LongLine

and more money being spent on tackle, lures & more people involved with selling/making them thus more money in tax revenue (some for the conservation fund) and more stories being spread about the great fishing we have; more return visits by fishermen hence again more revenues for local economies. I can't remember any legislation other than this that won't cost the taxpayer $$$ to implement. Tom B. (LongLine)

I carry a stainless steel boy scout whistle in the glove box. Works great, very low maintenance & never have to worry about a non-functioning horn if the CG stops me. You may want to pick one up & always have a spare "horn" onhand. Tom B. (LongLine)

Mine had a loop in it with the cinch. It's the same cinch that is used on the other end. i.e where you terminal swivel goes. Everywhere that carries downrigger stuff should carry them. Some hardware stores carry a real small copper tubing in 12" lengths, like 1/16" diameter for under $1. That's what I use. (bought it 5 yrs ago & forget where) If you want, you could just use a loop with an overhand knot. Tom B. (LongLine)

Hey Skipper...hope you had a happy B'day. Tom B. (LongLine)

One thing to remember about the mud-line...very often it does not extend all the way to the bottom. Often you have a dirty layer over clear water, especially at the Genny. I've seen the Stephen B. Roman come out and leave a blue water trail in it's wake. Tom B. (LongLine)

I have my sub-T display on the dash of my 18 ft'r &. I'd suggest putting the display where the person controlling the speed can easily see it. Tom B. (LongLine)

USF&WS confirmed a couple big heads years ago in Lake Erie but said they were probably releases from food stores/pet shops/owners. Subsequent elecroshocking efforts in tribs produced nothing in 2008. They were however found in the Ohio River but they couldn't catch further specimens. http://www.fws.gov/northeast/lowergreat ... rpMon.html Tom B. (LongLine)

Thanx guys. I know I only get one wish but I'm greedy... Here's my wishlist 1. That everyone fishing the Big-O has a great time catching fish this year. 2. That all freshwater Windmill projects go belly-up. 3. That the Asian Carp all go belly up. 4. That the 3-rod rule gets implemented. 5. That the PACKERS & Orangemen go all the way. Tom B. (LongLine)

In order to understand the USACofEng risk assessment, we have to remember how the Asian Carp got out of their original ponds. I.E. floods – The Miss. River overflowed its banks and established direct water pathways. Flood waters eventually went down & some pathways disappeared, however some carp took the pathway while it existed. When the original permits were issued, to allow the Carp into those farmer ponds, the USF&WS and state DNRs did not sufficiently consider the possibility of flood conditions. Focus Area #1 involves those areas that have already established direct permanent pathways such as the Chicago Canal, Calumet river, (sp) etc and we all know what’s going on there. Michigan has the only direct pathways. Focus area #2 involves identifying those areas where a flood or high water could establish a pathway between the Mississippi Basin and the Great Lakes Basin. The USACofEng has come up with a system of rating the risk for potential routes that carp could take and cause damage to areas. (Transfer Risk) They first looked at the topography and basically said what creeks/ rivers/ lakes feed one another, are really close together; have manmade connections that might be dry right now (such as culverts, ditches, etc) and also looked at flow and back flow conditions. Secondly, they looked at what damage the carp and other invasives (ANS = aquatic nuisance species) could do to a new area over a 50 yr period if there was a direct pathway. (IMO -This is the “somewhat subjective†part.) Thirdly, they took a statistical look at historical weather records and flood conditions to understand if the rivers/creeks/lakes ever had a pathway or could have a pathway; how long that pathway could exist; and how much of a pathway could exist.(I.E. depth, width etc) They take a 1.0% probably stance. I.E. if one flood event every 100 years could possibly create a significant surface water pathway that carp could use for migration. For instance – IMO- if a pathway is created every 100 years that is only ½†deep and lasts for 3 hours, it’s really not worth mentioning, however if it’s 3 ft deep and lasts for a week, it’s very important. What they found was that the original 9 potential routes grew to 36 potential routes. 18 routes have been assigned Medium, High or Acute Transfer Risk ratings. 13 were rated low risk with the remainder not rated. The greatest area of concern is Eagle Marsh in Ft Wayne, which is why Indiana put up that fence real quick. Long Lake, which could connect the Ohio River & Lk Erie is also given a high Transfer Risk. East Mud Lake in NY was given a medium Transfer Risk as there may be a potential link Lake Erie. (To get to Lake Ontario, they have to come thru Lake Erie) Bottom Line recommendation is that for 17 of the 18 routes, more study, evaluation and continued collaboration with local DNRs, gov’ts and stakeholders be conducted to identify measures to be undertaken to mitigate the risks. IE figure out what can be done to lower the risk. Tom B. (LongLine)

Here's the preliminary risk assestment from US Army Corps of Engineers on ways the Asian Carp can get into the Great lakes. There are ways they could get into Lk Erie without going thru Lks Michigan or Huron. http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/docs/Ot ... s_Risk.pdf Tom B. (LongLine)

Welcome to the site Kory. Make sure you send some picures. I think Stan's camera must be broken & we love to see someone trolling in January. (from a boat not a snowmobile) Tom B. (LongLine)

HB - They need to know that you, me and all of us feel that way! Tom B. (LongLine)

http://www.great-lakes.org/wklyfish_nz.html Tom B. (LongLine)

The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on stopping the Asian carp. (There is a shortcut from the Miss Riv into Lake Erie via Alleghany.) http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/other ... 306522.ece http://www.glu.org/en/asiancarp/take-action Go to this site & you can send in comments on how you feel about it: http://glmris.anl.gov/involve/comments/index.cfm All you have to enter is your name & zip code. All other info is optional. (I’m #65) Tom B. (LongLine)

I agree, that sucks. Kjell - Did you try ebay.com. They have quite a few cannon bases tonite. Didn't see any scotty tho'. Tom B. (LongLine)

Go Orange! Tom B. (LongLine)

Happy Birthday Larry Tom B. (LongLine)

Take a look at the current your engine/electrical system can put out. I don't know what kind of rig you're fishing out of, but make sure you can support the additional load. Past 70 ft & you'll need a 10 or 12 Lb weight. Tom B. (LongLine)

My 500 does the same thing with really large bait pods. Never had the weight issue though. (knock on wood) Tom B. (LongLine)

Happy New Year Steve. Tom B. (LongLine)

Happy New Year Hank Tom B. (LongLine)

Any idea what the plating is? (Nickel, chrome, silver???) Tom B. (LongLine)

No, sorry, I’d share, but I don’t smoke, snort, shoot nor ingest that stuff. The problem with research is that for every question that is answered, at least 5 more questions pop up. I don’t think anyone doubts we live in an ever changing world. It should be expected if they’re right that the earth’s guts are like liquid & the poles (north & south…not Ray K) are continually shifting…. Can man alter his environment? Here’s an interesting picture…Know where it is? Hints: Population now close to 1 million…Home of Mazda and Mitsubishi. . . . . . Answer: Nagasaki (Hiroshima looks very similar) & you ought to see their travel brochures! Very often I see deer on the East side of St Paul St, just north of the Bausch Bridge. (But don’t hunt there as they’ve installed one of those “gunshot detectors†nearby) I’ve even seen them Skinny-dipping in I-Bay. Guess they've moved back to the city. Can man mess things up? Certainly. Ducky got discombobulated by listening to panic striken/emotional appeals. There would not have been any story if the duck had asked a few questions or required confirmation of the event. (Real short story if Henny had pulled out a chain saw & went back to the scene.) I have a major issue with “authorities†promoting pseudo-scientific campaigns, claiming endorsement from currently popular theory, when in fact they wouldn’t pursue it, if not for tax credit angles &/or bonuses for pulling it off. Especially when they're requested to provide substantiation of proposals for their inefficient contraptions they reply “That’s all you need to know†or “We’re not releasing that informationâ€, I get a little irked. Their guise is of helping the environment yet they know little environmental history in the areas, what they risk digging up, whose lives they’ll disrupt or which species could be endangered. They don't even drink the water. Obviously. I’m referring to offshore wind. On one hand they’re shouting “the weather is changingâ€, yet they want us to pay them to make us more dependent on the weather. Man…talk about non-sequiter. Figures don’t lie but liars can figure. Maybe (that’s a big maybe) an individual could be successful with a small turbine, but it’s utility scale stupidity. There’s absolutely no reason utility scale power generators couldn't at least preheat the steam-water geothermally. Oops, this thread is about 15% ethanol. The only good thing about that is that you guys won’t have as much competition out there, if I use it. It’ll kill my outboard. Tom B. (LongLine)

It started out as “global warming†then it subtly took the name of “climate change.†Now many are saying that we’re approaching a “mini-ice age†as the Gulf flow appears to be slowing down and the east coast & south have been getting record cold/snow/freezes in the last couple years. (Couple years ago el Nino/la Nina were all the rage.) I wonder if they’re ever going to start looking at the Sun cycles. None of the “climate change†proponents seem to ever mention anything about them. We’ve had some major flares in the last couple years. Chicken Little likes to walk in the woods. She likes to look at the trees. She likes to smell the flowers. She likes to listen to the birds singing. One day while she is walking something hits the top of her little head. - My, oh, my, the sky is falling. I must run and tell the lion about it, - says Chicken Little and begins to run. She runs and runs. By and by she meets the hen. - Where are you going? - asks the hen. - Oh, Henny Penny, the sky is falling and I am going to the lion to tell him about it. - How do you know it? - asks Henny Penny. - It hit me on the head, so I know it must be so, - says Chicken Little. - Let me go with you! - says Henny Penny. - Run, run. So the two run and run until they meet Ducky Lucky. - The sky is falling, - says Henny Penny. - We are going to the lion to tell him about it. - How do you know that? - asks Ducky Lucky. - It hit Chicken Little on the head, - says Henny Penny. - May I come with you? - asks Ducky Lucky. - Come, - says Henny Penny. So all three of them run on and on until they meet Foxey Loxey. - Where are you going? - asks Foxey Loxey. - The sky is falling and we are going to the lion to tell him about it, - says Ducky Lucky. - Do you know where he lives? - asks the fox. - I don't, - says Chicken Little. - I don't, - says Henny Penny. - I don't, - says Ducky Lucky. - I do, - says Foxey Loxey. - Come with me and I can show you the way. He walks on and on until he comes to his den. - Come right in, - says Foxey Loxey. They all go in, but they never, never come out again. Hades must be awful crowded with all the non-Christians down there. Ever wonder how oil is initially produced? Most say it only comes from decaying fossils. Ask yourself how did all the fossils in the world end up in those particular places? Especially in places like the Gulf where that big asteroid landed & drastically altered life on earth? Tom B. (LongLine)