Finders Keepers

Today we would like to highlight another long-time supporter/sponsor of the Classic Events: BHammer Tackle Brian Hammond creates some of the most well-known and used walleye worm harnesses for Oneida Lake (and other waterways). Living on Oneida Lake, Brian knows those waters well and what will produce. We'll have a pile of his harnesses and some apparel to give away this year! Check out his shop and get more info at: https://www.bhammertackle.com/ Just a reminder, get entered into the Summer Classic by June 30th at noon and for each event you register for you will gain one entry into the Early Bird Giveaway Drawings that we will do during our LIVE show on June 30th to kick-off the start of the tourney on July 1st!! Here's a rundown of the giveaways so far: (1) Aqua-vu AV722 Camera System (1) $25 FishUSA Gift Card (1) Plano Edge or Flex Box (Angler's Choice of box from our stock) (1) 4-Pack of Koyote Ugly Flashers Today let's add a 48" Frabill Benchmark Aluminum Bump Board to the list of giveaways! Are you in yet??

Tonight we would like to highlight yet another long-time supporter/sponsor of our events: Clingerman Taxidermy As one of the best taxidermists in CNY, Randy continues to produce amazing pieces for anglers and hunters alike! Both foreign and domestic species, his work is absolutely beautiful and captures the colors and details at the time of the score to be remembered forever! If you have a piece you'd like done, drop Randy a line! Only 8 days until the start of the 2022 Summer Classic - are you in yet?? Tomorrow we drop another sponsor onto the list!!

Tonight we would like to highlight another long-time sponsor of the Classic Events: Addicted Fishing From the west coast the Addicted brand rings true with fishing enthusiasts across the globe and is fueled with educating others in the sport. They also sport an amazing line of fishing tackle and apparel. You can find them online via their website, YouTube channels, social media sites, etc.: https://addicted.fishing/ https://www.youtube.com/c/AddictedFishing https://www.facebook.com/AddictedFishingOfficial/ They continue to support our events with apparel and other tackle items. We also have some amazing things planned for the summer ahead with the Addicted crew - stay tuned!!

Tonight we would like to highlight a sponsoring company that continues to grow every season, and who has been a sponsor of the Classic events since their start-up: Reel Cool Lures Operated by two reel cool kids, their worm harnesses and spoons are top-notch and best of all, they catch fish!! We'll have several packages to give away this year and you'll likely be able to see them at the Summer Classic Awards Ceremony! You can find selections in many local shops or check them out online at: https://reelcoollures.com/ Many more sponsors to come - we're not even halfway through them!! Only 10 days left until the Summer Classic kicks off on July 1st - are you in yet??

Tonight we would like to highlight another long-time supporter and sponsor of the Classic Events: Koyote Ugly Spoons Innovator of true-UV paints and a flasher design that crosses the roll of a Spin Doc and the kick of the echip for a very effective action on your lures, Koyote Ugly Spoons has allocated another round of spoons and flashers for this year's Summer Classic valued at over $350! To start, how about a pack of 4 flashers for the Early Bird drawings! Register before June 30th to get in on the Early Bird drawings: NYSsummerclassic.com

Tonight we would like to highlight another sponsor that has been with us since the beginning: Frabill Known for ice fishing gear and landing nets, Frabill continues to produce some of the best nets on the market! This year we have over $800 in nets to give away from their new Ultra-Light Conservation Series nets for the smaller species and all-time favorite Power Catch Series for the larger species! Tomorrow night we will highlight yet another sponsor for this year's event!!

Tonight we would like to highlight yet another long-time sponsor of the Classic events since the very beginning: Plano Fishing Plano is the largest producer and supplier of tackle solutions worldwide, and innovator for the new Edge and Flex boxes offering both rust inhibition, customizable compartments, and convenient labeling. We will have a number of these boxes to give away this year including one for the Early Bird Giveaways - it will be Angler's Choice from a selection of these award winning boxes! To recap the Early Bird Giveaways announced so far: (1) Aqua-vu AV722 Camera System (1) $25 FishUSA Gift Card (1) Plano Edge or Flex Box (Angler's Choice of box) Too be eligible simply register for any of the three Summer Classic events (one EB Entry per event entry) by June 30th, then tune-in for the LIVE show June 30th at 7pm for the drawings! So Easy!! Sign-up today at: NYSsummerclassic.com Stay tuned as we continue to announce this year's sponsor line-up every day through June leading up to the start of the event on July 1st!! Join in the fun this summer!

Jason Barra and Team It'll Do is off to a great start in the Am Division with a leading total length of 160.25" and this beautiful spring king! Keep in mind for these events ANY fish caught on the registered boat from May 1st through the end of September is eligible for entry no matter who catches it! The more boats entered the more active the LIVE leaderboard becomes and the higher the payouts! Who's going to score the crystal trophy this year?? Gotta get in it to win it!!

Tonight we would like to highlight another long-standing sponsor of the Classic events: FishUSA FishUSA is a fantastic online retailer of everything fishing! This year we have $325 in gift cards to give away in the event, starting with one $25 card in the Early Bird drawings to be held on June 30th at 7pm LIVE on the Summer Classic Facebook page: NYS Summer Classic Facebook To be eligible for the Early Bird Giveaways, simply sign-up for any of the Summer Classic events for an entry: Large Species Event, Small Species Event, or Lake Ontario Boat Event. Registration can be found at: NYSsummerclassic.com Stay tuned for tomorrow's sponsor highlight as we work our way towards the start of the Summer Classic on July 1st! Enter today and join in the fun this summer!!

**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