Gator

Everyone came out of their offices at the University of Rochester Medical Center to see whether anyone else had felt the building shaking. At first we couldn't figure out if it was an earthquake or just construction...

ATT and an iPhone4 seem to work great out of Sandy. For some reason though, I couldn't get radar on my phone just as the thunderstorm was pushing in on Sunday

Not trying to start a war or anything but...it's funny how, when the Oak tournament was closed to the Sandy guys, the Sandy guys started their own tournament, and now that the Oak tournament is open to any port, the Sandy guys don't want in. Could be that lots of guys from Sandy just didn't realize that the organizers had backpedaled and that they were welcome this year. Could be that most of the small boats have already spent their "tournament $$$" this year fishing the Shootout. Or there could be some lingering bad feelings...which calling guys out isn't going to help. The reference to kahunas is personally offensive to me because it hits so close to home, having just visited "Dr. Snip" Thank God the lake was flat this weekend Seriously though, I applaud anyone who organizes one of these small tournaments. And whatever rules the organizers want to implement, that's the rules that the participants have to play by. There's enough of these things now that we all have a chance to compete in one or two. Tell you what, how about we all focus on the positives, have a good time, and fish!!

I hear that Scott likes to play amongst the lightning bolts I'm giving it another couple hours.

Ah, yes indeed I did misread it...failure to sign results in automatic passage of a bill if legislature is in session, and automatic veto if legislature is not in session. Only in NY Can you blame me for guessing that there's some ulterior motive in letting this bill waste away? We are, after all, in the land of complete transparency and disclosure

Does it surprise anyone that the bill will get enacted automatically immediately following closure of the Fall LOC? My $$$ is that this was entirely on purpose...for what reason, I don't know, but it seems too coincidental to be coincidence (in the words of Yogi).

I've been glassing the deer in the neighborhood using my daughter's telescope (it's as tall as I am) the past week or so, and the bucks are definitely beginning to fill out their headgear. Nothing enormous yet, but it's fun to be able to look at an eight half-a-mile away and have it fill up the entire field of view. Only issue with the telescope=the image is upside down My new Elite Hunter should be in this week, too! Can't wait to shoot it.

I believe that the Erie Dearie strips might come in two sizes...there's the thin original strip that's maybe what Mike has seen and a "king" strip that's supposed to be much meatier. I saw a picture of the two in comparison, can't remember where, and the difference was substantial. Calumet Marine has been promoting these things heavily in the Chicago area and stocks cases as well as individual packs for sale (http://calumetmarine.3dcartstores.com/E ... p_372.html) I guess that Fish On/Erie Dearie worked together to bring them out? They're cured in salt and vacuum packed, and some of the captains recommend a good soak in fish oil before use. I haven't used them yet myself, just wanted everyone to be aware that there are two sizes available.

With a nice photo like that, it shouldn't be a problem getting a replica done...it'll last longer anyway. Nicely done!

Hi John, visibility, right? that's a problem with all underwater cameras. The combination of low light and suspended particulates makes it tough; if you're trolling, that only exacerbates the issue. I don't think that a 360 panning camera would help as much in the lake as ice fishing, just because it's harder to position the camera from the boat...the cord twists naturally when the boat moves. I'm thinking that you'd have to reposition the camera constantly. For the record, I have a Marcum flat panel color unit (vs825c) that I love. The pure black and white version is better under low light conditions. Good luck! Gator

I started bringing vanilla bean massage oil on the boat last year to smear on my Twili Tip and reduce friction. Capt Speedo didn't think it would work, but not only did the fish come in easier, I'm convinced that the scent of vanilla got them to hit better, too. If anyone is interested, I'm going to market a full line of Twili tip lubricants in multiple flavors and scents. Look for it under: "Lube for your Twili"

I ran one of these for a few years back in the early '90s and can't say how much I liked it. Roomy, dry, and easy to fish. This boat should make a great starter for someone just getting the sport. PS. This is just my opinion; I have no ties to the seller whatsoever.

Hi Chris, I am definitely interested in seeing the video. We jig lakers off the Bar in the Spring and trout down in the the FLX off and on all season, but our attempts to jig L. Ontario have met with several obstacles. The most pronounced of these are the wind and the current. My 17' Mr. Pike would be a better boat for jigging, no doubt, but most of the time we're trolling out of the big boat first, and jigging second. Even so, on the calm days that we've tried it, there's generally so much down current that it's tough to stay vertical, or even have any idea what's going on down there. Any tips would help. I'd love to see the video, and I really think that this would be a great way to diversify. Gator

Steve left out the best part of the story...thirteen miles off shore when the storm comes through, the antenna starts talking, and the big engine won't start! When Keith really leans on the key, one of the ignition wires starts smoking. Okay, so we start motoring back in on the six horse. Now, Keith almost bought it a couple years ago in the Wegmans parking lot from a stray bolt, and as such he's got a healthy fear of lightning. So, with sparks flying around us, he gets this panicked look on his face and declares, "I don't care if I fry this engine". Then he starts cranking on the key again. A little more smoke and, miraculously, she turns over. It was a hell of a ride in. I think we all needed new drawers by the time we made it to shore. Gator

We'd nicknamed Brian "the chicken whisperer", but may have to reconsider... Nice fish, good times!

And the old becomes new again... Sometimes it pays off to change things up, especially when the fish are wondering when Spin Doctors became an invasive species. We also noticed that the rips were savage this past weekend. Lots of fish had both the treble and the single just buried deep. I wonder if some of the knockoffs where we didn't connect were kings trying to eat the flasher?? Times like that I'd like to have a camera down there. Congrats on a getting to fish two solid weekends!

It sounds like everyone is saying the same thing here. If I buy a six-pack of beer, how much did it cost? Bottom line: if it's important to be accurate, buy a scale. Tight lines!!

Let's all play nice. No name calling. No sarcasm (well, maybe just a little...). This is a small tourney that was organized specifically for the purpose of bypassing the egos and politics of some of the larger forums. Just simply a good time. Let's keep it that way. If you guys have disagreements, maybe air them out through pms? I get tired of the bs...everybody is entitled to their opinion, but do we have to get into it every time opinions differ? It's going to be a great time on Saturday! Everything else is secondary.

Hey Tom Does the placement of the linecounter which is offset to the left give you problems? I don't mind it myself; we have a couple of these reels and they're go-to on the riggers, but a guy I fish with says it drives him crazy. Why aren't you a fan? I think they're fantastically built and have incredible drags. Good luck selling...wish I could, but I'm awaiting shipment on two new mag-10 stx riggers... Gator

I guess my take on it is a little different than most guys...Twitter is, as the name implies, not a forum of substance. It's yet another way to have some fun with the fishery, and so I don't expect to glean any useful information from the LOU instant reports/Twitter feed. Actually, I don't look at them much anymore, but I would imagine that the out-of-town visitor to the area might get really pumped-up for a trip reading through the instant reports. To me, it's more of a marketing tool than it is a source of intel; active captains are undoubtedly increasing their exposure through frequent posts. And I don't think that there's anything wrong with that. Although it's nice to have some follow through with reports on the main board for those of us who aren't so easily excited

Hey Scott, Agreed on the bigger kings being East. We set up in Steve's boat off the Nose and just took it the whole way in ~140 fow. Same thing as the past few days, with probably a couple dozen fish on including some decent kings (biggest was a shade under 23lbs) and a nice Steelhead. 85-100 on the riggers, 250-300 on the wire. White varieties of Spin Docs were best. We saw the raft yesterday, but it was way too big to even think about getting on the boat. Some guy apparently deflated it and took it aboard, though...we watched him. The kayak wouldn't have lasted long, though. We only own three... Off to the Adirondacks tomorrow. Enjoy the fishing this week! Gator

Jeez, guy leaves town for a day and comes back to this?? I suppose if it keeps you jokers amused, and keeps the Shootout thread at the top of the board July is Sandy Creek prime time! I'm itching to get out there after this past week in LA...smog, crowds, and traffic.

FYI, next year's planning meetings should be held in Key West. The entry fee may need to increase, though

Rob, I'm in for the non-communication agreement...I hate having to talk to Keith on the boat anyway Gator

Hey Ollie, Check your pms. Gator