Changing Setups...

[SilverBullets]

What type of conditions effect your choice of presentations? Does different weather dictate what lure/dodger/blade finishes you use? Will choppy vs calm waters get you to change? I know time of day will effect lure colors as far as what depth your fishing, but is there any other factors that you go by when deciding what to use...

 

[SuperD]

I start my day like some football coaches that script their first 25 plays. I will pick my starting rotation and then create a 2nd, 3rd and 4th rotation. As you get deeper into the rotation, you just know you aren't having the day you planned. stomper My idea for what the rotations are, are more formulated by what I has confidence in at that given lake. I have some lures that regardless of the lure color and brightness of sky, it will always be out there even if it doesn't fit the bright color, bright sky norm.

 

[Kokonuts]

Changing Setups

Bullets, I was at the Sportmans Show today & spent some time talking with Gary from "Fish With Gary Tackle Co".
If you havnt seen his stuff go to his site at:
WWW.fishwithgary.com He has some very interesting ideas & is very easy to talk to. He has also done a lot of testing at different lakes, types of dodgers & lures. Spend a few minutes reading his Kokanee University, its pretty good.
Kokonuts thumbsup

 

[HiTechKoke]

I start my day like some football coaches that script their first 25 plays. I will pick my starting rotation and then create a 2nd, 3rd and 4th rotation. As you get deeper into the rotation, you just know you aren't having the day you planned. stomper My idea for what the rotations are, are more formulated by what I has confidence in at that given lake. I have some lures that regardless of the lure color and brightness of sky, it will always be out there even if it doesn't fit the bright color, bright sky norm.

I subscribe to this methodology. As soon as the second string is exhausted it's into the tackle stash for other semi-random choices but I will keep a favorite out there as my base line.

 

[SilverBullets]

What I have experienced as far as making a presentation change, the time of year/depth is a factor. I generally go with a smaller setup early when fishing higher in the water column, and change to larger dodgers when fishing deeper later in the season. Where I fish, sunny days have been more productive, and a chop on the water is always a good thing. I used to go by the moon phases, but have had just as good if not better action during a full moon. Changing from silver blades to gold or copper can make all the difference, don't think they are only effective for sunny/cloudy days. As far as the wind goes, a east wind tied into a change in barometric pressure is not favorable in my opinion. Most of the time what dictates the lure change for me is if I don't get a hit in around 10 minutes it's time to try something else, and to always use a lure which is compatible with the others being used for the speed your trolling. I made a custom table for changing set-ups on the boat, and most days have alot of lures and dodgers laid out to try. I am just getting into jigging, which is a good thing to have in your bag of tricks when the bite shuts down...

 

[Digi-Troller]

We definately change things up as conditions change, if needed. There have been many days when it gets real cloudy that we'll go back to our earlier morning set ups. The glows, or higher water column colors can really turn back on. We also, like most here, love a little wind. Glass water is nice, but has meant slower fishing for us, especially early season when the kokes are closer to the surface. We believe that this is because the wind provides two things... first, it blocks and distorts a lot of light. Second, it is noisy and can hide boat noise. This is only a theory i guess, but its proven itself again and again. Glad to hear that so many of you guys have seen the same thing... we're not nuts!

 

[SilverBullets]

Your wind observation's are exactly what I have experienced Digi-Troller. I have see numerous times when going from a glass smooth surface to a light wind chop, the bite turns on quickly. I often thought like you that it not only provides protection, but as HiTechKoke eluded to in another thread, the wind gets the plankton moving. Maybe this triggers a feeding response, in addition to distorting the surface to mask the boat. I've often wondered if the glare of the sun is problem for them, and a chop on the surface makes it easier for them to see. From what I have experienced, it seems sunny days are best because of the reflection of the presentation being used, and a slight breeze to make them feel less parinoid.