Tim Bromund

We had a big king flip a line counter last season (2012). It hit a braid diver out 200 and the counter was over 500 before i could get it out of the rod holder. Ended up at 1054 total. I know it wasn't actually 300+ yards as the line counter gets inaccurate as the spool empties, but it was well over 200 yards. This was 50 lb power pro, so I wasn't worried about breaking the line, I kept tightening the drag but it didn't matter. Dad fought it to 25' behind the boat and couldn't get it any closer, it just laid back there wallowing and head shaking and eventually the hook pulled out. It was just the 2 of us on board and I had the boat at idle with a bag out. Looking back on it I should have 1) cleared the other rods and/or 2) put it in neutral and dealt with any tangles after that fish was in the net. This was during the fall derby. My biggest weighed salmon was 38lbs so I have a decent idea what a fish that size looks like and this fish was between easily 35 and 40. Oh well, who needs 20 grand anyway. here's the line counter in the 900's Tim

Just to Update, The LOTSA Expo/Marketplace is once again fully booked, including some new Vendors this year. Check out the list of Vendors and Door Prize Sponsors here: http://www.lotsa.org/2014_LOTSA_EXPO.htm The Table/Vendor layout will be added as soon as we have it finalized. Tim

Yes, A HUGE Heartfelt Thank You to all of our Veterans. You have no idea how much your service and sacrifice on our behalf is appreciated.

I fill my down rigger reels with 350 yds or so of 17 lb trilene XT then back to back uni knot in approx 150' of 30 lb Big Game to deal with the fleas, then a #10 spro power swivel to 6' of fluorocarbon leader to just a duolock snap to the lure. I've been doing this for as long as fleas have been in the lake without issue. I've had pleny of big kings get way into the 17. Personally, I don't trust that straight 30 lb gives you enough line capacity on a typical rigger reel. I also like that setup for spring shoreline brown trout trolling as the increased water resistance of the large diameter of the 30 lb keeps the stickbaits from diving too deep and hanging bottom in skinny water, I just replace the 20 lb Fluoro with 10 lb. Tim

Hard to beat the Navionics App for $15 bucks. Turned my iPhone into a fully functional chart plotted if need be, and the maps are great. The contours at the Niagara Bar are amazing. Tim

As another benefit for those attending the Salmon School on Saturday, we have arraigned the opportunity to take a Lower River charter on the Friday prior to the class. Many of our attendees are from out of town and will be arriving on Friday. This will provide them with an opportunity to cure some cabin fever by spending a winter outing fishing out of Lewiston,NY. for Steelhead,Brown Trout,and Lake Trout. The area’s best Captains utilize the newest and most successful techniques to give you the opportunity to experience The Niagara at its Winter best. All you will need is a NY state fishing license and proper clothing. They will start at 11am and cost $125 per person. A deposit of $25 will secure your spot on one of these boats on Friday. The $25 Deposit is non refundable unless the Captain cancels because of weather or poor fishing conditions. Signup is available at www.lotsa.org.

What liquid crystal electronics are in that car?

Are the electronics in your car subject to the same conditions electronics left in a boat would be, potentially sitting in subfreezing temps for months at a time, or are they regularly brought up to a reasonable ambient temp whenever you use the car, presumably every day? big difference IMO. Ditto, Ditto rolmops. Tim

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/topic/37269-3-rodsperson/?hl=%20rod%20%20rule

I'm pretty sure it was extended another couple years. There was a thread on it on here back in the spring.

Not swimming, with waders on and not near docks with shore power. Big difference.

I'm amazed you guys didn't already know about this, especially in freshwater marinas. There's a reason marinas have a no swimming policy. Thanks for posting this Chad, you might just have saved somebody's life. Tim

Hotel Accommodations arranged so far: Comfort Inn Rate $69 per night, Phone 716-284-6835. It is right across the street from the Conference & Event Center. Mention the Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo to get the rate. The Event Center is still working with other area hotels to secure the same rates. We will update as more hotels come online. Tim

Hotel Accommodations arranged so far: Comfort Inn Rate $69 per night, Phone 716-284-6835. It is right across the street from the Conference & Event Center. Mention the Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo to get the rate. The Event Center is still working with other area hotels to secure the same rates. We will update as more hotels come online. Tim

Registration for the Salmon School is now active on the LOTSA Website http://www.lotsa.org

Not familiar with the Pro Tourny HD's, but I believe the Cisco Motors are bigger. The reels are all CNC machined aircraft aluminum, no plastic on them at all. The Cisco's are also more expensive, I believe. Tim

The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association is pleased to announce that our speakers for this year's Salmon School will be Captain Dan Keating (Blue Horizon Sportfishing), Author of the Keating on Kings Book and Videos, and Dave Mull of Great Lakes Angler Magazine fame. Dan and Dave presented our first Full Day Salmon School 6 years ago and we have had many requests over the years to being them back. As with our Expo, we had the opportunity to “pick up our show as is†and insert it into a brand new show called the new Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo to be held on January 24-26, 2014 (www.niagarafishingexpo.com). This show would be held at the “State of the Art†Conference & Event Center in Niagara Falls New York. This facility with it's larger Seminar room, will allow us to expand the number of Salmon School attendees while at the same time, alleviate the crowding we have experienced at the old location. As in years past, this year's Salmon School will be held on the Saturday before the Expo (January 25, 2014). The Conference Center facility is a short walk to the Falls itself as well as being right across the street from the Seneca Niagara Casino. There are also many places to eat, shopping outlets and other things to do in Niagara Falls to make for a very enjoyable weekend for everyone. Free parking for the show will be available at the Casino lots and nearby Hotels are offering rates cheaper than we were able to obtain in past years in Lockport. More details will be forthcoming as they are finalized.

Due to the success of our LOTSA February Salmon Spectacular weekend, we have out grown our current facility at the 4H in Lockport. We’ve had heard from many of our Vendors that they would like more tables to display/sell from, more foot traffic later in the day and they all want to be in the main room. The constant complaint we get from our attendees is that it is too crowded early on, parking spots can be difficult to find and most of what they are looking for is gone if they arrive later in the morning. For our upcoming weekend in 2014, we have the opportunity to “pick up our show as is†and insert it into a brand new show called the new Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo to be held on January 24-26, 2014 (www.niagarafishingexpo.com). This show would be held at the “State of the Art†Conference & Event Center in Niagara Falls New York. This facility would solve our above problems while allowing us to keep our show “as is†plus we now have the facility to provide more fishing education to both kids and adults throughout the weekend. Our Expo and Flea Market will be renamed to the “LOTSA Marketplace†and take place on Sunday as it has in the past (Jan 26, 2014). The focus will continue to be on Great Lakes Trout, Salmon and Walleye. The larger room allows us to have more tables and eliminate most of our overcrowding problems. The Conference Center facility is a short walk to the Falls itself as well as being right across the street from the Seneca Niagara Casino. There are also many places to eat, shopping outlets and other things to do in Niagara Falls to make for a very enjoyable weekend for everyone. Free parking for the show will be available at the Casino lots and nearby Hotels are offering rates cheaper than we were able to obtain in past years in Lockport. More details will be forthcoming as they are finalized. For more information and details please visit our website at http://www.lotsa.org