Not For Hire
New member
This year I didn't fish nearly enough and when I did I never had more than six lines out. My best day I used only three lines.
In Michigan you can troll with three lines per person for Salmonoids on the Great Lakes. I think Wisconsin went to three lines some years ago and then Michigan followed suit the last three years. It is only for trolling on the Great Lakes in those states. All other fishing is with two lines only. Ontario is one line or at least it used to be.
Best is when you can never get more than a couple of lines in because the action is hot. Pretty good is a double or even the rare triple. I will sometimes use three downriggers (sometimes I also used fixed sliders and more rarely use sliders or stacked lines). I will then have one or two dipsy rods on each side and possibly a leadcore line down the middle and way back. That is how I might use eight lines on a calm boring day. Most often I fish with four or five lines. Two or three downriggers and two or three dipsys. I have been using rotating flashers with attractors and flies or cut herring a lot the last few years. Running more than four lines with that type of spread is usually your invitation to the big snafu. Most of all, the problem is usually the wind and waves. Sometimes the waves are just too much for mechanical or human pilots to keep even two or three lines straight without 100% concentration. I fish lots of times when you can only troll one direction - downhill, but don't like to fish when leaving the helm is dangerous.
Mark
In Michigan you can troll with three lines per person for Salmonoids on the Great Lakes. I think Wisconsin went to three lines some years ago and then Michigan followed suit the last three years. It is only for trolling on the Great Lakes in those states. All other fishing is with two lines only. Ontario is one line or at least it used to be.
Best is when you can never get more than a couple of lines in because the action is hot. Pretty good is a double or even the rare triple. I will sometimes use three downriggers (sometimes I also used fixed sliders and more rarely use sliders or stacked lines). I will then have one or two dipsy rods on each side and possibly a leadcore line down the middle and way back. That is how I might use eight lines on a calm boring day. Most often I fish with four or five lines. Two or three downriggers and two or three dipsys. I have been using rotating flashers with attractors and flies or cut herring a lot the last few years. Running more than four lines with that type of spread is usually your invitation to the big snafu. Most of all, the problem is usually the wind and waves. Sometimes the waves are just too much for mechanical or human pilots to keep even two or three lines straight without 100% concentration. I fish lots of times when you can only troll one direction - downhill, but don't like to fish when leaving the helm is dangerous.
Mark
