Gator

Yup, it was a great day despite the waves and the waterspouts. I can't add much to Brian's report, as we did almost exactly the same thing, but finished just out of the money. Congratulations to the winners...the big fish was a hair over 32 lbs and the winning box was 107 lbs (yes, four fish for 107 pounds total weight)...and nobody's surprised whose boat it came off. That "X" on his back just got a bit bigger!! Thanks to all of the guys who helped organize the event and all of the businesses that contributed. Hats off to Rob, Mike, Scott and Keith!

And here I was hoping that we could play chicken in the fog! It doesn't matter what the weather is like, it's going to be a great time. Weather just adds another element to the equation...game on!

So says Captain Speedo Should be fun if we get the fog they're calling for!!

Yeah, Brian has it right. Throw on 5-7 ft of 20 lb test fluorocarbon leader with one on the super-small Spro swivels. You won't even notice the swivel, it's so small, and it winds through the guides easily. Voila, no twist. The only issue I've had is that the downrigger clip can rough up the line immediately above the swivel, since that's where you usually attach it, so you may have to cut a few feet off and retie occasionally. FF line seems to become abraded on its surface more easily than conventional lines?? Maybe to be expected with the larger diameter.

That sounds like a good starting point. I have two of them that came on my Lund; one stayed with it and the other went onto the big boat. The screen is a bit small and the resolution isn't fantastic, but it's a color unit and it has GPS. If I had to purchase them again, I'd think about paying $250-300, myself.

PM me for photos if you'd like, I don't have my phone on me. I'd rather sell the reels as a pair, but I sent you a pm, Dan.

I have these two Daiwa reels that are loaded with (I think) 400' and 500' of copper. They aren't level wind, they're saltwater style, though they were never used in saltwater. In fact, we haven't used them in a couple of years, but they were our "starter" copper reels and they are in great shape. Hopefully somebody on the board who wants to get into copper can put them to use. Warning: they are beasts...big reels and heavy when loaded with copper (only "reel" men need apply). I'm looking for $125 firm for the two of them, and I'd rather not split them apart. I live just South of Rochester, or we can hook up at Sandy Creek, where we'll be fishing the Shootout next weekend.

If Sandy holds true, the fishing will be great up until the start of the Fall Derby, then the bottom will fall out. Enjoy it while you can! I've been away on vacation, but I will be back at them this weekend, sans Keith who's in Utah on the Green River fly fishing til Sunday. It sucks when vacations and fishing trips interfere with the best king fishing of the year

Ah, come on Keith, I'm sure you miss the kids and the...well, the kids, anyway.

Well, the site is kinda named "Lake Ontario United"...not Erie Seriously, though, you could post under warm water species, or just throw a line in the section for the big pond. I'm sure guys would be interested in hearing about your results, but that's not really what the site's about. Even so, I seen this one guy they call Ray K., a legend in these parts, post pictures of lobsters, and there ain't none of them 'round here. As for "good 'ole boys", maybe not so much so. As Mickey-D's says, "billions and billions served". Have you seen the number of people that belong here? That a lot of good 'ole boys. And girls. I think that folks who post here a lot get possessive about the site and don't want to see it overly commercialized. My personal feeling is that there's not enough of an issue to make noise about. If there gets to be, then the idea about limiting classifieds to professional members makes some sense. As for a boat not getting much response, well...there's lots of boats out there and the sports who frequent this board are fairly knowledgeable on whole about watercraft. I'd have to guess that the boat was priced somewhat high. There's always a buyer, at the right price. Good luck moving your rig. I hope that you stay on board here and contribute, too. If so, welcome and tight lines.

Hey Ray, the mattress was only lightly used...just ask my wife. Ouch.

I'm in for one! Make mine Monkey Puke, please.

2-year old pristine Simmons Beautyrest Black Josephine extra-firm queen mattress and box spring. We bought this two years ago for $2300 at Raymour and Flanigan, but it's just too firm for us so we went to a latex mattress. I'd like to get $500 out of it. I know used mattresses can be dicey, but this one is perfect...and I'd rather pass on a great deal to an LOU member than some random Joe. We live in Rush outside Rochester for pick-up. Quickest way to get in touch is via e-mail [email protected]

Wow, that's a backhanded compliment, "I know that you'll put up a bigger one"...when you're talking lakers. Better hope that Yankee doesn't hear, he might be tempted

It's a tough situation. I know Steve saw one of his favorite places to fish get shut down because of disrespectful fishermen who ignored posted signs, and he's got a good point. If property is posted, then you need to get written permission to fish it. That's the route that I'd go, myself. However, it's a good bet that the company posted the land to restrict their liability in case of an accident, and perhaps they don't care if anyone fishes it. And my final thought: "Life is short, enjoy it" ??? I agree with the sentiment, but as a rationale for doing whatever you want? Buddy, no offense to you personally, but that kind of attitude causes more problems than it solves. I like the idea from panfisher on working to establish a partnership with the town.

Our Tekota 800 reels had almost no range from the day we got them, just like you say...two or three clicks, at most, was enough to go from too loose to too tight. I had Tuna Tom upgrade the drags on them during a reel overhaul this winter, but I haven't fished them yet. Keith might be able to answer whether this gave us better dynamics on the drag; I think he had them out with Scott this past weekend.

The Jake 45 Bloody Ghost Green Glow was great for summer browns last year. I think that the Jake 45 is probably as good a choice as the DW Super Slims if you want to target browns.

Personally, I like the short, stubby bass...but that's mainly due to the handsome guy holding him. No short, stubby jokes in reference to the guy, please

I'd be willing to go so far as to tell you exactly where we were. The smallie that you're looking at came off the head of LaMotte Isle and the largemouth were in Gander Bay tight to shore up in Mississquoi. However, I can't divulge where the bowfin came from...I'm trying to block the memory of those nasty things

Our trip to L. Champlain was successful, even though we had to buck the weather the first few days. In the midst of the wind and the rain, we found ample smallmouth on the shoals and near shore flats. Most of the fish were cookie cutters of a couple pounds, probably small males guarding the beds, but we did hang a few that were close to 4 lbs. Compared to previous trips the size was a bit off, but no complaints. As the week progressed, the weather became nicer and the smallmouth seemed to get harder to target. So we fished the skinny water for largemouth...and they were there in wolf-packs. All I can say is Wow. One of the highlights of the trip was the 40 or so fish that we took out of an area the size of my front porch over the span of 30 minutes. Every time the lure hit the water, a fish inhaled it. In fact, I had two doubles where separate fish hit the same bait. The other really memorable bites that we got into were an evening of top water on a deep flat where the biggest fish were coming out over 25 fow. They'd rocket up and miss the plug the first time, but they were aggressive and would usually return. There was also the early morning after a massive Green Drake hatch where the fish were boiling the surface just outside camp. They were feeding on flies, but they hit the Chug Bug just as well. Crazy fast bite. Here's a few pictures off my phone of Steve and Bill with fish; you can see Steve fighting a fish in the background of the last picture...this is the spot where we found the horde.

There were four plans on the table a few years ago, untold $$ was spent discussing the pros and cons of each of them, and the plan that was eventually enacted provided for a 10-year rotation (I believe) of differing water heights designed to provide both low and high water periods, hence balancing benefits and costs for all involved. Now, here we are less than 10-years after the plan was adopted, not even a full cycle into it, and they want to change things yet again? It seems to me that there must be some reoccurring agenda that prevents the commission from sticking to its original plan. I've always said that if you want to know the truth of something, follow the money. And why change anything, if it wouldn't amount to much of a difference (ie, 2" in Spring and Fall). I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories, but there would seem to me to be some factor besides strictly environmental benefits that motivates these changes.

I think that a recent issue of New York Outdoor News had an article on sportsman's apps. I personally second Navionics, at least for ice-fishing.

Thanks. I saw your pictures of the bass you caught on jig. Nice!

We're headed to Alburg to fish bass and pike the week of June 2-9 and I'm trying to get a sense of what's going on up there. I have no idea where the smallmouth or largemouth are in the spawning cycle, though I'd bet with the crazy warmth we're going to have to fish post-spawn fish and go into search mode. What a wacky year. If anyone has fished up North on L. Champlain recently and has some guidance, I'd sure appreciate it. Please feel free to pm me if you'd like. Thanks! Gator