Good choices for the monofilament and a really good tip you mentioned regarding matching lines (brand and test) on your reels cannot be overemphasized. I have had the same results with flourocarbon versus monofilament... doesn't seem to make a difference however if you are so incline Seagaur STS is about half the price as the blue stuff; works just as good too. I use about 6 differrent techinques when fishing for chinook. Some of them are bit more finess fishing meaning a limp or soft leader puts more fish in the boat however these are not trolling techniques. The big game actually works OK for this but the Maxima Ultra Green (ugly green) works noticably better. I have gone to P-Line CXX for mono leaders but its not easy to tie. Clinch knots or any varation there of gets very inconsistent results. I only tie Palomar, Worlds Fair, or Ryoshi knots in CXX. CXX way over tests too so you can use much lighter lines or leaders.
Steel blue big game 20lbs mono is what I like for leaders. I like the little bit of stretch in the leader mono has. I’ve even given up on using fluro for my flasher fly leaders and switch to 50lbs big game leader line it’s like 5-6 bucks vs 20 bucks for 50 yrds and had less fish pop the hooks. Because of the stretch ditched the snubbers on dipsies
I use braid slide divers but have the slide diver on 50ft section of mono to add some shock absobtion i think ist 25lbs big game might be 20lbs didnt have too much trouble but only used it last year and i only got to michigan twice. Live by superior wi so many fish the south shore pf superior.
Thanks for the comment. Big Game is a tough and versatile line. We’ll have a video out soon covering slide divers. They are a whole different animal as you know.
Thanks Brett. We use a label maker and put the information right on the reels. You can put it on the rod also if you want to, but that can get confusing if you switch things around.
What do you do about the fleas later in the season with that small diameter 20lb Big Game on your downrigger rods? I've had to switch to a much higher LB test Big Game and a 7ft fluorocarbon leader on them on Lake O later in the season or the fleas clog the line guides on retrieval
They can definitely be troublesome. The past few years I’ve gone to 25 pound mono for my downriggers which has helped some. But some days you just have to tough it out.
I troll for Lake trout, Salmon, Walleye, and do some regular pike fishing. Do you think my 25lbs braided (Dark green) line gets in the way? or can the fish see it?
Great channel! Just subscribed. Just wondering if you use the mono to tie your leaders between your dipsy and your flasher? Do you thknk 25lb big game is strong enough?
Hi Chris. I seem to have a problem with leader break offs on my diver set ups. I run straight braid to my dipsy diver followed with a rubber snubbed, then a 4' bumper (not 100% sure 60 or 80 lb mono) flasher than a 20lb Berkley big game leader 2.5 x the length of the flasher. When trolling for salmon in lake Ontario . When trolling for walleye in lake Erie I run straight braid to my dypse and 20 lb Berkley big game 6' to 8' long leader. I use to use 20lb fluorocarbon leaders but had a break off issue. I switched to the mono thinking it may have been that the fluorocarbon was breaking due to lack of stretch on a hit. ........ any thoughts. Thanks Henry Schmidt
Interesting question. Couple questions. Are you breaking off the leader between the dipsy and flasher or flasher and fly? What brand of snubber are you using? What strength rod and what length and what brand/model of reel? Our salmon set up looks like this for our low divers. Shimano Tekotas (silky smooth drag) on 8 1/2 foot MH rods. We run Blood Run 30 pound wire to our Dreamweaver divers and a Dreamweaver Ripcord snubber. Regular snubbers can’t compare to them and that may be your problem. Luhr Jensen snubbers wear out and have no shock resistance at all. Behind our Ripcords we run twelve feet of 50 pound big game to our flasher/fly or meat rigs. One thing to remember is keep your drags semi loose on your divers. We keep ours set so they tick out every so often on their own. You want to be able to let that big fish pull all that gear without to much resistance. Then after his first run readjust the drag accordingly. My guess is your problem lies likely in the snubber, drag setting, or both. Chris
@@tangledtacklefishing I'm breaking off the leader to my spoon . Just down from swivel. I use a 9.5' med heavy rod, Okuma line counter reels drag set lite it clicks out line on its own occasionally. Luhr Jensen rubber snubbers. ........ I have bad feeling about the snubbers they have a wire twist to crimp the ends that has a folded over tag end . I notice in one of your videos you had a snubber that appeared to me to look like a series of loops . I've never seen one in a tackle shop before. Do you tie them up your self or is it a product on the market. Thanks Henry Schmidt
I’m almost certain it’s your snubber. The one you saw us using is a Dreamweaver Ripcord. Best on the market. You can call Dreamweaver direct and order some. Think about trying out some of their divers also. They are also our favorites. If you call tell them we said hello.
henry schmidt I have fished dipsey divers in Lake Ontario with snubbers and did not have break offs but poor hook ups. I switch to a 10 foot dipsey rod with no snubber resulting with no break offs and much better hookup results. Not to mention the pole absorbs the shock very well and allows my wife to fight fish much easier because the rod works for you. Rods are not expensive. Give it a try. Make sure you install the top for wire line. A good shop will do that for you where you buy the rod. Good luck. Jim
Great source of information! Thanks again!
Good choices for the monofilament and a really good tip you mentioned regarding matching lines (brand and test) on your reels cannot be overemphasized. I have had the same results with flourocarbon versus monofilament... doesn't seem to make a difference however if you are so incline Seagaur STS is about half the price as the blue stuff; works just as good too. I use about 6 differrent techinques when fishing for chinook. Some of them are bit more finess fishing meaning a limp or soft leader puts more fish in the boat however these are not trolling techniques. The big game actually works OK for this but the Maxima Ultra Green (ugly green) works noticably better. I have gone to P-Line CXX for mono leaders but its not easy to tie. Clinch knots or any varation there of gets very inconsistent results. I only tie Palomar, Worlds Fair, or Ryoshi knots in CXX. CXX way over tests too so you can use much lighter lines or leaders.
Steel blue big game 20lbs mono is what I like for leaders. I like the little bit of stretch in the leader mono has. I’ve even given up on using fluro for my flasher fly leaders and switch to 50lbs big game leader line it’s like 5-6 bucks vs 20 bucks for 50 yrds and had less fish pop the hooks. Because of the stretch ditched the snubbers on dipsies
Try the DreamWeaver Rip Cord snubbers. We switched to them for the same reasons.
I use braid slide divers but have the slide diver on 50ft section of mono to add some shock absobtion i think ist 25lbs big game might be 20lbs didnt have too much trouble but only used it last year and i only got to michigan twice. Live by superior wi so many fish the south shore pf superior.
Thanks for the comment. Big Game is a tough and versatile line. We’ll have a video out soon covering slide divers. They are a whole different animal as you know.
What do u run for backing on ur lead core and copper
Fifty pound PowerPro or sixty pound Suffix braid.
Another great video! Any tips on labeling rods to keep track of what is what?
Thanks Brett. We use a label maker and put the information right on the reels. You can put it on the rod also if you want to, but that can get confusing if you switch things around.
What do you do about the fleas later in the season with that small diameter 20lb Big Game on your downrigger rods? I've had to switch to a much higher LB test Big Game and a 7ft fluorocarbon leader on them on Lake O later in the season or the fleas clog the line guides on retrieval
They can definitely be troublesome. The past few years I’ve gone to 25 pound mono for my downriggers which has helped some. But some days you just have to tough it out.
Using power pro, do I have to use a rod with a certain kind of guides, with wire I know I have to be specific. Thanks
You can use other guides like ceramic, but make sure there are no nicks in the eyelets.
I troll for Lake trout, Salmon, Walleye, and do some regular pike fishing. Do you think my 25lbs braided (Dark green) line gets in the way? or can the fish see it?
No way to be certain but I found salmon and trout are still fairly aggressive even with easily visible line.
Any recommendations for sending Shamono reels for service. The one I have Shamono has no parts available. Too old they say. Just like me.🤓
Tunas reel troubles in Ludington. Best around.
www.tunasreeltroubles.com/
Great channel! Just subscribed. Just wondering if you use the mono to tie your leaders between your dipsy and your flasher? Do you thknk 25lb big game is strong enough?
Great question. We use 50 Lb. Big Game for that.
@@tangledtacklefishing thanks for the advice and speedy response! You're awesome man!
sea fleas were crazy last year on Lake Ontario....I use Blood Run Sea Flea line from now on....
Sea fleas are definitely no bueno. Blood Run Sea Flea line absolutely helps control them.
Hi Chris.
I seem to have a problem with leader break offs on my diver set ups. I run straight braid to my dipsy diver followed with a rubber snubbed, then a 4' bumper (not 100% sure 60 or 80 lb mono) flasher than a 20lb Berkley big game leader 2.5 x the length of the flasher. When trolling for salmon in lake Ontario . When trolling for walleye in lake Erie I run straight braid to my dypse and 20 lb Berkley big game 6' to 8' long leader. I use to use 20lb fluorocarbon leaders but had a break off issue. I switched to the mono thinking it may have been that the fluorocarbon was breaking due to lack of stretch on a hit. ........ any thoughts.
Thanks Henry Schmidt
Interesting question. Couple questions. Are you breaking off the leader between the dipsy and flasher or flasher and fly? What brand of snubber are you using? What strength rod and what length and what brand/model of reel?
Our salmon set up looks like this for our low divers. Shimano Tekotas (silky smooth drag) on 8 1/2 foot MH rods. We run Blood Run 30 pound wire to our Dreamweaver divers and a Dreamweaver Ripcord snubber. Regular snubbers can’t compare to them and that may be your problem. Luhr Jensen snubbers wear out and have no shock resistance at all. Behind our Ripcords we run twelve feet of 50 pound big game to our flasher/fly or meat rigs.
One thing to remember is keep your drags semi loose on your divers. We keep ours set so they tick out every so often on their own. You want to be able to let that big fish pull all that gear without to much resistance. Then after his first run readjust the drag accordingly.
My guess is your problem lies likely in the snubber, drag setting, or both.
Chris
@@tangledtacklefishing I'm breaking off the leader to my spoon . Just down from swivel. I use a 9.5' med heavy rod, Okuma line counter reels drag set lite it clicks out line on its own occasionally. Luhr Jensen rubber snubbers. ........ I have bad feeling about the snubbers they have a wire twist to crimp the ends that has a folded over tag end . I notice in one of your videos you had a snubber that appeared to me to look like a series of loops . I've never seen one in a tackle shop before. Do you tie them up your self or is it a product on the market.
Thanks Henry Schmidt
I’m almost certain it’s your snubber. The one you saw us using is a Dreamweaver Ripcord. Best on the market. You can call Dreamweaver direct and order some. Think about trying out some of their divers also. They are also our favorites. If you call tell them we said hello.
@@tangledtacklefishing thanks very much for your input.
Henry Schmidt
henry schmidt
I have fished dipsey divers in Lake Ontario with snubbers and did not have break offs but poor hook ups. I switch to a 10 foot dipsey rod with no snubber resulting with no break offs and much better hookup results. Not to mention the pole absorbs the shock very well and allows my wife to fight fish much easier because the rod works for you. Rods are not expensive. Give it a try. Make sure you install the top for wire line. A good shop will do that for you where you buy the rod. Good luck. Jim