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Just want to get an idea of what everyone uses when trolling the Great Lakes. This is the first summer that we (Canucks) can use two rods apiece on the Great Lakes. I would like to know wire, braid, dispsy, downrigger etc. Would be really interested in the guys who use 8 to 12 rods. Any photos would be great. Thanks. Dwain
Dipsies: 30lb power pro. Many use 50 lb power pro but we really haven't had any issues with 30lb.
Slide Divers: 6' leader of 20 lb mono, then a barrel swivel (to stop slide diver from hitting fish), 25' 30lb mono (for the slide diver to grip), then 30lb Power Pro
Thumper/tailgunner: 7 strand brown SS wire
Light rigger rods (Lake Superior): 12 or 14 Lb mono
Heavier rigger rods (Lake Michigan): 20 Lb mono
Planer Rods: 20lb mono
SWR: 25' leader, then 2 colors of 27 lb leadcore, then 20lb mono
Leadcore: 25' 20 Lb mono leader, then 27lb leadcore, then 25' of mono (to hold in planer releases) then 30lb PowerPro backing.
Two rods in Lake Erie on Canadian side for a few years now. I just started fishing Lake Erie about 4 years ago and we have always used two rods per angler. Just checked 2008 regs, 2 rods allowed in Lake St Clair and Lake Erie ( "except Rondeau Bay and the inner bay" ). Only one rod allowed on the Detroit and St Clair Rivers.
My boat is still in winter storage in the barn. I hope to get it out this weekend or next. I have been down to the marina to watch and see if others are out on the lake yet. Several boats out today and they were catching yellow perch and bass. There are some pickerel but the heavy catches are still west of here off Colchester and in the Detroit river.
This is my plan this year.
Outriggers 15 footers- 8 1/2 poles with dipsies mono 30 lb
Further out the side-10 foot rods-with wire line -dipsey
Closer to the boat-9 foot rods-with braid-dipsey
Downrigger- 8 1/2 rod mono or braid on a 45 degree angle out the side
Back-2 8 1/2 leadcore
Back-1 8 1/2 mono or braid-dipsey
This would give me approx. 10 or 11 rods out
Any better suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
If it were me, I would scrstch the outside mono dipsies. You could then move the lead core to the outside off a couple of inline planer boards. Maybe run a 1/2 core on one board and a full core on the other. If you've only two riggers, then you could always stack. If you have four riggers, you could run 2 out downs and two straight off the back.
By getting the core and dipsie off the back end, you also open up the back of the boat for netting.
I prefer braid with dipseys. Mono stretches. When you get a small fish on a dipsey, it doesn't always trip with mono. With braid, it seems to trip better. That means less time dragging small fish.
__________________ Grady White SeaFarer 226 w/Yamaha F225 - SOLD
I prefer braid with dipseys. Mono stretches. When you get a small fish on a dipsey, it doesn't always trip with mono. With braid, it seems to trip better. That means less time dragging small fish.
Drag fish? What's that?
Come on up and fish Ontario...the Kings ALWAYS let you know they're on!
Come on up and fish Ontario...the Kings ALWAYS let you know they're on!
Greg
When trolling for rainbows, sometimes a small to medium pickerel will take the lure. Pickerel aren't fighters like rainbows so they don't always trip the dipsey or downrigger releases so you end up dragging them around until you pull in your line to check it or change lures. Although kings and rainbows are more fun to catch, a pickerel, now and then, is a good thing because "them things is tasty".
I as well like to run braided line with the dipsy. Sometimes we will use 30 or 50 as well. What lures are you all using? I found some cool lures last year and they worked well on most species here. They seemed to work even better for the larger Rainbows. They are called curlys lures. Check them out [ deleted by Moderator] . Any suggestions for for the Kings this year?
What lines do you run when trolling? 
