I use my flashers all year, Spring they are 6-15 feet back, and now (when I finally get to go) they will be 25-50... I always start deep as they are up top feeding on bugs. Live bait I will shorten them up to around 20 for 1 and 25 for the other. if i'm in the 30s or deeper, I'll shorten them up even more. Again, i only use the 6#lbers as they move all around with the flasher, which also helps. I don't use bug juice (scent) until I go to Ontario, then we really stink the place up.

Popeye

i like the attractors attached to the ball and have never had luck with them on the fishing line. this last weekend i fished with dad and we caught 10 salmon and 1 laker sat morning, and repeated with 10 more salmon on sunday morning. we mainly fished deep however the game warden on saterday, doing a poll on the fish, had weighed in a 6 pound 12 ounce salmon caught on 2 colors of lead in 20 feet of water on another boat. early seems more to be the key when you can see the smelt on the finder. atleast thats what we have been doing, havent fished much past noon this year, naptime. the leadcore pretty much stopped working about 3-4 weeks back and we are mostly just catching on the riggers

I use the vertical blades the whole season. Some don't agree with me, but I have had success when using them. This time of year I start from about 25' down varying depths of other lines until we get the best pattern.

Salty - I'm not familiar with these vertical blades...where could I find some information on these? Reading your posts you're typically filling the boat with fish, so it sounds like something we relative newbies should think about.

AJ's sells several types. The ones I use are like Dave Davis' attractors. You might do a search on the internet for Dave Davis' attractors.

I guess the ones I use are called "cowbells". They clip to the dr ball on one end and to the cable on the other. I run the lure over them.

Thanks Salty. I checked out the video, nicely done. I, like an idiot, have until now used these cowbells etc. in line in front of the lure. Too much weight and I get lots of line twist even with swivels. I have since switched to using fairly small attractors I make myself with a couple small Dakota blades and some beads / glow beads. This looks like an infinitely better way to use the big attractors. To get this straight -- do you position the attachment of the release on the cable more or less in the middle of the span of the attractor such that the release cable crosses the attractor's wire? Thanks for the information.

The release goes at the top off the clip, or on the line, depending on what kind of release you use.

Salty / Charlie - follow up question after watching the video. It looks like Travis has the release positioned just over the top of the cow bells but whats confusing (or not) is it looks like he's got a lure (without a hook?) attached to the cable just about the same position as the release. Is this just the lure (hooked through the release) wrapped around the cable or is it a hookless lure being used as another attractor element? Thanks.

Eric, That's just a lure wrapped around the cable I think. We don't use hookless lures as an added attractor. Trav likes the horizontal attractors better but "different strokes for different folks".

Salty

Here is a hint......click on television broadcast to the left and you will see first hand what salty uses for blades on his downriggers [watch close!!]

Charlies charters [Charlie]

I use the Dave Davies 4" spinners, look em up in Cabelas. I attach them right off the ball, lure goes above and behind the spinners, works for me.

I ahve used the verticle spinners but like the horizontal ones better, to each his own.

I use the Scotty mini-release clips and attach them direct to the cable anywhere I decide, very easy and fast to attach and clip on to lines, great for stacking as well. A brain dead person could use them they are so easy, be sure to get thje "mini's" and order the ones for rigger cable, not cannon ball.
Everyone that has been out with me loves em, surprised more people don't use them, cheap too.

John S.

Should have said 48" Dave Davies Spinners in my earlier post, sorry for the typo.

John S.

John - are you attaching these directly to the back ring on the ball (sorry to ask such an obvious question). I've been using a dodger back there to give me some jigging motion. I'm thinking of using verticals like Salty and others attached to the top of the ball and continue to use a dodger for ball motion. Oh, and I'm using a fish-shaped balls painted to resemble fish...

I'll look into those scotty minis as well. Thanks.

Wow your really looking to attract fish, not sure you will be able to run the Dodger, Horizontal and Verticle spinners all at the same time, or if it's needed, maybe I miss understood you.

I attach a big snap swivel to the Davies rig and attach it directly to the back of the ball, most balls have a hole for this purpose. Travis use shower curtain clips, but one bounce off the bottom and it opens up and bye-bye Davies rig.

Adrien had a 50+ fish day and swears the painted fish rigger weights did it, that an a wild electrical storm ? I'll tell you the ones AJ sells are really nice, a good priced right too, but they don't swim for s---, I have a couple that sunk right to the bottom on Squam, LOL. Never replaced them, went with pankakes and never lost another one since, so I'm sticking with them.

I think attracting them is easy, getting them to bite is the real challenge, it seems the bigger and older thay are the more they know what they want and are willing to wait for it.

John S.

John, I'm going to mix it up I think. I've painted my fish weights sort of like Alan does, it was something to do in March when it was between hardwater and open water. I've got an orange one (I bought it through e-bay, its one of the painted scent holding types), a yellow "minnow" design and one thats painted like a rainbow yearling.

I was indeed thinking of trying a dodger off the rear of the fish weight and a vertical above it. Too much stuff? I don't know but I'll play around. I'm definitely going with scent right off the bat. A couple weeks until my vacation at Moosehead, counting the days until I'm on the water...

Good luck on Moosehead and as far as scent goes I'm a firm believer, but I will admit I get lax on occaision, but when I do remember to use it 100% of the time, we do get more hits, without a doubt.

I wonder what Big Dave used today for his Laker, Adrien uses scent most of the time, but Big Dave has a secret scent of his own. Another big believer in scent and great fisherman with high catch rate is Salty.

John S.

JOHN THAT IS FALSE - FALSE - FALSE
I DO NOT USE SCENT EXCEPT SOMETIMES ON MY FLIES.

TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY I HAVE EVER USED SCENT ON LURES EVER, TODAY WAS THE WORST DAY FISHING I HAVE HAD THIS YEAR AND WAS THE ONLY DAY I USED SCENTS YES WE DID GET 1 BIG LAKER AND MAYBE THE SCENT MADE HIM BITE I DON'T KNOW BUT I DO NOT THINK IT IS IN THE SCENT ALL THE TIME, THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIABLES TO MENTION BUT LURE PLACEMENT AND PRESENTATION IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE I BELIEVE. I HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS AT LEAST A DOZEN DAYS WITH 30+ FISH BOATED AND UP TO 52 ON THE BEST DAY LAST YEAR AND NO SCENT HELP!

That many fish on any day says a lot about the importance of the visual presentation. They are SIGHT predators these salmonids, but all in all I can't see how scent would hurt, at least it would mask our smell...

Your memory is falling you lad, I have seen you use scent at least once, as a matter of fact when you did you made mention that you keep forgetting. You had it in a spray applicator bottle that I have been lookingh for ever since as I hate the squeeze bottles. I think it might have been last year and true I don't re-call seeing you use it again. I suppose I could have said "I saw Adrien use it ONCE"

I observe as much as I can when fishing with you, I know what I saw, at least that day.

What's the big deal anyhow, all I know in my limited experience, on Squam when things are slow (allot of the time) when I use scent (and not allways) I seem to get more bites. On Winni it seems it's never really slow, or ar least for allot of guys so maybe it's not needed there.

Sorry for the accusation,

John S.

that was the goo that i put on flies sometimes but never on a lure

OK, now we have the record straight, flies only.

I really like Dave's new scent, worked for me (I think) at any rate I'll be using it 100% from now on. I really did notice the catch rate, which is allways low for me, noticeably improve with the use of scents.

Have a nice day, gotta fly if I want to head north tonight.

John S.

I often wonder what really is in that scent stuff they sell. I will admit I have some on the boat and use it occassionally but I think I catch just as many without it. Often times my no scented lures catch more than the unscented ones when I do use it. I am sure I can stir the pot with this but...........as in deer hunting, I believe the best scent is no scent at all.

i either read or heard somewhere to try wd-40 on your lures. has anyone else heard that?

Yup... same as scents.. half the people think it helps, half think it hurts. I have a friend that swears using wd-40 works well for him??? I've personally never tried it. Probably never will.

I know some other dumb frenchman up here in Berlin that take small marshmellows and spray them with wd-40 to fish for stockies up here, I've never tryed it cause power bait always worked better for me when doing that, i do keep a can for lubrication purposes on the boat though!!! Take Care God Bless and Tight Lines LOL Dave From up North

just cant bring myself to try it. have bought alot of the db smelts and top guns over the past 2 years and its bad enough losing lures, can't imagine spraying oil on them, it just seems to go against the natural way of things. but if it works for those who have tried, good for them they are braver than me. i did pick up some of the green smelly jelly and will try that

ilucas