle source, but have looked online too without success.

The best presentation I have found for them is a SWR. I have tried tuna and garlic tuna in them, but the best by far was canned mackerel. Didn't set the world on fire but for negative fish did do better than other lures.

If I were to do the Smart Troll I would buy a 7" Android tablet currently available at a pretty cheap price (~$50-70) and use it for the display. Almost all of them will have the wireless bluetooth functionality that the ST needs and since ones that cheap don't have cell phone service the battery life is usually well over 8 hours if you are not using the WiFi connection, camera, and other power consuming features. Still at the cost for the probes, transducer, and bluetooth transmitter... it isn't going to be on my boat anytime soon. Even then I would probably only put the probes on my downriggers and not the fishing lines. The one downside to my X4 is that it only tells me what's happening on the one rigger it is on. Being able to see the temp/speed info and the impact of currents at different depths would be nice. If the price is the same the Smart Troll has potential.

For both leadcore and copper the biggest determinant for depth is speed. Slower speeds get you a lot deeper than faster and it is quite dramatic. I have found that at 2.1 mph on my X4 a 300' 45# hits bottom in 95 FOW. At 2.4 mph it hits in 75 FOW and at 2.6 mph it doesn't hit until 65 FOW. On turns the lines on the inside slow considerably and will drop quite a bit as well, with the opposite happening on the outside rods. The second most important factor with bot leadcore and copper is density of the line (weight per inch of line). More density equals deeper depths for the same line out. I personally don't run the 32# copper because my whole reason for running it is get deeper quicker and all of the 45# I have seen is denser than the 32#. I believe that I heard that Blood Run's "new" 32# copper is supposed to be denser than others. If I ever need to replace my current copper setups I will take a closer look. I also had a pretty extensive discussion on this with Mark Romanak at the OutdoorRama show a few weeks ago. His testing has confirmed what I had concluded/observed about speed and depth. Plus he noted that while running a flasher type presentation does make the rig run a little shallower than a spoon, his measurements show that a diving lure does not run any deeper than a spoon. I had always assumed that the copper would sink its "normal" depth and then a diving plug like a Deep Thunderstick with a big bill or even a #5 J-Plug would dive deeper off the end of copper or core. Mark says no -- the pull of the lure actually appears to add buoyancy to the weighted line and makes the presentation run the same depth as a spoon with no diving property at all.