Finders Keepers

Lots of updates and info being posted on Facebook tonight for the Winter Classic statewide event starting tomorrow! New weekly prizes, new sponsors, and much more!! Follow along here: https://www.facebook.com/NYSWinterClassic/

Due to warmer temps continuing beyond next week, we have made the decision to postpone the IPA Chaumont Bay and Sodus Bay events to their alternative dates: Chaumont Bay Team-Only Event: January 30th Sodus Bay Full IPA Event: February 20 & 21 (Capt. mtg Feb. 19) All current registrations will be forwarded to the new dates. Stay current with the latest information at: www.NYSiceproam.com The Winter Classic is still ready to begin on the 1st since all open waters, rivers, tribs, etc. are fair game as anglers take to their boats and fish from shore/piers. Tomorrow (Dec. 31st) is the last day to get in for the Frabill Bunker 250 Thermal Shelter drawing!! www.NYSwinterclassic.com

Due to warmer temps continuing beyond next week, we have made the decision to postpone the IPA Chaumont Bay and Sodus Bay events to their alternative dates: Chaumont Bay Team-Only Event: January 30th Sodus Bay Full IPA Event: February 20 & 21 (Capt. mtg Feb. 19) All current registrations will be forwarded to the new dates. Stay current with the latest information at: www.NYSiceproam.com

New sponsors include Tom Allen, Atommik, and Mad River Sports!! Details to come!!

Won't matter up until 250, after which we will have a running total # of anglers, at 500 the prize grid increases to 5 places paid in each category. Currently it lists "<250", and the Lunker Pool is currently up to $230.

The call to postpone the first two IPA events will be made on or around Jan. 1st. Stay tuned to the tournament website and Facebook pages for the latest tournament information! www.NYSiceproam.com https://www.facebook.com/NYSiceproam/

Here is the run down on the prize pool in addition to the general cash payout and Lunker Pool Awards: Every week the largest fish of each category weighed in will receive one of the following: *$25 Automatic Fisherman Cash Award *$50 Deep Freeze Cash Award *Automatic Fisherman Kit *Cold Snap Cover & Gift Cert. *$25 ADDYA Gift Cert. & HT Combo *Bite Buddy & Hardwater Custom Rod *Dry Hands Minnow Bucket & Steve Neilson Print The largest fish entered each month will receive a Frabill Bunker 250 Hub Shelter The overall largest steelhead entered will receive a $1000 Signed Steve Nielson Stainless Steal Replica Mount The overall largest fish entered by a female angler will receive an HT Polar Fire Suit One of the Lunker Pool winners will be drawn for an additional $500 bonus award In addition, most of the 39 weigh-in stations are offering door prizes, giveaways and/or packages valued up to $250!! Stop in and support your local weigh-in station to register or register online at:www.NYSwinterclassic.com The tourney kicks-off January 1st and runs non-stop for 59 days through Feb 28th! Register by Jan. 1st to get entered to win a Frabill Bunker 250 Shelter! REGISTER TODAY!!

Winter Classic Giveaway **Win a new 2015 Frabill Bunker 250 Hub Shelter** To get entered into the drawing simply do the following: Register before Jan. 1st!! All those who are already registered will also be included in the drawing! We will draw the winning angler on January 1st at the start of the event. The shelter will be mailed (or delivered) to the winner depending on their location. Thank you in advance for all those participating in this year's NYS Winter Classic Tournament - let's make this tournament the largest in the NE this winter season!!

Here is the run down on the prize pool in addition to the general cash payout and Lunker Pool Awards: Every week the largest fish of each category weighed in will receive one of the following: *$25 Automatic Fisherman Cash Award *$50 Deep Freeze Cash Award *Automatic Fisherman Kit *Cold Snap Cover & Gift Cert. *$25 ADDYA Gift Cert. & HT Combo *Bite Buddy & Hardwater Custom Rod *Dry Hands Minnow Bucket & Steve Neilson Print The largest fish entered each month will receive a Frabill Bunker 250 Hub Shelter The overall largest steelhead entered will receive a $1000 Signed Steve Nielson Stainless Steal Replica Mount The overall largest fish entered by a female angler will receive an HT Polar Fire Suit One of the Lunker Pool winners will be drawn for an additional $500 bonus award In addition, most of the 39 weigh-in stations are offering door prizes, giveaways and/or packages valued up to $250!! Stop in and support your local weigh-in station to register or register online at: www.NYSwinterclassic.com The tourney kicks-off January 1st and runs non-stop for 59 days through Feb 28th! REGISTER TODAY!!

Many new sponsors have added to our line-up this year! Get all the details this weekend on our Facebook page and website!! If the winter stays warm, the IPA Series events may get canceled but the Winter Classic will go on as planned since anglers can fish the open water, rivers, tribs, etc. in addition to any safe ice that may form!!

1st Facebook Winter Classic Giveaway **Win a new 2015 Frabill Bunker 250 Shelter when we reach 2,000 Likes!** To get entered into the drawing simply do the following: 1) Like this post. 2) Like The Winter Classic FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/NYSWinterClassic/ 3) If you live in NY – must reply to the Winter Classic FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/904600812941351/ 4) Share this post. Get additional entries for every time you share this post with a different person or group. One name will be randomly selected from all verified entries to win one New Frabill Bunker 250 Shelter when we reach 2,000 Likes on our main tournament FB page. The winner will be announced on the main Tournament FB page. The shelter will be mailed (or delivered) to the winner depending on their location. Thank you in advance for helping spread word of the NYS Winter Classic Tournament - let's make this tournament the largest in the NE this winter season!!

If you didn't hear about this event last year, you likely will this year! This is a statewide, 2 month long tournament running from Jan. 1st through Feb. 28th that includes all legal waterways in NYS (open water, ice, tributaries, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.) and features 7 categories of fish: Trout (lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, rainbow trout), Northern Pike, Walleye, Pickerel, Crappie, Perch, and Panfish (sunfish, bluegill). Each category will pay down up to 20 places with 100% cash payout. This year's event will also feature weekly prizes for the largest fish entered in each category, monthly prizes for the overall largest fish entered that month, and an overall largest steelhead award of a metal replica mount from artist Steve Neilson. Registration is only $25/angler and can be completed online off the website or at most of our weigh-in stations starting November 15th. We now have 39 weigh-in stations across the state and will continue to add stations as time progresses. Follow our website and Facebook pages for all the updates and announcements coming this month covering all the sponsors, prizes, and giveaways!! Winter Classic Giveaway **Win a new 2015 Frabill Bunker 250 Shelter!** All those who enter the tournament before January 1st are entered into the drawing! The winner will be announced on the main Tournament FB page. The shelter will be mailed (or delivered) to the winner depending on their location. Thank you in advance for helping spread word of the NYS Winter Classic Tournament - let's make this tournament the largest in the NE this winter season!! ~ Get in it to win it this winter season!! ~

This year's statewide Winter Classic Tournament is going to be awesome!! We are adding many new prizes to win and more weigh-in stations to bring fish in to!! This will be NY's largest tournament - only $25 to get in for 2 months of tournament fishing action!! www.NYSwinterclassic.com

Only 8 days left to get in on the Early Bird Registration and promo drawings!! Tons of HUGE news to come for the statewide Winter Classic Tournament - announcements coming in November!! This is looking to be a very sizable event this year!!

Observers are actually pretty easy to coordinate - each team has to provide one to swap with another team. The swap is randomly done at a captains meeting the night before. We currently do it for all the major salmon/trout events on Lake Ontario (pro-am's, invitationals, OOO, etc.). And I agree, big money/stakes events need to have observers otherwise you open the event to teams holding fish (even if checked prior to shotgun start, they could have them staged on stringers), swapping fish with other teams/boats, etc. With observers you could also make it a no-communication event.

J-plugs and bright boards with flies (Rrred echip with Hypnotist fly) has been the trick for us this time of year. And no planer boards - you're asking for a lot of trouble if you run them!! We typically run 2 riggers/4 wires unless under 60 fow, then we run 2 riggers/2 wires/shoot line.

The IPA Invitational Tournament invitations are hitting the mail this week to those who fished the event last year. If you did not fish the event and would like to get our waiting list, please PM me your name, team name, and contact phone number. If a prior team declines their spot, we will start sending invites to those on the waiting list on a first come first ask basis. For more information on the Invitational event, please visit the following website: http://www.nysiceproam.com/TeamInvitational.html