2013 Episode Synopsis
by Charlie Wray

Episode 235: Leadcore Salmon & Moonshine Pike

Today, the Mercury Marine Destination starts us on Lake Ontario near the City of St. Catharines for Salmon, then the power of Glow Spoons for Pike in Saskatchewan. First, it is out for Salmon and Charlie is looking to show a dynamite technique with a new product. Leadcore has been difficult in the past, it is heavy and requires a larger reel, but it does work! Well, Western Filament has developed a new leadcore called Microlead, it is 30 % smaller and 3 times stronger with the same 5 feet per colour sink rate. Now your set up can be lighter and you can use smaller reels. This new thinner line also allows you to do something that was before unheard of, Charlie is using this with his Dipsy Divers to get deeper quicker and it works very well indeed.

Charlie doesn't like using snubbers with his Dipsy Divers, they are bulky and highly visible, but something is needed to absorb the shock of hits, or the big Salmon will break you off. What works perfect, is to replace the snubbers with 15 feet of 30 lb test Seaguar Fluorocarbon, not only does this absorb the shock, but it is invisible and adds to the stealth presentation. Joining the two lines with a Double Uni Knot, works great. Fishing with Dipsy Divers adds a tremendous amount of stress to your equipment, rod holders need to be strong and the rods and reels of high quality. Charlie is using the new Okuma Cold Water line counter reels and they are proving to be flawless, so are the new Okuma Blue Diamond rods, this set up is both great quality, and won't break your bank account. Having your boat set up with the Cannon track system and Cannon adjustable rod holders is ideal for different presentations, the track allows the sliding of the rod holders to any location needed, and the Cannon rotating adjustable rod holders adjust to any position.

If you are looking for an easy to tow, easy to launch larger boat, that is steady and stable and can handle the big water, have a look at the Crestliner 2150 Sportfish. With the SST transom, this welded Crestliner is almost 23 feet in length and feels and fishes like even a larger boat. This vessel has a load of room in it!

Three feet behind the Dipsy Diver is the fish attracting Hot Spot Agitator, this flashy attractor, that has surprisingly low water resistance, has been working like a charm for the last two seasons, especially with the bright glow of the Moonshine spoon behind it. These spoons glow brighter and longer than anything Charlie has seen on the market, and the finish is bullet proof. This Agitator/Moonshine combination has been tremendously effective for the last two seasons, out fishing even natural bait. With a specific trolling speed needed, Charlie opts to troll with the big 300 hp Mercury Verado 4 stroke motor. Most do not want to troll with the main engine, especially if a kicker is also on the boat, but these motors are designed for it, and with the addition of the Mercury Smart Craft gauges, Charlie can dial in the exact RPMs he wants the motor to troll at for precise speed and lure actions.

Then it is up to the Pike rich waters of Northern Saskatchewan at Lindbergh's Reindeer Lake Lodge. Even at a remote location, the fish are quick to show what they want and don't want, and it changes on a daily basis, so be prepared. When the waters are heavily stained, the glow from the Moonshine casting spoons, are quick to draw attention. This is where Charlie first realized just how incredibly resilient the paint finishes are on the Moonshine lures. If 100 Pike a day hardly scratch up the spoons, this finish is incredible. With debris in every bay and fouling the lure on almost every cast, the treble hook is replaced by a Mustad Ultra Point 5/0 Ultra Lock worm hook. Rig this so the point of the hook rides upwards on the same side as the cupped/underside of the spoon. This way the hook is riding upwards the majority of the time avoiding most of the debris, and keeps the hook in a better position to hook the fleshier upper jaw of the boney mouthed Pike. Adding a plastic trailer to this hook is a perfect option and rigging it weedless will help even more, to keep this spoon running debris free. Today, Charlie used the Impulse plastics from Northland, and with the baked in Micro Plankton, the scent certainly made a difference on the followers and turned them into solid hits.

This is a perfect application for 80 lb test Seaguar Premier leader material. This will last for most of the day and dozens of big Pike before it needs to be retied. The Seaguar is flexible and will allow the spoon to have maximum action. Even in the stained waters, wire is visible, Seaguar 100% Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible in the water, so no last minute turn offs before the hit because of a visible wire leader. Some bays are hit often by the guides on a daily basis and the Pike can get leader shy, even this far North, make no mistake about it, the Seaguar makes a difference. The reason Seaguar is so effective, the Seaguar resins have the same refraction index as water, so when it is in the water, it looks the same as water and offers a very stealthy approach indeed.

Okuma has taken many large steps in the last few years, and the Komodo low profile baitcasting reel is one of Charlie's favorites! Heavy duty Aluminum gears and shafts makes this extremely light at only 6.5 ounces, comfortable handles, 11 ball bearing and smooth as silk. Matched up with the new Okuma Helios rod, this is the lightest baitcasting combo Charlie has ever had his hands on, and he gave this combo a workout all season long with smashing success and praise. When conditions called for more brute force, the Okuma C3 rods were only a few feet away. Slightly heavier in weight than the feather feeling Helios, but the hauling power of these rods can pull even the most determined lunker Pike from the weeds.

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