I DON'T USE THE SAME LB LEADER SIZE FOR BASS AND TROUT.I FIND THAT TROUT ARE VERY LINE SHY, I USE 4LB TEST 6FT LONG NO WEIGHT,NO SNAP SWIVEL!!!, HOOK TIED THE 4LB LINE DIRECT, ALSO VERY SHY ON THE HOOK SIZE.
YOU WILL GET MORE HOOK UPS. USE A BETTER HOOK THAN EAGLE CLAW.
I USE 10 LB TEST LEADER FOR BASS/ICE.AND A LARGER HOOK AS WELL. I USE CERTIAN TRAPS FOR TROUT AND DIFFERENT TRAPS FOR LAKERS AND BASS.THEN I DONT HAVE TO RE-RIG SO MUCH. I HAPPEN TO CARRY 18 TRAPS WITH ME IN MY BOX.
I find that trout are also line shy. I use 4 or 6lbs spider line, I have used other lines but i find it handles the cold the best. Yeah, no swivel snaps..tie the hook right to the line. I do use a swivel to ty the mono and bread together..I have been using only 3ft of mono though.
Dan
Mine are set up with all mono.6 lb backing, 4-6 lb leader. My leaders are 3-12 feet, depending on how deep I am fishing. Swivel between the backing and leader, #10 eagle claw hook (red) and a real small sinker. I target bows/browns/brookies....I don't use wire on my river traps (for pike/wallies), I use 15 lb mono leaders.
My laker traps are done up with 8 lb leaders (12 feet), black 50lb backing, still use the #10 hook, but go up in weight a little more for the sinker.
Sounds way too technical for me, I'll wait until April 1st.
Slight tear in the cup, plus some wear and tear, got a shot for now, will monitor it, sit tight 3 months, unless??????
John S.
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Mine are set up with all mono.6 lb backing, 4-6 lb leader. My leaders are 3-12 feet, depending on how deep I am fishing. Swivel between the backing and leader, #10 eagle claw hook (red) and a real small sinker. I target bows/browns/brookies....I don't use wire on my river traps (for pike/wallies), I use 15 lb mono leaders.
My laker traps are done up with 8 lb leaders (12 feet), black 50lb backing, still use the #10 hook, but go up in weight a little more for the sinker.
i fish 6 feet of 6 to 8 pound mono and dont change for different fish. size 2 hooks with big shiners ( i dont fish for trout for food so realy am only looking for large trout). i dont see line shyness as much of a problem as sensitivity of the trap. years ago i upgraded traps to the heritage ones and my catch went way down, after a while i realized that the trap spring bounced the trap a little too much and the release was too hard allerting the fish that something was up. i bent all the releases with pliers so that the trap released better and catch rates went back up. i fish the white braided line because you can see which direction it goes under the ice way better than the green braided stuff. another thing i do is put a big weight and a smaller weight under it. i keep the big weight about 2 feet up from the hook and slide the smaller weight up and down, sometimes touching the hook knot, this changes the action of the bait. no clips at the hook, i use loop knots
I've started my buying spree but keeping it low key, don't realy need much stuff, but UPS, etc. makes a stop here at least once a week.
Been maybe 25 years or more since I went ice fishing, milk crate and bottle of Brandy, never caught many fish, didn't realy care. But I don't do cold so well anymore, my wife says I'm a whimp, no argument there.
John S.
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I used to thread a button on the line to mark the depth I was fishing. (haven't ice fished in years though)
I use black braided line for my backing and then 15-20' of mono or spider line. Tie hook straight to line and use red Gamagatzu(sp) #6 with a small split shot 12" above hook. This is our set up for White's.
I downsize leader when trout fishing.
I too use a button on my tip-ups, placed on the backing line. Set up with a sounding weight to the bottom, set the button to the water's surface and then bait the rig. The rest of the day, can reset the trap to the proper depth without using the sounding weight again. Works great.
I use black braided line as backer; barrel swivel connection to 6lb fluorocarbon leader #10 hooks for Lakers with split shot, smaller hooks no split for trout, tied direct to the leaders. I replaced the button method of sounding bottom mark. I found that using red dental floss tied like a bobber stop to the main line works much better it slides up the line with ease, stays in place great and a lot less hassle when you wrap your line on the spool or when your setting lines down. No more button hang-ups.
I sound for the bottom and just tie a slipknot in the line at that point. Then I rewind the line on the spool a few turns to get it off the bottom. If tied tightly the knot won't come undone. When finished just pull hard and the knot comes undone.
all I do is use a slitshot to mark the dept then go rom there, it's faster than waiting for the button to slip through the line and you don't have to worry about the knot coming undone when you change depts. I find it works for me