ThreeDogsDown

Nice! Never really thought of that. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wherearethey, after hooking the herring strip with the single hook, do you leave the treble hook hanging free? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks great Sea Eagle. I like your rod/reel organization too. I took off my Magnum Metalz downriggers, lubed them up, cut off some cable and added new Klincher ends. I am ready to troll this coming spring (or if we get some calm days out in Frankfort), but I put the sport top up and I am now configured for perch jigging. I can quickly change back to trolling if we get an Indian summer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Where are you located? PM sent. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good point. Mine are all labelled. I snagged a Walleye board with a wire line on it with a huge flatfish on it yesterday. It was not labelled. So I added a flag and reflective tape and put it in my bow netting for another spare. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, the Dipsy under a planer board was just a test to see if the board would perform. It did OK, but was not recommended as a technique. The video is on Youtube. I agree that the regular size planer boards work good for 10 Color Leadcore. I use the Church Walleye Boards and the Offshore OR-12a for 10 color leadcore. I do upgrade to the locking clip (OR-18) so I can release the board for retrieval versus the red and orange clips. As for the big boards, It seems the Walleye Board and the OR-12s pull better than the big Church TX-44s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

“If you are purchasing new downriggers why would you continue using dipsies and not invest in downrigger weights?” Downriggers are only 2 presentations (or 4 if you stack them) in a 9 or 12 rod spread. Somedays, dipsies outperform downriggers, at which point, I will stow one downrigger and replace it with another dipsy. I always have one DR down with my Fishhawk Probe. “Using downrigger weights such as the 4 Fins design will allow you the ability to know precisely what depth your presentation is with little or no blow back depending on your trolling speed”. My probe tells me how much blowback I am incurring at all speeds...and I can tell you it is 20’ or more blowback at 2.5 mph. This is a hassle both in presentation accuracy and tangles. This feature is attractive to me. “This design of DR weights also track extremely well and will not travel under your boat during turns when trolling.” This feature is also attractive to me. I have 39 days trolling on Lake Michigan this season and this season is winding down. I have lost one ball this season. I replaced it with another Cabelas Directional 12lb downrigger weight. It does pull the ball outside (slightly) the gunnel and opens up the chute for turns and fighting/netting fish. So they do track well, but I am always ready to try something else. My plan is to purchase ALL MY SEASON UPGRADES (DR weights included) in one big month. Most probably in March 2020 (which is what I did this year) at the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids. I make a list of everything new or different I would like to try. If it isn’t at the show, I will order online in the hotel that night. Shark style weights are on my list. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great report! That last pic where the kids are helping hold the fish is hilarious. The girls look like they were slightly pressured to hold on to it. Made me laugh. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That last picture made me spit water laugh. I know the feeling. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will do Sir. My 12#’s seem to have quite a blow at 2.7-3.0 MPH. I am looking for 15#’s with a coated slim profile. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Trophy Taker! Great report! Seems like you Southern Port guys are having a great early season. Hopefully my reports out of Frankfort (tomorrow) will be as successful and as detailed. I monitor channel 68 as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good call. Have caught myself looking at that net in the rear view mirror once already. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are bangin em down there! Send some up to Frankfort please. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks man. Those Big Jon ratchet holders are my “go to” holders for Dipsies. Yes, they go parallel to the water. I set out 9 lines on Saturday and only got slightly tangled once. Rod trees made all the difference. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Mike. Hopefully it will last my lifetime. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks RedRider. I am picky, but only wanted to do the rigging once I am very happy the way it turned out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, here is what I finally ended up with after a couple iterations of trial and error... Magnum Metalz 2500 series Downriggers. Big Jon Tracks and Dipsy Rod holders Fish On Triple Rod Tree with Net Holder. After much installation and testing on the water and bumpy dirt roads, this was the “heaviest dutiest” setup I could come up with (both solid to the gunnel, and solid in its own design). I was balancing price versus quality. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk