Finders Keepers

**Pre-Tourney Update** Tonight we would like to announce another amazing sponsor that has supported us since the beginning: Aqua-Vu This year they have sent 3 systems (valued at over $1,000) for us to include in our giveaways including two Revolution 5.0 systems and the brand new AV722 that was added to their line-up this spring!! We will be including this system in our Early Bird Drawings to be held LIVE on the Tourney Facebook page on Thursday June 30th at 7pm! The AV722 retails for $399.99 and can be seen at: Aqua-Vu-AV722 To be eligible for the Early Bird Drawings, you must be registered by June 30th at Noon - register online at: NYSsummerclassic.com The other two Rev. 5.0 units will be given away in random drawings from the youth who enter fish each month (one for July, one for August)! Get those youth anglers out and engaged!! Fish entered by youth in all 14 species categories gain entrees, including the Lake Ontario Boat Event! Stay tuned for more sponsor announcements each night as we approach the start of the Summer Classic on July 1st!! Join the Classic and have fun fishing this summer!

Sponsor announcements on Facebook started tonight and will be posted every night through June: NYS Summer Classic Facebook Tonight's featured sponsor is: Batavia Downs Casino As our headlining sponsor again this year, they have put $1,250 of funding into the summer events, plus additional free play for the awards ceremony, discounted rooms for those staying at the casino after the awards, room space for the awards (and possible sportsman show), and advertising totaling over $7,000! If you get a chance this summer check out their live shows, horse cart races, gambling floor, and amazing facility! Register for the Summer Classic at: NYSsummerclassic.com or fishdonkey.com Tomorrow night we will announce another sponsor including one of our early bird drawing prizes - stay tuned!

Since the 1970's the ESLO, and now the LOC events have been the premier largescale events for Lake Ontario. We're all familiar with the format and how they operate each season. Until now there has not been another event with the potential to become bigger or offer a larger payout to the anglers. Here is a layout of some facts about the LOC events in a side-by-side comparison with the NYS Summer Classic with its new format and all it has to offer: 2022 NYS Summer Classic vs. 2022 LOC Derby Events (Large & Small Species Events) (Spring, Summer, & Fall Events) *Catch & Release Offered (optional). *Catch & Kill Events. *Anglers can place in multiple species *Anglers cannot place in more than one divisions. species division. *Guaranteed Fixed 85% Uncapped *Guaranteed Fixed Payout & Reducing Payouts over 750 anglers: (As more Percentage: (As more anglers enter, the anglers enter more is paid out)(total same amount is paid out)(total anglers anglers over all events) over all events) 5,000 anglers = $93,500 (85% Payout) 5,000 anglers = $150,125 (75% Payout) 10,000 anglers = $187,000 (85% Payout) 10,000 anglers = $150,125 (43% Payout) 20,000 anglers = $374,000 (85% Payout) 20,000 anglers = $150,125 (20-% Payout) 50,000 anglers = $935,000 (85% Payout) 50,000 anglers = $150.125 (8% Payout) *Typical Payout Percentage per event is *Typical Payout Percentages: 80-85% plus $5-10,000+ in sponsored Spring Derby (~7500 anglers) = 20% goods. (angler count publicly displayed) Summer Derby (~5,000 anglers) = 18% Fall Derby (~10,000 anglers) = 18% Plus little to no sponsor goods/backing. (angler count according to WNY promotions personnel, not publicly displayed) *Very strong sponsor backing (12+ *Little to no sponsor backing. companies) for $5-10K+ in additional cash & prizes. *Charter friendly with boat entry option. *Not charter friendly, all clients required to enter. *Youth encouraged to participate - youth *Not youth angler friendly - youth under 12 cannot of any age can compete and place compete. alongside the adults. *Anglers can compete solo. *Anglers cannot compete solo. *All anglers in a boat do not have to be *All anglers in the boat have to be entered. entered. *Solid online platform that eliminates most *Non-court compliant polygraphs used frequently foul play opportunities – polygraphs rarely with a scale-based event design that allows for used or necessary. foul play opportunities. *Photograph, video, and GPS encryption *Fish entry at a designated weigh-in station any for fish entry on the angler's cell phone time on the day of the catch during shop hours at the time of the catch for verification. with no other verification. *Allows for 24/7 fishing. *Must stop fishing to weigh-in and anglers are restricted to weigh-in hours. *No additional travel necessary. *Additional travel required to enter fish. *Proceeds at higher entry levels go back *All proceeds benefit the LOC. into the fishery for stocking, pen rearing efforts, youth events, etc. *Angler input drives event evolution and *Angler input is not taken into consideration / event improvement. remains unchanged. *Protocols exist in the rules to assist *No protocols exist to assist anglers. anglers. *Includes overall and sometimes monthly *Includes daily or weekly awards and overall awards. and/or weekly awards. *No minimum fish sizes - weekly/monthly *Fish minimum sizes - daily/weekly awards not awards always issued. always awarded. *14 species divisions with 10 placements *4 species divisions with 20 placements = 80 placement plus a Lake Ontario Boat event = 145 winners. placement winners. *Full transparency: # of competing anglers, *Little to no transparency: angler count never given, no full financial breakdown of payouts and financials given, no sponsor relations, etc. sponsored goods, all questions answered, angler feedback encouraged, etc. *No Favoritism - Rules & regulations applied *Rules allow for certain anglers/situations to have them equally to all anglers. applied differently. (i.e. polygraph requirement) *$25/angler/event registration. *$40/angler/event registration. *Highly visible across all media platforms. *Somewhat visible on few media platforms. *Awards ceremony at casino required for *Awards ceremony at Capt. Jack's required for all Top-3 all top-3 anglers, awards banquet, and anglers, no banquet, no sportsman show, no perks. coupled with the Fall Classic Sportsman Show, plus casino free play. *Premium multi-tier trophies. *Cup trophies or wooden plaques. *Large giveaway of new gear to all youth *No additional giveaways. who attend awards ceremony. *Live online leaderboard with new leader *Online leaderboard updated daily. notification to all participants. *Fish are not required at the awards *Fish must be kept and brought to the awards ceremony. ceremony and do not need to be kept. *Early bird entry giveaways, and online *No early bird giveaways, no live shows to ask questions. live shows leading up to the event for angler questions/inquiries. *Lower overhead costs = higher payouts. *More overhead costs = same payout. Everything stated here is factual and not opinion based. Both are great events, offer a ton of cash to be won, and each will suit anglers differently. However, the Summer Classic has the potential to offer the largest payout of any event run on Lake Ontario since it has no cap and maintains an 85% payout percentage. Again, there is a reason more and more events are making the switch to this type of format (online by length) - look at the comparison above and you decide. I encourage all anglers to enter one or both events and have fun this summer as we all enjoy the amazing fishery Lake Ontario has to offer!! Register before June 30th to be entered into the early bird registration drawings including a new Aqua-Vu camera system just released this spring! Registration and more information for the NYS Summer Classic can be found at: NYS Summer Classic You can also follow the latest promotions and news for the event on Facebook at: NYS Summer Classic Any questions can be sent to me via PM or give me call direct at: (585) 330-0494. Stay tuned for sponsor announcements, promotions, and other ways to win!! Tight lines and best of luck this summer!!

Are you in the largest salmon event in the Great Lakes yet? The more boats in, the higher the payouts, crystalline trophies, and the more chances to win - monthly, weekly, and even daily cash awards are possible at higher attendance levels! The first fish for the 2022 Great Lakes Salmon Showdown Tournaments have hit the boards! This event registers your boat into the event so that everyone who fishes aboard it all season long are IN THE EVENT WITH YOU! Every fish caught, no matter who catches it, is fair game for this event! Youth anglers OF ALL AGES are encouraged to participate! It started on May 1st and will run all season long through September with teams/boats upsizing their largest fish throughout the event. Join today for $125/Am Division, $250/Pro Division. This event is the only event open to all of the Great Lakes both USA and Canadian sides! Join the fun this season and let's see who can put together the largest 5-fish boxes! New teams must register the day before they wish to start entering fish. (NOTE: winning boats/teams do not have to attend an awards ceremony, all cash awards will be mailed after the conclusion of the event.) Register today at: https://www.glssevents.com/ For those who like convenience and tourney events, join the 2022 NYS Summer Classic Lake Ontario Boat Event and the NYS Summer Classic Large Species Event, and your fish can be entered into all three events with one set of pics - SO EASY!! Best of all, every fish entered can be released after entry! Join in the fun this season!!

The 2022 Great Lakes Salmon Showdown Events kicked off this week and will run through the end of September. Keeping charter boats in mind, these events were created to offer the first tournament event involving all of the Great lakes, for both the USA and Canada, and allow charter boats to get involved without the need to have all of their clients agree to register. Registration is done via boat, rather than by angler. Any fish caught on the registered boat, no matter who catches it, is eligible for entry. That means friends, family, charter clients, or anyone else can help add to the boat's running total. In essence for charter boats, all of your clients are automatically entered, and they love helping you score higher and seeing their picture in your entry that they can show to others! Placement is by the boat's Top-5 largest salmon throughout the season by length - these can be upsized all season long! As part of the Next Gen Tournaments, these events also offer the following benefits: *All fish can be released after entry (angler's choice). *All fish are entered using the Fish Donkey App. with a bump board or other approved measuring device, and is super quick and easy. *All entered fish include photo/video evidence including time/date/GPS encryption. *Fish can be easily entered into multiple events at the same time on the Fish Donkey App (including the NYS Summer Classic Lake Ontario Boat Event and Salmon Division, FK Corporate Challenge Events, etc.). *Protocols are in place for boats fishing non-communication events, and for boats without a bump board. *Anglers can fish 24/7 without the need to stop early or have to make a weigh-in time. *No extra travel necessary to enter fish. *Leaderboards update in real-time as fish are entered and notify all anglers when a new leader is entered. *App works even when out of cell coverage. *Youth anglers are encouraged to join. *100% transparency. There are two divisional options for entry: Am Division = $125/boat Pro Division = $250/boat Cash payouts start at 80% and go up as more boats enter, plus once there are 6 or more boats in a division a crystal trophy award will be included for the top-placing team. Current supporting sponsors include: Plano, Frabill, Okuma, Addicted Fishing, Koyote Ugly Spoons, FishUSA, Reel Cool Lures, Fillet Away Fish Mats, Fish Donkey, Batavia Downs, and Lake Ontario United. To get all the details, see past years' results, and enter, visit: GLSSevents.com Lake Ontario has dominated the boards the past couple years, we'll see if the upper Great Lakes can make a run for the title this year! Drop me a PM with any questions. Good luck and tight lines to everyone competing in the events this year!

Both, lots of eggs and packed with all sorts of forage (minnows, sculpin, snails, crayfish, mussels, bugs, etc.). Between the time I caught it and got it weighed for the state the following day it had coughed up almost a 1/2 lb of stuff!

They fight quite hard, especially when using ultra-light rods and 6 lb test line! It can be a lot of work to find them and get them to bite, but so rewarding when it all comes together! Time to hunt down the next state record...

PM sent with details.

They are still packed with eggs. Time to pull a couple for mounts, let the other females go for reproduction and keep males for fillets...

1/2 oz jig tipped with a plastic. Gotta try to mimic the baitfish/crayfish they are feeding on. Changes daily.

It's not a website, follow the link above to Facebook. The Storm Tracker Team is a volunteer group that offers these services for free to the public and is based on our passion and expertise for the weather.

Had one of those magical days on Seneca Lake yesterday, not in numbers of fish, but size was up for sure pulling 4 yellow perch over 2.5 lbs! The largest measured 15.75" and 3.2 lbs on the very old boat scale when caught, 2.85 lbs once we got home and it was put on a set of certified scales - difference could be from it emptying its stomach on the way home. My new PB none the less!! She'll be headed to our local taxidermist today to join some others from last year.

Here is the NWS definition for winds necessitating a Small Craft when the waves are not (like with a south wind): Small Craft Advisory for Winds (SCAW) - An advisory for wave heights lower than small craft advisory criteria, yet wind speeds are potentially hazardous. Thresholds governing the issuance of small craft advisories are specific to geographic areas. * Eastern (ME..SC, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) - Sustained winds ranging between 25 and 33 knots. Yesterday's NWS forecast: Showers SSW 19kt 1ft High: 53 °F Water: 37 °F Not even a mention of wind gusts - that is the whole story. I'm a meteorologist by trade, I am an experienced mariner, and I know when poor forecasts are being made. This is often the case for our area as the marine forecasts are "not very high on our priority list since it effects very few people compared to our other forecasting products" as stated by one of the senior NWS forecasters I spoke with at a presentation they gave several years ago. They also will rarely if ever take one down early once issued even if the conditions no longer warrant the advisory. I'm just offering a far better place for anglers to get their marine forecast from that is much more accurate and updated more often. If you like the NWS, go ahead and keep being disappointed...

We've all seen it over and over again when the NWS in Buffalo issues a Small Craft Advisory when the lake is beautiful for fishing. Today is a great example: south winds, nearshore wave forecast of 1 ft or less, and they have a small craft issued until 8pm tonight. If you would like to get more reasonable wave forecasts with much better accuracy, tune in to the Storm Trackers Team NY on Facebook who not only forecast for, monitor, and track severe weather across CNY including Lake Ontario, but also issue wave forecasts for Lake Ontario from Rochester to Oswego. Easy to read graphics, real-time weather tracking and alerting, and text notifications you can sign up for are some of the benefits of the service they provide. Check them out at: Storm Tracker Team NY

I have started a new set of next generation tournament events run on the Fish Donkey App platform that are nationwide and only for yellow perch, called the USA Perch Showdown Events. There will be a spring event and a fall event. The Spring event will run from March 1 through April 16th at Noon with a $25/angler entry. The cash payout is based on number of entrees and sponsor prizes will be added in when available - this year the first place beyond the cash payout will receive an Amped Outdoors Lithium Ion Battery. Get all the details and register at: USA Spring Perch Showdown

The statewide 2025 NYS Summer Classic Tournament will once again feature 3 events in one: All-In-One Large Species Event ($25/angler entry)(Salmon, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Steelhead/Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Northern Pike/Tiger Musky, and Sheepshead) All-In-One Small Species Event ($25/angler entry)(LMB, SMB, Rock Bass, Crappie, Yellow Perch, Panfish (sunfish & bluegill), and Catfish. Lake Ontario Boat Event ($125/boat entry)(Top-5 biggest salmon or trout combined) (NOTE: anglers entered in the All-In-One Large Species Event and the LO Boat Event can enter the same fish into both events) Run on the Fish Donkey App, fish are entered by length rounded down to the nearest 1/4". This next generation tournament event features real-time fish entry with LIVE leaderboards, C&R option for all fish entered (angler's choice), huge sponsor backing, and concludes with a formal awards ceremony and sportsman show (when available) at the Batavia Downs Casino Resort. The cash payout is guaranteed at 80+% based on number of anglers/boats entered plus sponsor funding and prizes. Get all the details, registration info, and latest sponsor information at: NYS Summer Classic

This is the only salmon event that includes all of the Great Lakes (USA and Canada) in a unified competition for salmon! The event is entered by boat, with all salmon being caught on the registered boat being eligible for entry no matter who catches it (captain, mates, charter clients, friends, family, etc.). Placement is based on your Top-5 fish combined length, with each rounded down to the nearest 1/2". Boats upsize their total all season long using the Fish Donkey App allowing for real-time leaderboards, C&R option for all fish (angler's choice), and a whole lot of fun!! There are two levels of play (amateur for $125 and pro for $250), with an 80+% payout (based on number of entrees) plus sponsored prizes and crystal awards for the winners. Get the full scope of the events plus all the rules & regulations at: glssevents.com

Another amazing event in the books! Just under 400 fish entered, over 500 participants from all across the Northeast USA, and after the awards ceremony on March 19th at the Batavia Downs Casino Resort we will have given away over $30,000 in cash and prizes! Can't wait to see which two of our youth anglers walk away with Lifetime NYS Fishing Licenses and who wins the Aqua-Vu HD7i Pro camera system! See all the results at: Leaderboard Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors, including LOU!! We hope to see just as many anglers getting into the upcoming 2022 NYS Summer Classic! Best of luck to everyone in the open water season and we'll see you all next ice season!!

**Tourney Update** The 2022 NYS Winter Classic is off to an amazing start this year! We have over 520 anglers competing this year making the current cash payouts for all 7 species divisions: 1st Place = $545 2nd Place = $295 3rd Place = $195 PLUS Weekly Cash Awards = $41/species/week PLUS Shoreline B&T Bass Cash Awards ($150/$100/$50) PLUS the Grantley's B&T Youth Lifetime Fishing License Award PLUS the Climbing Bines Youth Lifetime Fishing License Award PLUS 14 Youth Angler Achievement Awards PLUS a ton of prizes and giveaways to offload at the awards ceremony March 19th at Batavia Downs! Anglers can register at any time for only $25 but must do so the day before they wish to start entering fish - register at: NYS Winter Classic Registration There is still over 4 weeks of tourney action left - gotta be in it to win it!! Best of luck and tight lines!

Last call for getting in for the Kick-Off Door Prize Drawings TONIGHT AT 7PM - anglers must be registered by NOON FRI DEC. 31ST to be eligible. Anglers will still be able to register later but will need to register the day before they wish to start entering fish! Pictured are the trophies for the Top-3 anglers in each of the 7 main species divisions. Youth Angler Achievement Award Trophies are still TBA. NOTE: We've made some additions to the NYS Winter Classic in the FishDonkey app. You will need to refresh your app. Here's how: Go to the app home screen and place your finger about 1/3 of the way down the page. Drag your finger to the bottom of the screen. You will see a roving circle. That's it! If you can see the Bass Division Leaderboard you are all set! We would also like to give a huge shout out to all of the sponsoring companies for this year's event: Batavia Downs, Aqua-Vu, Kahtoola, Climbing Bines Craft Ale Co., Shoreline B&T, Automatic Fisherman, Hammer Built Homes, Fish Hounds Outdoors, The Glow Tub, Fish Donkey, Grantley's B&T, Ontario Seafood, FishUSA, hagemann's B&T, Amped Outdoors, Reel Cool Lures, Soco Baits, Walleye Freak, Sportsman's Warehouse, TJ Morgan's Seasonings, NE Bait Supply, Rocky Mt. Custom Jigs, Fillet Away Fish Mats, Treat Taxidermy, Makiplastic, Addicted Fishing, Coldwater Customz, Tim's Herks, Jiffy Ice Drills, Frabill, Plano, Deep Freeze, Vital Signs & Design, Hirsch Taxidermy, Koyote Ugly Spoons, Sullivan Tip Down, Celox, Nautic Sport, Green Mt. Sporting Supplies, Ice Strong, BHammer Tackle, Adirondack Fishing Junkies, Ice Fishing Tournament Guide, Nebulus, Factory Direct Trailers, NY Outdoor Talk, Savage Gear, Lake Ontario United, Ice Fishing Fanatics, Filer's Power Sports, and Ice Fishing 247. Best of luck to everyone in tonight's drawings and tight lines to all for the next two months of tourney action!!

A few updates/announcements as mentioned on the Tourney Facebook Page: New this year: *Shoreline B&T Cash awards for the Top-3 Bass ($150 / $100 / $50) *Grantley's B&T Youth Lifetime Fishing License Award *Climbing Bines Youth Lifetime Fishing License Award *14 Youth Angler Achievement Awards (7 male, 7 female) *Premier trophies for all Top-3 anglers *New 2022 Sponsors: Climbing Bines Craft Ale Co., Walleye Freak, Grantley's Bait & Tackle, Ontario Seafood, The Glow Tub, Hagemann's Bait & Tackle, Coldwater Customz, TJ Morgan's Seasoning, Sportsman's Warehouse, Shoreline Bait & Tackle, NE Bait Supply, and Amped Outdoors *4" and 6" tourney decals now available at Grantley's B&T Today we received the Aqua-Vu camera systems to give away in this year's event, including an HD7i Pro system valued at $850! Just a reminder, for any youth registered in the event this year, they will need to have the word "YOUTH" after their registered name to be identified as a youth angler and be eligible for the NYS Lifetime Fishing License Awards. With so many new sponsors coming onboard over the last couple weeks, we will be making a new flier for the 2022 event - stay tuned for the new design and downloadable file! It's not too late if you have a company willing to sponsor the event (or if you know of a company that could benefit from statewide exposure), get them in touch with us now to discuss sponsorship details and get them listed! Register before December 31st at noon to be eligible for the $1,800+ in door prize drawings including at least one Aqua-Vu camera system!