jimski2

7 to 11:30 AM today, we did one walleye, an 18 incher. Last week we did 25 over three days, I guess it is called fishing. Our other boat had 2.

A good marine mechanic says that you should disconnect your fuel line from the engine and run it out of gasoline/alcohol and empty your fuel tank when you store your boat for a long time. That is it for the time being. Not only the stored gasoline goes bad but your fuel injectors are having problems.

Since we have a New York City Lawyer running things like the "bait fiasco", it is time we elect a Governor who will appoint a competent person that understands Fish and Wildlife Issues that we are really concerned about.

August 2, 2010 Dunkirk Observer has the results of this weekend's Con Club Walleye Tourney.

The Chautauqua County Conservation Club held their walleye tourney this weekend at Dunkirk. The winning team posted a total weight for nine walleyes entered over three days at seventy two pounds. Two eleven pounders and five ten pounders were entered. If you are looking for a trophy walleye, Chautauqua County is a good place to look and the Conservation Club on Mullet Street is a good place to stop for information. And now is a good time to go there.

Saturday, we only did six walleye, top three weighed in at 19+ pounds. It looks like we will be out of the money as a lot of 9 to 10 pounders have come in. Friday, two eleven pounders came in. I do not use the ring on my dipseys, some guys do, we just let out more braid so as to get the rig away from the boat. Today we will try waters over 90 feet as that seems to be where the bigger fish are reported to be coming from.

Boxed out with 15 walleye today. Fished from 8:00 AM to 2:30PM, 70 t0 80 foot of water from Dunkirk to the Brocton Water Tower. Dipseys set at #3, 180 to 200 foot out with harnesses did best. A couple on a 65 foot rigger and a couple on 9 colors of leadcore.

Perch fishing is the most angler hour activity in the USA. Yet it gets the least amount of attention than the high dollar expenditure activities from the DEC. Money is what drives government decisions. Years ago Lake Ontario was condemned as a fish consumption banned area so perch fishing was directed to other inland lakes in the area. No Health Department studies have been conducted or published lately and we do not no where we stand since we put in all the industrial water quality projects and wastewater plants over the past fifty years. Most of New York State's industrial plants have moved offshore for more economical operating conditions. Uncontrolled perch populations hurt the reproduction cycles of species such as bass and walleye. We need a consumption approval from the appropriate agencies to get things back on track and promote our perch fishing. As a nation we import three trillion dollars of seafood annually so in order to save America we could start by catching and eating our own plentiful resources.

The Great Lakes have reached record water temperatures and have several weeks of warm weather coming. Algae growth is also increased meaning more food, but also oxygen depletion in deep waters as it dies and decays. Those container ships bringing our consumer items here from no public healthcare and military fiscal countries like China have slowed their speeds from up to 25 MPH to 12 MPH to save a lot of money on fuel. We may have to check down on our cruising speeds also.

Southwest winds cause the thermocline to begin east of Silver Creek. These winds cause the warm water to stack up top to bottom in the eastern end during warm water times like now. 210 feet is the deepest hole located off Long Point but dissolved oxygen content may be low there due to decaying algae and other dead critters. You have to locate the desired dissolved oxygen situation with cooler waters and ultra violet strengths from the sun to locate the right spot to fish at this time of year. But when you do , they are like shooting fish in a barrel.

I abandoned use of my "built in tank". Now I use two six gallon tanks and close the vent when I shut down. I can look in the open tank cap and see if water is present. This makes it easy to dump my gasoline into other tanks. The alcohol in the fuel evaporates and will dissolve many plastics in your boat such as spinner beads and downrigger plastic housings. Close the vents on your tank.

Same problem, I believe it is in the touchpad control. Can not do anything but live with it and pull the plug in back on the left side. Put it back in when you use the machine. Lay the machine down on its face and the fluid in the pad may fill back in to keep it working better.

Lake Erie has been an enigma for us this year. Plenty of fish and bait on the screen, few fish coming in over ther the gunwale. Even the perch schools are hard to find but you get them trolling for walleye. Only one good day a week it seems. In 70 foot of water, the botttom shows ten feet solid fish and bait, but three hours the other evening yielded 1 perch and 1 sheephead using Commissioners Grandit's Arkansas minnows.

You have to meet the "slack tides" to hold bottom for halibut fishing, especially at Homer. The thirty foot tides they have will pull a four pound sinker off the bottom. There usually is a three hour prime fishing period and then the currents are hard to control for bottom fishing. Half day trips are not the best use of your time when you travel thousands of miles. Check out the tin can six pack boats from Anchor Point or Ninilchik. Cheaper accomodations there also. A camper on the beach at Seward is a good deal. The best spots I know of are at Montague Island and Yakutak, tough travel, those places.

The Senate extended for two years the waiver for "washing down your boat deck" as required by the Clean Water Act. The reason given was the "Tax Sucking Black Hole called Washington" is not ready to process the 140,000 forms a day that need to be filed. But they will be soon.

Remember that when you fight against commercial fishing that 3 trillion dollars annually goes overseas to feed USA's population with seafood. That money could sure help the 44,000 unemployed workers in Erie County alone.

We cleared our gunwales of downriggers and have 6 rod holders mounted. Dipseys on 30# braid with linecounter reels are set on #3 settings outside with dipseys set at 1/2 to 1 settings on the inside. We also use inline planers with lead core line or braid with rubber band held weights. When the fish are really deep, we let out 300 feet of line on our outside lines. This makes netting a fish easy off the side instead off the stern with all the riggers and engine in the way. All our dipseys are black, dark blue or purple. For leaders they must be just short of the length of your rod. Salmon at least 30#, walleye 20# flourocarbon. Thumper rods with a heavy sinker are sometimes used straight off the stern. Make wide turns carefully.

Another boat did eight yesterday off Center Road, 72 to 82 foot of water. This after three zero days last week under the "Bluebird Skys".

You have to understand what a "lifetime" warranty is. When the motor dies, the warranty dies. When the company dies, the warranty dies. Lifetime mean actually nothing but a way to suck you into buying the product.

The Assembly has to pass it, then hope the Governor does not veto it when he sees it. We need a Governor who will appoint a DEC Commissioner who will let us heat our homes with wood and use our Great Lakes minnows here. This New York City Lawyer Commissioner is out of touch with the upstate residents.

The 47lc may be too large for the braided line as the diameter of the braid is a lot thinner. If you add the braid to your mono, you may jam the line on the edge of the spool with a large fish. 20# braid is the minimum I would use with dypseys. 30# flourocarbon for the leader also.

If you want pensions, Social Security. health insurance, welfare programs, military, etc., you put yourself out of competition with the rest of the world.

More water will be released today from the Dam at Cornwall to support shipping in the St. Lawrence River. Due to a lack of winter snows, things will get worse in Lake Ontario. Keep in the middle of the channels and do not cut corners.

Southtowns Walleye Contest winner was 12.8 pounds. Three fish weighed in over 12 pounds. 150 fish payed out to the smallest at 10.04 pounds. 3D harness was the winning lure. Barcelona was the hot launch area. This was the big fish year. I can not think of another place to catch 10+ pounders. Get yours now.

Perch fishing has the most angler days than any other species. The DEC does not recognize this and has made access to minnows for bait almost impossible as well as very expensive. Summer time perch like mud bottom and will be found at a preferred temperature as long as the dissolved oxygen is fine. Children love perch fishing over trolling since they control the rod and line. Use your fishfinder to find fish on the bottom, say 5 feet or nearer. Drop your anchor or drift slowly with a sea anchor bag to slow you down and keep contact with the bottom. Perch ggressively attack minnows laying on the mud, suspended minnows, they pick at. Light braided line will give you a very sensitive feel on an light action rod. Stack 2 or 3 #6 snelled hooks with one hook below your sinker to lay in the mud. Always carry ice in a cooler so you can clean the perch tomorrow as you do not want to quit fishing when you find them.