Off Shore Board tattle spring tension and leader

[BRS1]

Has anyone had to change the spring tension on their boards to use the Deep Runners or other hard pulling cranks?

BTW thanks Juls and all for the info on the Sanpper clips. They worked great this weekend and outside of some misinformation about tying carbon to fire I am set.

Do you need to use a leader if you run 14 pound fireline(smoke)? If so, how should one attach the leader?

BRS1

[whitetips]

Yes, but just add rubber bands till the tension is right at the flag to the end of the board.

[REELMAN]

One of the first things I discovered with the tattle tail system was that the spring that came with
the set didn't have enough tension to hold up any hard pulling plug or snap weight system.
SO I went to the local hardware and started buying springs until I found the spring that I feel
is the best all around spring. C-73 is the one that I came up with that works the best.
Replace the one in the kit with it and I think you will thoroughly enjoy the tattle tail system

[whitetips]

I agree on the spring, but to be honest with original poster, cranks you dont need the tattle flag, with a little board watching experience and rod tip watching you wilo know when a fish is on, weeds that another issue. Use the springs and tattles on spinners and weights thats were they shine the best, and the current spring is good up to 2 ounces and 3 if running slower.
Whether cranking or spinner fishing just move the back release ring from the wire to the screw
eye on the fishing style you want to do.

[Juls_WI]

One tip I learned from MWC Champ. Eric Olson, that you can try before going out and buying the C-73 spring from the hardware store, is to simply take the spring out of the hole in the arm of the flag, and place it around the bottom of the arm from behind. Put the other end of the spring in the bottom most hole on the board, and you should have no problems running deep divers, such as the Reef Runner. The flags don't need to be standing straight up to be effective. As long as there is some room for them to go down, so that you can see that something has changed, then they are working for you.

That's all I have had to do, and haven't felt a need to replace the spring with a heavier one.

Juls
p.s. Glad the Snappers have worked out well for you BRS1!

[whitetips]

Yes run maybe a 12 pound flouracarbon to a barrel, remember the less knots between the rod tip and the fish the better, the last few years I've gone to all mono and combination of lead,
go with a nickel barrel , just long enough for the rod length, to store.

GLuck.

[JCarp]

The down side to adding heavier springs is your kinda defeating the original purpose of them. As mentioned, they don't need to be standing straight up to work.

The leader thing - I think you'll find different opinions on this. A lot of very accomplished fishers use some sort of leader in front of fireline, some because of spooking concerns, some might want a little stretch for fighting fish. I use 20 lb and 14 lb fireline in both smoke & green without leaders (crank & snap) on Erie and several inland lakes and do as well as friends spooled with 10 lb XT or fireline with fluorocarbon leaders. Once in a while, the fluorocarbon guy outfishes me, but I don't think it's the line. My applications range from speed trolling deepdivers to 1.3 mph w/stickbaits.

My 1st fireline application was using a 20 lb green 5 ft leader as a defense against zebra mussels on a clear inland lake. If can't remember who deserves credit for this, but someone once stated something to the effect if eyes were line shy, you wouldn't see them caught in gill nets.

[REELMAN]

My experience with trolling any snap weights or deep diving plugs pulls the flag right down with the off shore spring. That is why I went to the C-73 spring. It doesn't defeat the purpose of the tattle tail kit, it only makes it better, a lot better.

[BRS1]

Reelman,

Thanks for the tip, I already modified (cut and reshaped the original springs) to accomplish the same thing on the fly. I will get a couple of C73's and give them a try. Looks like a few different springs for different applications is the way to go.

Without weights my Deep Runner Reef Runner's were pullig the flag flat at about 1.5, I couldn't imagine going faster or using weights wihtout some more tension.

Thanks again for the spring tip,

BRS1

[Todd_NE]

John (Reelman),

Give it up. You and I, and those who use your perfected tattle flag system know it's simply the best out there. You, out of the graciousness of your own heart are trying to help, I say quit. Let 'em use the other clips, other springs, wrap springs, change spring anchors, or "watch" their boards, whatever.

I'll keep on knowing that when I use your design I can detect that I have a bit of weed, a 6" whitebass, or a decent fish on my board at the slightest glance.

Off Shore Boards - $20
Tattle Flag with the "right" spring $3
Church Clips $6
John's Engineering - Two Beers, Jerky, & new color of wally diver
Priceless

Todd (With a little tongue in cheek)

[BRS1]

Thanks Todd,

Sounds like all I am missing is the engineering side of the equation.

Brian

[REELMAN]

Priceless is watching the flag go down on those "HEAVY SPRINGS"!!!!!!

[Dave S]

BRS1, As an Engineer by trade and after spending with Reelman one of my most sucessful days ever on the water, I can assure you that Reelmans strong spring system works like a charm for pulling heavier snap weights and deep diving crankbaits.

[fishy1]

If youre ever in a pinch and cant find springs for youre boards go to the nearest service station that works on cars .I found about twenty springs at one station from old carbs I think they work great, all different tensions.

[rmitchel]

I have not gone to the hardware store yet, but is a "C-73" spring a common name for it? Will they know what I am talking about?

Thanks.

[Bugtussle]

The c-73 refers to the size of the spring. They have them at Fleet Farm if there is one near you in Point.

[rmitchel]

Perfect -- I will check at Fleet Farm.

[Dave S]

The C in the spring designation indicates that the spring was made by Century Spring. All my local hardware stores carry a line of Century Springs so you should have not difficulty finding this spring.

[JohnF]

Lots of advice here I see. My approach is simpler, I just hook the spring that came with the system so that a few coils are on the front side. More coils to front for more tension, less for less. Over the couple of years I've done this the springs have been stretched a bit but it still works fine.

John

[whitetips]

Been following this one down, Maybe to most of us it doesnt mean anything but lets say your in a tournament and some guy starts pounding them, your using floaters or suspenders and not doing so hot and some other fellas flags are half down or all the way down whats does that tell you.
Flags are commuicators not just to you but others that Know how to read them, Keep them up, keep them guessing. Some thoughts.

[Todd_NE]

Ok... I'll bite

#1 You can't can't fish you don't know are on, tourneys are won w/###

#2 You can't catch a keeper fish if a 6" fish is dragging, well ok, maybe a really big one!

#3 You can't catch a keeper fish if a weed impedes the lure

#4 You can catch more fish if your time on the water is productive.
Productive time is a true running lure, not having to figure out whether a clip will hold, and knowing what your lure is doing.

#5 Most people assume anything reeled in during a tourney is a fish right or wrong, the timing to see a flag go down would have to be pretty precise BECAUSE we can see the bite in say.. Instantaneous

#6 Confidence is the key anytime fishing. KNOWING you are covering water effectively, KNOWING your board and lures are working properly, and KNOWING at a glance what's going on leads to our/my confidence

#7 Communicating in a bad way is netting, letting someone see your lure, jumping up and down, etc. I guess we'll keep netting at least.

#8 If someone sees us reel in a fish during a tourney and that person is another tourney competitor that jumps in.. Well, that says more about them

#9 IF someone sees the flag go down. That doesn't exactly mean they have our trolling speed, lures, depths, size of weight, etc. The flag is just a light on the hard to read sideways bobber (board)

#10 If it's so easy to "read" a board, why can't I read yours from another boat?

#11 John (Reelman) did not win the Hagen's (100 boat) or get 2nd in Platte tourney (140 boats) using this system. We were jigging, I remember it plainly.

#12 - John, out of the goodness of his heart is trying to help. I will repeat, a tattle flag system as he describes is the best I've seen. He's tried them all and this WORKS under all conditions with up to 2/2.5 oz of weight with virtually all cranks. He isn't getting paid, he isn't doing seminars, he isn't on the Church or the Off-Shore staff though I doubt there is a better board troller around.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I don't tell my work staff to twist that, bend this, and make something work that doesn't work well if there is an alternative that works better from the "get go". This is that alternative.

I don't mean to sound like almighty knowing, but I've used lots of boards, and there may be something better out there, but I cannot even IMAGINE it. To me, John is giving away the store on this whole deal, so I compliment him for his effort and free goodwill.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever YOU are CONFIDENT in. That's the bottomline.

Todd

[perchjerker]

Nice post, Todd. John was very helpful to me in getting the springs I need.


Just wanted to mention that, nothing to add except thanks, John!!!