Erie Tuesday June 28th

[gunrod]

Headed out of Swan Creek with my daughter at noon. The late start since she was going I wanted to make sure she didn't get caught in a t-storm. I have mixed feelings on Swan Creek. It's shallow and no wake for 1.5 miles. But it isn't crowded and puts you fishing almost as soon as you enter the lake.

Anyways, no hits on a stinger spoon on a jet or a hot n tot. Couldn't keep the throwbacks off the meat though. 4oz bottom bouncers 85 to 90 back with crawler harnesses in orange/yellow seemed to be the trick. Switched one rod out to three meat hooks and had a triple with 2 doubles tangling some of my best harnesses.

We threw back about 24 and had one keeper at approx. 19" plus two sheep. Fished mostly 19 fow out in front of Swan and Fermi. Seems the fish were active while it was clouded up but dropped to the bottom and off the bite when the sun came back out. Most fish were suspended before the sun. I thing the hex hatch coming off at noon helped move the fish up and get them active chasing bugs.

Since my motor is not idling or trolling slow well (still running some bad gas out) the good thing was the fish didn't mind 2mph. The gas is half out so now I'll put some super gas in and put it in for a tune up while I work the next 6 days.

[kroppe]

Good work gunrod! Sounds similar to our experience last weekend - lots of throwbacks. Heard similar reports on the radio and at the campground we were staying.

[andy capp]

Gunrod,

I have a question. How fast are you running? And how deep? The reason to me it seems you are too far back and too heavy.

With bottom bouncers we don't go by feet back. We run 2.5 oz bouncers at 1.2 mph. We let them out till they hit the bottom then 1 more bar, which equals about 12 ft. Our counters are never usually reading over 50 ft. Seeming you are running 4oz's at 85-90 feet back you have to be dragging if you are under 20 fow.

Just curious.

How is the crazy coot doing?

[POLARBEAR]

pat, a 1oz in line weight will run about 15 to 18' deep at 90 back at 2mph... i believe. i will about a link.

[gunrod]

The coot is doing well. Dad had her out a couple weeks ago. He had trouble trolling (probably needs a tune up) but other than than she ran good.

I probably was back too far but at times it was a chinese fire drill with my 15 year old steering and a couple fish taking the rig on the way back. Plus a triple and two doubles. It was just easier to go back to a length I knew from a week ago. We were trolling slower and only had 2 oz BB's on then so we had to be a little farther back.

Since the motor doesn't run real well at low speeds with the bad gas I went heavier and a little further back. We fluctuated between 2 mph and 2.4 mph (2mph into the wind and 2.4 with the wind). Besides, it was working. If it hadn't worked I was prepared to go lighter, shorter or longer to get a program working.

Finally, I'm new at this. I went with the heavy BB's because I'm having trouble knowing the difference from the bottom or just slack being taken up. It's going to take some time to get this down for a fly dunker like myself.:help:

[gunrod]

pat, a 1oz in line weight will run about 15 to 18' deep at 90 back at 2mph... i believe. i will about a link.

If you have a link Darrin with info I'd gladly take it. I could use all the help I can get.

I also believe the jet I was using was too deep. It came up with weeds and was rated as a 20fow. I should have used the 10 fow since we fished mostly 19 fow and was too deep. If you know a link for the jets I'd appreciate it too.:help:

[POLARBEAR]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jhtml?id=0012270&navAction=push&navCount=1&indexId=cat20295&parentId=cat20295&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20166

we used the bead chain weights in 1 oz 60 behind the planer board with braided line. figured we were 15 to 18 down at 1.2 1.5mph. so with mono and 2 to 2.5mph you would have to be back 80 or so to get the same depth with a one oz weight.


as far as setting up b/b's with the motor off let them over the side, when they hit bottom let out another 10' of line or so. this works good drifting 2 to 3oz. if you want to troll you will have to let out maybe 20' more after it hits bottom. so if you are in 24fow and let out an extra 20' you should be out about 45 to 50'. but like you said you were catching fish. so... that is good.

[gunrod]

Good work gunrod! Sounds similar to our experience last weekend - lots of throwbacks. Heard similar reports on the radio and at the campground we were staying.

That's good news for the fall and next year though.....so I'm told.;)

[POLARBEAR]

http://www.fishdogco.com/trollingbooks.cfm

pat you may want to consider the precision trollers guide. very valuable to have for a troller. it is on my list of have to haves. ;) just make sure you get the one that covers the fishing you are doing. i am not sure how many they have but heard of somene getting the wrong one.

[gunrod]

I'll look into the books. So far I think I've been lucky and I know experience will teach me much more but until I get the experience it wouldn't hurt to have a little more info.

These are the bottom bouncers I've been using. I wonder if they allow me to go back farther. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jhtml?id=0019556&navAction=push&navCount=3&indexId=cat20295&parentId=cat20295&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20166

[POLARBEAR]

I'll look into the books. So far I think I've been lucky and I know experience will teach me much more but until I get the experience it wouldn't hurt to have a little more info.

These are the bottom bouncers I've been using. I wonder if they allow me to go back farther. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jhtml?id=0019556&navAction=push&navCount=3&indexId=cat20295&parentId=cat20295&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20166

imo, the book is important. as far as running b/b's, we never run them any farther back than 60'. that would be in 25fow..

crawler harnesses are speed sensitive. while just drifting, set a harness over the side and watch the blades. blade speed seems to be important some days. sometimes the best days are drifting with the wind rather than troll. i drop 4 lines off the sides of theboat when i can. 2 eight foot rods off the sides and 2 six foot rods off the back. just have them ticking the bottom with the b/b's. that is what usually works best for me. but then i use the inline bead chain weight with a harness off the inline boards while trolling.

lol.... many, many ways to do it. maybe you can come along some day and see it done another way.

[gunrod]

Until I decide how I want the boat set up I'm not putting up a mast or running boards yet. I have some yellow birds but haven't had to toss them out yet since I'm catching fish straight back.

I'm sure there are a million ways to do it I just got lucky today and did what the fish wanted.:)

[POLARBEAR]

before i spent money on big boards i would buy inlines. imo, you need a pretty big boat to run big boards. i think the inlines run well off of smaller boats.

[andy capp]

If its just you and your son, yellow birds will be just fine for running 4 rods. And they say if it aint broke don't fix it ya know. Tell ya what we were running them staggered 1oz, 1.5oz, 2.5oz. You'll be supprised how many bigger fish you get suspended.


Oh and the coot,
The coot is doing well. Dad had her out a couple weeks ago. He had trouble trolling (probably needs a tune up) but other than than she ran good

It never did troll well unless you were going for musky. Way too fast for me. I had a kicker on it just for that reason.

[gunrod]

Tell ya what we were running them staggered 1oz, 1.5oz, 2.5oz. You'll be supprised how many bigger fish you get suspended.
I think that is why all the throw backs. I would have liked to have run one lighter in the mid water column but we had a fish on while setting another rod most times. I put two rods away and just ran two to make things a little easier.

[JDH]

Hey guys,

Try fishing your harnesses up real high and slow, especially when there are bugs around. I have been running them back only 15 to 25 feet with a 1 oz inline @ 0.7 to 1.2 mph max and doing very well every time out this season You will not catch all the trash and small fish either (at least not as many).

For bottom bouncers, I have always let them out (down) on a tight drop until you contact bottom and then CRANK THEM UP 2 to 4 TURNS or so and then put them in the rod holder, flat to the water. Never have I added line out...you do not want them rolling along the bottom.

You guys are right, there are many ways to do it but these are a few things to try if your not catching the right fish.

[Spanky]

Heheh, I guess I have been doing it wrong all these years then!
I guess if I run em high I can get the 3 man limit in 2hrs instead of 3!

There is no wrong way to fish a bottom bouncer! It's just a matter of what the fish want. ;)

[suckerbass]

Heheh, I guess I have been doing it wrong all these years then!
I guess if I run em high I can get the 3 man limit in 2hrs instead of 3!

There is no wrong way to fish a bottom bouncer! It's just a matter of what the fish want. :yeahthat:

If the fish are up high fish up high..... If the fish are on the bottom fish on the bottom. ;)