Here are a couple of fish that I caught over the last two weeks. It takes me a little while to get organized.

This fish was caught 1st thing in the morning in e-bay. I caught this fish @ 40' in front of Todd's. White hoochie behind a green glow hot spot.


These two fish were caught off of Southworth. Both were caught on a green splatter hoochiebehind a green hot spot .

[IMG]http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/uploads/UP5854.jpg [/IMG]



I appreciate all the help I have gotten from lurking on this site. I will try to post more often and be a more contributing member of this site.

Steve

Here is the last picture that did not make it into the post.

Nice fish and welcome. It's going to be a great summer!

Way to go Steve! That's bringing home the bacon.

BTW, I know it's none of my business but I'd watch that little guy of yours if I were you. I see that same look on our little Sheltie's face right before he let's go on our mailbox post.

Way to go bugr!

Nice to know someone's fishing while my boats broken... Keep at it man.

How long of a leader do you use on your flasher/ hoochy? Short (30"-36") or long? (42"-50")

Neither?

I'm Curious, as I've been experimenting with longer leaders and would like some other peoples' feedback (Too long kills the action, too short it sways too far and too fast...)

I have been using 40 lb Maxima UG leader. I use a large Hot Spot style flasher (its a Gibsnon's rigged up without the break away in the center hole). I think those flashers are 12" long. My leader length is 2.5X to 3X (30-36") my flasher length. Usually more towards the 2.5X side when fishing hoochies, a little longer if I am fishing spoons. That is pretty much my terminal setups.

I troll with 10lb downrigger balls that are torpedo shaped. I troll with my cables at about 45 degrees, usually a little less. This is a relatively fast troll - I want to cover alot of water. Another thing I like to do is constantly change direction and speed. I don't mean weaving all over the place, but I don't spend all day trolling a straight line either.

I grew up in West Seattle and learned to fish with my dad. We didn't ever have downriggers and always trolled herring behind a banana weight. We trolled very slow - looked almost like we were sockeye fishing sometimes! We used to mooch alot for Kings. Thinking back were caught quite a few fish, but only because we put in so much time. I don't think our catch ratio/hour fished was very good. Not to discount what I learned from Dad (I wouldn't be the man or probably be into fishing without him), but I think I am more successful now.

I took my dad out in Elliot Bay the other weekend. I picked him up at the boat launch and gave him a quick lesson in manual Scotty riggers on our way out to Todd's. I fired up the kicker dropped down about 40' and set my rod in the holder. My dad sat with a tackle box in his lab poking at hoochies and coyote spoons. I had trolled for about 15 minutes when I asked him if he needed help getting set up. He looked up bewildered and asked "when are you going get there so you can slow down so we can start trolling?" I don't thin dad was too impressed with the "fakie rubber squids" and "trolling like your racing".

Bugr-

Thanks. I've been going ~2.5X the flasher length. And have trolled fast, slow, in and out of neutral, medium etc. I also prefer to change directions (figure eights work good- if the boat that was going straight for 1/2 mile doesn't decide to randomly zig zag out of the blue...).

Seems like your system works!
Dad may be stuck in his habits, eh?
My main fishing partner is always whining about me going "To fast, my dodger doesn't work right..." So, I tell him to use my downrigger and a flasher. "Nope. Never use those things, I only catch fish with dodgers". How does he know if he never uses a flasher and rigger??
Retired guys, what are gonna do with 'em?


Wish I could find a pair of electrics at a garage sale or something sweet like that. It gets complicated running out gear/rigger while steering around boats and swells and wind and kayakers without spilling beer everywhere! I guess I could set my beer down for a minute.

I thought I was the only guy still using manual riggers!