So we are getting ready for the ice to be gone and back in the boat. We go to the gorge a lot and I always here about fishing for macs with steel line. I am wondering what you have to use to troll for them with steel line I have always used my down riggers.
what rods, reels, type of wire line, advantage and di
vantage, how you rig it up, lures and can you use a down rigger to drag the bottom?
Sorry for all the questions I am new to this and would like to try it. Thanks
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I really never target lake trout, but if I did, I would jig for them with 8lb. test line max. I guess if you're releasing them it really doesn't matter, but I hate trolling and jigging with light line just seems much more sporting.
Sorry I didn't help with your question.
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My steel line set up is a penn 309 reel with a tiger off shore rod with a rooller tiip guide on the reel I have 800ft of line and have a leader of 50lb test line the advantage is you see the bite sooner cauuse there's no strech to the line down side you have to have a lot of line out to get down deep but you get to feel the whole fiight just takes a while to reel in all that line as far as lures use the normal lures you would for trolling for lake trout and for line I would find single strand steel line the multi strand line doesn't have the same feel and takes longer to sink if you have any more questions let me know
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I also use Penn Level Wind Reels (209M/309M) with braided Powerpro line on a whuppin stick trolling rod (Cabela's).
I don't like downriggers or steel line though. So this might me irrelavent to steel line, but just thought it might help. I just use a 3-way swivel and varius weights depending on how deep the fish are showing on the finder. Put on your 3-way swivel, add a leader to tie on the weight, then another leader (flourocarbon) to tie on either a troll and some lure/bait behind. You would be surprised, this is simple, easy, and cheap. Real easy for fishing the bottom in any depth (well not 200 feet down or something).
This way you can troll lures, baits (whole chub/minnow dead fish), crayfish. And even worm harnesses. Aloc of mac pups love a big worm behinda worm harness. [fishin]
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Steel line was popular back in the early 80's. Penn 49M was the reel, with heavy duty rods with Carbide guides. 120lb Sevenstrand Stainless Steel line was the most popular. Most guys used Macmahon snaps and swivels crimped directly to the line, no leader. Main bait of choice was the T55 flatfish, which is no longer made. The only parts of the rigs that are still available are the reels and line. The rods came out of Ca and they were special wrapped Sabre Saltwater, E glass blanks. We tried several different types of guides other than carbide, but the steel would cut through them eventually. You had to carry extra hooks and split rings as you would straighten out the hooks dragging the lure on the bottom. Most guys used custom rod holders that could stand up to the stress of dragging the bottom. You would break a FishOn type holder first time you hung bottom and your rig would get deep sixed !! Vertical jigging and down riggers are much more efficient methods.
Fish Lake spawned another method, trolling boards with Copper Line. The preferred lure down there was the old Heddon Lucky 13. That was unavailable for a time before is was reintroduced. Old timers at FL preferred the original wooden models to the new plastic ones.
I use down riggers but would like to try dragging the bottom. i have hurd alot of good and bad
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Is it hard to tell when you have a fish on with a short stubby rod and all that drag behind the boat? Sounds like it would be effective but probably not up my alley.
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A couple years ago wetaljed to some guys from price while fishing the gorge. They said they were using downriggers with additional weights on their line and dredging the bottom with heavy releases and they had a lot of nice Lakers. They didn't say what lure or bait they used but wouldnt the bottom including the weights just rip the line out of the release?
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Never heard of that tactic. I would think that extra weights and dragging them on the bottom would rip the down rigger off the the boat.
The Steel line technique that was used most often was just dragging the big T55 flatfish attached directly to the line. If you hung up, it was usually the hooks. You would put the boat in reverse so you could get the rod out of the holder, then pull till the hooks straightened out. You would then reel up, replace the hooks and get back into action. The snap used was a 250lb test McMahon snap swivel by Berkley. The snap is a scissors snap. The T55 had a screw eye to attach the line to and that snap just barely would go through and close. Favorite color was a hot green spotted finish. Don't think that it is available anymore. I was checking the Worden's web site, they own the Flatfish brand now, and it shows that the T55 is being made again. Penn still makes the M49 reel, Berkley the line, and I would guess that you can find a suitable substitute for the Sabre rod. Rod, reel and line set up originally would cost you about 250 bucks. T55's were about 8 bucks. Not sure what it would be today. You actually got a pretty good fight on the rig. The blank was a 7 1/2 ft. E glass blank, rated for 20-30 lb line. They had a pretty fast tip and would flex all the way through the handle. Only know of one or two that actually broke in use. I still have three that I use for for albacore fishing, when I get a chance. Two are original set ups for steel line with carbide guides, the third has been wrapped with spinning guides for flylining anchovies with 15lb line.
Okay, last post on this. It looks like the Penn 49 is no longer made. They are available on E Bay however. Make sure you get the reel seat clamps so you can clamp it to the rod along with the regular reel seat.
I did some more checking on the Worden's web sight and the color is available, it is GSBS - Green Scale, Black Stripe.
If they haven't changed your mind.
I'll sell you 2 reels with line.
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Thanks guys and no i am trying it one way or another.
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