2014 Episode Synopsis


Episode 241: Slip Knot Lakers

Today, the Mercury Marine Destination takes Charlie to Lake Ontario near the city of St. Catharines. There is nothing better than downriggers when fishing deep, but even the smallest attention to detail can make a huge difference in the success of the day. Today, Charlie is using sliders on the main line while downrigging, for an extra lure on the same line. But how do you know where your slider is, well this little trick can put the odds in your favor, and worked incredibly well on Lake Ontario Lake Trout and Salmon.

Charlie loves the fish attracting Hot Spot Agitator, but instead of running them inline, this time they are attached to the downrigger weight with 3 - 4 feet of 30lb Seaguar Fluorocarbon, and the release clip is attached 4 feet up the wire from the weight so tangles do not occur on the drop. Fish are definitely attracted to the Hot Spot Agitator, so don't run your leads to far back, fish are coming in for a look at the Agitator, then they turn for the lure if it is run only 15 to 20 feet back. Too far back, and the excited Lake Trout have nothing immediate to hit. In this case, fishing deep and Moonshine spoons are the winning ticket, these spoons are super glow and stay visible when others no longer are.

To run a slider on the line; Once your main line is set at the depth you want it working at, a slider is simply a 6 - 8 foot length of 30 lb Seaguar Fluorocarbon, with a Mustad ball bearing snap swivel on one end, matched with another Moonshine spoon, and a larger Mustad ball bearing snap swivel on the other end. This larger snap makes it easier to clip on the line, but make sure the snap cannot fit over your lure on the main line; the main line lure is the only thing acting as a stopper once a fish is on. Simply snap on your slider and let it run down the line and it will find a spot in the belly of the line. A belly in your main line will always form due to water resistance. The tighter the tension on your main line, the lower the slider will go, and it is impossible to know exactly where your slider stops for repeated success. For those who have never used a slider, when a fish hits the slider, it releases your main line in the release clip, and slides all the way to the end of your main line. With slack in the line, you now need to reel the slack line quickly to tighten up. The first time you experience this, you feel certain that you have missed the fish, but your slider is now running down the line and will stop as it hits your spoon on your main line, it is the stopper for the slider, and everything now tightens up. This is another good reason not to have a long lead on your main line when using sliders, it takes even longer for the slider to tighten up giving the fish longer to throw the hooks.

Now here is the trick! If you want to have your slider stop at a specific spot on your main line, simply tie a Uni knot to your main line as a stopper. A Uni knot is basically just a stopper knot that can be slid up and down your line to adjust. The tighter you tie it, the snugger it is on your line. As an example, let's say you are fishing a 20 foot lead on your main line, 100 feet down, and you want your slider to stop at 60 feet. Take into account your 20 foot lead, and 40 feet up from the 100 is your 60 mark, so 60 feet from your main line lure ( the Okuma Line counter Catalina reels make this much easier, silky smooth drag and a reliable line counter ). Tie on a Uni knot with 20 lb Mono or Fluorocarbon. Charlie is already using 20 lb test Seaguar Abrazx line, and simply uses what is on hand. Leave 1/8 inch tags on the knot as you trim the knot, this helps even more to stop the slider. This small Uni knot is large enough to stop the slider from sliding past it, and still small enough that you can easily reel the knot onto your reel. Also, once you have a hit on the slider, the snap swivel easily jumps the knot, and carries down the main line. This knot also helps a little by adding slight resistance before the snap jumps the knot, helping to get the hooks in a little more. This works incredible well !!!

As a set up, the Okuma Catalina line counter reels are loaded with the extremely abrasion resistant Seaguar Abrazx main line Fluorocarbon. Not only is this line virtually invisible to the fish, but resists wear like you wouldn't believe, absolutely ideal for using in release clips for downrigger fishing. If you only plan to downrigger fish once in a while, manual downriggers are great, especially the new Cannon manuals, but for unmatched quality and efficiency, the Cannon Digi -Troll 10's are about as good as it gets if you are a serious deep water angler. Cannon offers the complete deal. Cannon track system to use rod holders where you want, and adjustable rod holders for ideal positioning.

Fishing big water fishing is better in a larger boat, but stable doesn't always mean an overly large vessel. The Crestliner 2150 SST Sportfish is the largest in the Crestliner fleet at almost 23 feet, but it handles like a larger boat on the water, and trailers like a smaller one, perfect! Charlie also opts for the conversion stern bench, so while fishing, it is a large fishing platform, and when family boating is the flavour of the day, it folds up into a plush back bench for recreational boating. The Mercury Verado 300 hp is the maximum on this boat, and like all Mercury Verado motors, super charged and power to spare, but designed for both, long runs and fuel efficient all day trolling. With the digital gauge package, you can dial in the exact RPM you want the motor to troll at, it doesn't get much better than that.

Staying warm and safe is always a priority on the Great Lakes, especially in the Spring, but no one wants to be dressed in bulky layers when movement around the boat is needed. Viking, the makers of the very popular Viking Rain Wear, has come out with a 100% waterproof, wind proof jacket called the Evolution, that does the job of one twice the thickness, it will amaze you how warm this jacket is and quickly become a favourite. And if you want the safety of floatation without bulk, have a look at the Mustang Inflatable Belt Pack PFD, it might have you wearing floatation a little more often. It wears around your waist like a belt and stays out of the way. You will hardly notice you are wearing it, but it is there if you ever need it.

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