jimski2

It was a Batle Royal Rumble out there yesrterday. 30 MPH East winds, rain, slippery ice, life jackets and waders required, but the contest went on. My son and grandson won the perch and crappie events. 38 inch Northern was big fish. DA DEE, DA DEE, DA DEE, THAT'S ALL FOLKS For ice fishing this season.

Latest report was a 6:00 AM signup. Ice is bad around the mouth of Rawson Creek and the outlet dam. Near shore ice is punky in areas. Bring a spud bar to test it, good ice out off shore.

I do not think the sand on the Niagara Bar will suoort the towers for long. When they fall over, they will make good "fish attracting devices".

$10 per person, enter at the dam around 7:00 AM. Usually biggest perch, walleye, crappie and northern pike by length payout. Parking- $6,000 property tax bills make homeowners possessive of their property. Stay off the white lines on the roads. North end of the lake near Rawsons Creek has a lot of open water from last weeks thaw, and if the weather is too warm, then stay home. Take care of the chores you have been ignoring all winter, the ice will be gone soon, get that boat ready.

There are two types of " Perko" style battery switches. One directly connects batterys to your systems and another has a double switch that disconnects your alternator before opening the battery circuits. If your engine is running and you open the battery switch, the alternator senses no voltage and cranks out a lot of amps ultimately blowing the diodes in your alternator. Just one mistake can cost you big bucks.

Four of us picked up a 5 gallon bucket of perch yesterday. Bluebird sky and North breeze shut down a lot of guys, but the ultralite rods and Vexilars paid off for the Hard Core Perch Fanatics. Small pimples with mousies and a minnow and split shot on the bottom would tease the perch off the bottom into striking when the perch showed up. You really need the flasher to show when the schools of perch came by. Some schools were 15 feet solid. 2# test helped with the minnows. That is where the ultralite tip poles are needed. We released half the fish caught trying for size. This is good for next year as there are several good class years available here. The average size of the keepers this year was 9 and 1/2 inches, up an inch from last year. Let us hope next year they will be 10 and 1/2 inchers. Weather guys are predicting warm rain and a thaw this week, it could be over shortly. Next Saturday is the Cuba Lake Tourney, we have all the fish we need now, but fishing the Cuba Lake thing is good. Last year we lost in three categories by an 1/8 inch in length for Northern Pike, Walleye and Perch.

The voltage regulator on many outboards can overcharge your batterys, so check the acid levels at least monthly during the boating season and maintain the level with DISTILLED WATER only. Tap water and lake water has dissolved minerals and they upset the acid balance. Get the biggest battery you can afford due to all the electronics we seem to need.

Do not use a car battery. The pounding the battery takes will destroy the plates. When your boat does not start, do not take the battery out of your car or at the end of the day you will have a car that does not start also.

State employees sometimes feel that their park is their personal "fiefdom" and will do things to upset the public. The reality is we have to live within the "revenue stream" or the paychecks will bounce. The public still owns the park today and any employee who wrongly deprives the public use of their facility should be the first to be let go, seniority or not.

My so went out with his 4 wheeler yesterday, had to use a shovel to get through drifts that were hip high. Lots of fish, too much snow. Best wait for the snow to melt this week.

I think the paople we have in Albany will shut down the Thruway first, they always seem to get things the wrong way.

Snow and slush problems are hampering travel, especially if you are pulling a hut.

Take care to remove the old panels, use them for patterns, allow for the rotted areas.

http://www.capeandislandscharters.com/bluefin_tuna.htm A good history of Bluefins here-Jim

The perch are suspended about 32 foot down. Oxygen depleted water below them. 32 foot is good, do not set up near anybody as then you all share the same fish. It is best to get away from everybody. The gangs af anglers near the convenient access points have cleaned out all the bigger perch so take a hike or ride away where there are no holes. You will know right away if your spot is good. A flasher will show fish 8 foot deep in the water column if you are on a good spot. If the fish are suspended raise your lures to tease them. There are miles of unfished water this year. I would suggest between the Bell Tower and Prendergast Hatchery for larger fish.

Bluefins go up to 900 pounds. Search Bluefin Tuna Charters MA Good pictures and an idea what you are getting into.

There are Brackets for outboards that drop the motor lower in the water you might use. The trick is to raise and tilt the motor clear of the bottom for high speed running. Then you have to hook up steering, throttle and shift control, starting and stopping. It is not good to hang over the transom to start and adjust the trolling motor.

Lake Erie is loaded with small smelt now, the Small Boat Harbor ice fishermen catch them three foot under the ice.

Use your search for Oregon Inlet,NC Tuna Fishing Next month it starts there, yellowfin tuna, 40 miles offshore in the steaming gulf stream. A party of six can bring home a ton of tuna a day. It is a short drive, good break from winter, bring your woman, they will be happy too.

Sunday with four of us, bluebird sky, northeast wind, we still ended up with 200 keepers. Fish were suspended @ 32 feet down, 8 feet thick schools. Pimple with eyes, mousies were best. Minnows worked when we went into 32 foot bottom on tipdowns with a split shot and gold hook.

My wife has a Corvette and she has not divorced me?

The State should take bids on private or other public agency operation of these parks.

Yesterday the lake was a zoo, everybody was there. Including the DEC Police. Licenses and bait receipts please and one guy walked off in cuffs. Tons of perch, 8 and a half to 10 inches, were taken. Parking lots were jammed. Tops has perch for sale, $16 a pound. Perch are gold now, not yellow.

We have a toll gate machine to collect $5 bills for entry at our RV Park. That would work and I do not care if they cut the grass.

Wilson boat ramps and Chautaqua Lake [Long Point] boat ramps also are on he list. I guess we are a target since they have our sales taxes and registration fees already.