mr 580

Garrymny if you are having difficulty tripping your slide diver to check lines your front arm is set too tight (this adjustment is same procedure as a LJ dipsey). It has been my experience with all brands of divers that adjustments are required- if you expect to take them out of the package and have them work, one is usually disappointed. I don’t find that slide divers need much adjustment once you get them right. I watch my slide mono for wear and change that once I see any or if it starts to curl at rod tip when deploying. As far as using a SD light bite with fixed leader attached to rear trigger, it will work like that. But why would you give up the ability to run a longer leader or vary leader length for different lures? You have the light bite trigger so you don’t drag small fish but give up the signature feature of the slide diver.

The Slide Diver Light Bite when properly setup and adjusted pretty much eliminates dragging small fish and false releases. There are adjustment screws on both the rear release arm and the front tow arm- the rear release should be set fairly loose with the front a bit tight yet releasing when rear release drops. As far as deploying the slide leader there is a learning curve. I find using heavier mono like 30 to 40lb test makes deployment and slide leader life longer. Typically I use and deploy a 45 foot leader for the slide. I add a 30 to 36 fluoro leader to the lure on the swivel for the slide leader. For storage the leader goes on a leader spool. The slide diver stays on the rod and I just swing the slide leader around the bottom of the reel attaching the snap swivel to first rod guide. Slide diver stores in this position. To me the advantages of the slide diver especially the light bite out weigh the learning curve of using it. I used dipsey divers for twenty plus years but feel light bite double trigger and the ability to vary lead length make the slide diver more versatile. PS I get no deal when I buy Slide divers.

If you use an 8’ or 8’6 rod will allow for a bit longer leader. Much easier if leader is short enough to land fish without hand lining last bit of leader. With the bigger jets a trip mechanism is helpful as they pull pretty good. Jets can be pretty effective -does take running them a bit to get the hang of it.

Gambler, welcome! Nice to see you have added walleye lure to your proven lake trout products. LEU is growing and it is good to see some LOU guys coming over.

Easiest solution is to buy lighter rubber bands. Tackle shops have bags of red rubber bands for walleye fishing-try those. Or you could try going to releases and there are all kinds of choices- satisfaction seems to be a personal choice when it comes to release style. Don’t think you will find anything that will release 100% on the smaller walleye, but you should see your rod “load” .

From the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (one of the signatories of the County Memorandum of Consensus on Weed Strategy) publication “The ‘Shed Sheet Summer 2019” there is an article titled Starve the Algae! Save the Lake! This article asks individual property owners to maintain their lawn as follows: cut to 3” height, don’t mow let it grow, aerate, avoid fertilizer, HERBICIDES, pestices and naturalize by planting native plants. Coming from a signatory that supported applying herbicide to 394 acres of the lake and with drift killing basically all the weeds in the south basin this May to me asking homeowners to not apply herbicides is the height of hypocrisy. The benefits of the herbicides seem to be limited to the wealthy in my opinion.

An FYI that if you are thinking of investing the time and $$$ in a license that going to a Masters license initially isn’t too much more than a 6 pack and one can do more with the license. Saves retesting to increase endorsement later. Certainly worth a discussion with the instructor before hand.

In the Western Basin it is pretty common for folks to take their fish to a business that offers fish cleaning service and that would include many charter clients. Don’t know if it has changed but the fish cleaners there also used to keep the cheeks. Some different “traditions” west end vs east end.

I don’t use sliders on my walleye set. I like to flutter my riggers so I don’t want a slider in the way. If you run short setback on your riggers then a fixed slider might work for you. I’ll run free sliders on Lake O with spoon on bottom and 8’ slider with spoon. IMO a slider on Lake Erie is more likely to tangle than get you extra fish especially with stick baits.

Dunkirk is a good choice for an August trip to Lake Erie. Lots of lodging in the area with a Clarion Hotel right near the launch at City Pier. If you were interested in an educational charter, you can access the Eastern Lake Erie Charterboat Assoc directly from this forum for a list of captains and boats. Much of your Lake Ontario gear can be used, but has some tweaks for Lake Erie. I run leadcore, divers and two riggers on my boat. You could get up to speed with one trip-be sure and let the captain know you want info for your own boat. I do several educational trips for people every year and have no problem sharing info. Hope you can make it to Lake Erie this summer.

Another option with a 14 ft boat would be looking for perch. Good place to look is right off Dunkirk harbor 40-50 fow. Short run if you have to get off the lake. Even at that really need to pick the right day with that size boat.