Paul Czarnecki

Of course, "you have to do what you have to do" but a LOT of the Captains I know are NOT getting them. The rationale is, you will not need it until you go to renew your license so there is no point in getting it before then. I just got back from a hunting trip in Hatteras, North Carolina and my friends there, who are all big water captains, are saying the same thing. The Coasties I've spoken with have told me that they will not be enforcing it so take whatever you want from that. DISCLAIMER----This is ONLY my opinion and the opinions of the captains I have spoken with directly. I am NOT telling you what to do or even implying what you should do. .......I don't want to get blamed for someone getting in a jam over something as silly as this. Paul

You can get them at any Canadian Tire or any tackle shop. Also by calling 1-800-667-1940. If you call, the agent on the phone will tell you that you won't get it in time so you should just buy it in a store. You practically have to INSIST that she sell you a license...LOL. BTW....I always get mine in 3 -5 days when I call so, despite what she will tell you, buying them over the phone is NOT a problem.

Hi Rod, Yep a 4 or 5 weight is a little light for what you're talking about. An 8 weight will serve you much better for both bonefish and steelhead although it will be hard to cover all the bases with just one rig. Kinda like getting one rod and reel to run on riggers, divers, boards and wire and yet still be light enough for early spring browns. However, a GOOD quality 9 foot, 8 weight fly rod with a good quality reel capable of holding 200 yards of backing plus a good quality weight forward fly line will do well for you. Did I mention "good quality" enough? You don't need an $800 Sage rod or a $400 Hardy reel but don't skimp on either one. Buy the best you can afford and go out to an open farm pond and catch some bluegills or bass. Practice your techniques more than trying to actually catch fish. I believe there are also some casting instructional DVD's available. Try the Orvis school or even Bass Pro to see if they have some instruction available. Good luck! Paul

Capt. Chris Vogt (U-betcha), his brother Bill and cousin Mark and Bill's son Jeremiah and I ventured into one of Bill's flooded cornfields the other day. Despite a horrific wind we managed a nice mixed bag of canadas and mallards. Great day to be out with some great friends!

In keeping with Missdemeanor's Sea duck post I thought I would post a pic of an oldsquaw trio I just finished for a client. These were taken last January on the Niagara with Capt. Jim Taylor (Hawgmaster) and myself.

Hey Tim, Check the new DW line up for this year. I came up with two "gobie" patterns last year that DW has added to the line. One has the yellow and brown you're looking for and was a terrific BT producer for some guys on the East end last year and was absolutely DYNAMITE on the Lake Erie walleyes. I wish I could say it produced lots of browns for me but we just didn't see any at the Oak last year. The other is a green/brown/gold pattern that also produced well. See ya at the swap meet! Paul Free Spirit

Nice bear with the inline, Ray! He looks like a good one. I could have done without the last pic though....LOL.

I thought I would share with everyone the best deer season I have ever had in 32 years of hunting. It started with the PA archery season. Hunted for one of 4 bucks I had trail cam pics of. Managed to kill one of them on Nov. 1st. Its a 18 inch 8 point with nice tall tines. I left for Kansas on Nov. 4th. Hung some stands on the 5th. Was in the stand for exactly 20 minutes on the 6th (my birthday) and killed this 142 inch 10 point. I left Kansas the next day and drove to southern Ohio. I arrived late Friday night and my buddy told me to sit in one of his stands for Saturday morning until I could hang some stands of my own in the afternoon. I was in the stand exactly 25 minutes and killed this 172 inch 9 point. I returned home on Sunday and started bowhunting NY on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning I killed a nice 1 1/2 yr. old 7 pointer. Saturday was the gun opener in NY. I sat in the pouring rain all day seeing only a few deer. Let a small buck go early and froze my wet butt most of the day. Finally, at 4:30 I saw this buck come up out of a ravine chasing a doe. I killed him at 156 yards (7mm). He's a 10 pointer with an 18 inch spread and great mass. I haven't scored him yet but he looks to be around 135. My Kansas, Ohio and NY gun bucks all weighed over 200 pounds. The realization of killing 5 bucks in 4 states in 14 days still hasn't set in. If I live to be 100 I will never have a season like this again. Glad I could share a piece of it with you. Good luck to everyone the rest of the season! Paul

The fishing is still good out of Oak Orchard Tony. Capt. Bob Songin fished four hours yesterday and went 8 for 9. 50 FOW right in front. White on white Spin Doctors. The lower part of the river is also full of fish--in case the lake gets rough.

You're absolutely right Chris and thanks for the refresher on scientific terminology. I haven't heard the term "autolysis" since my Human Anatomy and Medical Terminology Courses in college. Unfortunately, we are arguing semantics here. The question asked was will a fish lose a significant amount of weight lying in a cooler? We both agree that a fish can and will lose weight through defecation, regurgitation or blood loss. However, to say autolysis will even enter the picture on a 31 pound fish laying in a cooler for several hours simply clouds the issue (and your answer). I'm quite sure that the amount of weight lost through autolysis in the above situation would be so insignificant that it is hardly worth mentioning. Most scales can't even measure tenths of an ounce. But, nonetheless, thanks for mentioning it and thanks again for the refresher. /

Chris, that's exactly what I was saying. In order for a fish, or any creature, to lose weight after death it must lose either blood, stomach or intestinal contents. A fish sitting in a cooler of ice water is not going to dehydrate---at least not enough to notice on a less-than-perfect derby scale. So we all agree then.....keep your derby fish from bleeding, puking and pooping and your chances of cashing a check will be better. Glad we cleared that up...LOL.

I've heard these discussions before but no one ever comes up with a reason for the mysterious loss of weight. Unless the fish is bleeding, regurgitating or pooping THERE IS NO WAY it can lose weight. Period. I've been a taxidermist for 28 years and a charter captain for 25. I have heard all of the stories about how the fish weighed more on the boat than it did at the scale and all of the speculation as to why "it lost weight". The fact of the matter is, unless it is doing one of the above, it WILL NOT lose weight. In Billy's case, I'm guessing the weight loss was due to one of these factors. You can speculate all day long if it is worth the run in for a derby fish. If you minimize handling to prevent bleeding and pooping and keep the fish cold you are doing all that you can do. Of course, if you miss the magic weight by one ounce you can blame me ...LOL. Great fish Wolfman!

I would be VERY careful about running a mono diver inside of a wire diver. A mono diver on #1 will still not go as deep as a wire diver on #3 and if the two ever meet your mono diver will always come out the loser. Just a suggestion....put your wire on the inside on a 1 1/2 or even a 2 and your mono outside on a 3. I do it all the time and they never get together. J-plugs....two colors---silver bullet and green glow. When fishing the pierheads run them as flatlines out 100-120 ft and on riggers--down 3 and back 50. In deeper water a 30-50ft. lead is sufficient. Good luck! Paul Free Spirit

Mark, fishing "in the buff" is nothing new to this tournament. Capt. Bob Stevens (Sunrise II) set the bar last year by fishing naked for most of the morning. He raised that bar again this year by fighting and landing a salmon while naked and dancing to the "King" Elvis Presley. Ray will fit right in with this tournament.

The "One Man Fish Bowl Tournament" was held this Tuesday. We had six boats entered--double from last year...LOL. It is scheduled for the Tuesday after Labor Day next year. If you have never fished alone and tried rigging, driving, hooking, fighting and actually LANDING a big king without anyone else on board you are missing a LOT of fun and excitement. This tournament is just our way of blowing off some steam at the end of the season and having some fun for ourselves (for a change. $100 entry with 100% payback. Results from this year's One Man Fish Bowl: 1st--Paul Czarnecki--Free Spirit 2nd--Tim Wallace-- Whiskey Runner

Once again the charter captains of Oak Orchard are introducing yet ANOTHER tournament for the anglers fishing Oak Orchard. The John Visich Memorial Tournament will take place this Sunday. Captain John Visich (RELEASE) was a long time charter veteran of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. We lost John to cancer last winter and the Oak was not the same this summer without him. In his memory we are bringing you the John Visich Memorial Tournament this Sunday. Entry fee will be $100 PER BOAT and ALL anglers, charter and recreational, are welcome and encouraged to participate. Ten percent of the entry money will go directly into the pen rearing program in John's name. John was always there to put the pens together each spring and helped feed the fish every day. This is just our way of thanking John for all he did for the fishery that we are enjoying today. The other 90% will be divided in a 50-30-20 split among the top three finishers. The rules and format used will be the same as for our One Day Tournaments---weigh ONLY 3 fish at 10 points per fish and one point per pound. To cap off the day there will be a barbecue at the Red Breeze Campground. Tickets are $10 but any donations will be appreciated. Bring a dish to pass and your favorite beverage and come and enjoy the comraderie and festivities and drink a toast or two to Johnny V. It will be a terrific way to end what has been a banner season for the Oak Orchard anglers. The weigh in site will be Lake Breeze Marina and fish must be weighed in between 2 and 3:30 PM. You can enter the John Visich Memorial Tournament by giving your entry to me (Paul Czarnecki---Free Spirit) or Bob Stevens (Sunrise II) or by leaving it at Lake Breeze Marina---make sure it is "ATTN: Bob or Paul." Don't miss this opportunity to take part in the best tournament on the Lake. Capt. John Visich and his boat RELEASE were staples of the Oak Orchard fishery for many years. Enter this tournament and help us keep John's memory alive and do something good for the pen rearing program as well. If you have any questions or would like to do something to help feel free to give me a call on my cell 716-390-0085. See you out there! Paul Free Spirit

If you have a GPS unit on board you can use your SOG (speed over ground) to determine trolling speed. Generally speaking, a SOG of 2.7 to 3.0 will get you in the ballpark. Pay attention to the details---like WHEN you get bites. On a turn, did the inside rod fire or the outside one? Do you diver rods seem to be pulling extra hard? Take note of your SOG when a rod fires and then duplicate that speed and ANGLE relative to the shoreline. One of the most important factors in maintaining consistent speed in Lake O is maintaining a consistent angle. Currents affect speed more than anything else so your angle relative to that current is critical. Two of the most successful charter captains and tournament fisherman at Oak Orchard use those very techniques to determine their trolling speed. Both Dave Siegfried (Tracker) and Bob Stevens (Sunrise II) do NOT own speed/temp units and yet both are extremely successful. Good luck! Paul Free Spirit

I will post the results for this tourney on Sunday. I've been fishing every day since June 30th and my computer access has been rather limited. The only reason I'm posting now is that my wife forgot her laptop on my boat when she left Sunday....HA! See everyone this weekend! Paul

Any of the suggestions would be fine---although I too prefer Blacks releases. However, like Chinnok said, there are very few fleas around now and the are probably done for the year. Its followed that progression the past several years. I'm not sure about the east end of the lake but at the Oak most of us are going back to the standard 20# mono.

Maybe you can hit the next one John. We will be having another one day tournament on Saturday September 5th---Labor Day weekend. That weekend will also include the John Visich Memorial Tournament followed on Tuesday by the One Man Tournament. Look for upcoming announcments on all the fun stuff we have planned. Good luck guys and gals! Paul Free Spirit

Here is the OFFICIAL Announcement for the Oak Orchard Monthly Fishing Tournament---August edition. Last month we had 14 teams competing for $1260 in prize money and we were able to pay out three places. Hopefully, this tournament will be big enough to allow us to pay out 5 places. Proceeds from this tournament will go directly to the ProAm fund to benefit the tournament and all of the local businesses that support it. All prizes will be paid in CASH and payouts will be based on the number of entries. We MUST have a minimum of ten boats for the event to go off so get your entries in today. Charter boats as well as rec boats are encouraged to participate. Since only three fish can be weighed in ANY boat has as much chance to win as any one else. SPECIAL NOTE TO CHARTER CAPTAINS....the ones who look for ANY reason to NOT enter tournaments of this type---although the rules state you must be present to collect your winnings you can authorize another person to collect your winnings for you. Or, better still, involve your charter in the festivities and let THEM collect the prize. If you cannot arrive in Oak Orchard until late Friday or early Saturday you can still get in by calling me at 716-390-0085. Just as in the July Tournament, we are allowing boats from Sandy Creek ONLY to partcipate as well. However, you must still register and weigh in at Lake Breeze Marina in Oak Orchard. OAK ORCHARD MONTHLY FISHING TOURNAMENT RULES The rules are very simple: Entry deadline is Saturday, August 16th at 6:30 AM and the entry fee is $100.00 per boat. You may register at Lake Breeze Marina, 4 C's Marina, Narby's or Captains Cove ---NO OBSERVERS--- ---Only trout and salmon may be weighed in ---Heaviest 3 fish (one entry per team) ---No more than 3 fish in a cooler ---Fish must be caught on Saturday, August 16th ---Fish may not be altered in any way (such as adding weight) Weigh in between 1 and 3:30 PM at Lake Breeze Marina with Awards Ceremony immediately following ---All awards will be paid in CASH!! Winning entrants MUST be present at Awards Ceremony to win. If you cannot be present because of another charter or a prior committment you can authorize someone to collect your winnings for you. See you on the water at the Oak this weekend. Good luck to everyone and remember.......YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T ENTER! Paul Free Spirit

DREAMWEAVER.......DREAMWEAVER.....DREAMWEAVER!!!! Color depends on conditions of the day. The 42 second has been very hot lately out of the Oak. NBK is usually a good bet as is "Rodney" and "Black magic". This spring out of Wilson it was the Carmel Dolphin, Goldie Hawn and Mixed Veggies.

I think both Ray and Tim (fishstix) are correct but along differnet avenues. The phenomenon you guys are talking about is simple physics. In the summer, cold water sinks to the bottom because it is heavier (more dense) than warm water. When enough winds move the warm water to one end of the lake the underlying cold water is forced to the surface. The two most common "upwellings" we see on the south shore of Lake Ontario are from strong, sustained south winds and north east or east winds. With a thermocline set up like we've had for several weeks now enough south wind will push the warm water to the north shore leaving only cold water on the south shore. That's Ray's upwelling theory. The "traditional upwelling" that Tim is talking about occurs with a strong, sustained north east or easterly wind. Because the central basin of Lake O is so deep--always holding cold water--it is very susceptible to upwelling with enough wind from an easterly direction. Once the wind moves the warm water off of the cold water in the center of the lake and the cold water makes it to the surface it moves VERY quickly to the southwest pushing the warm water (and the thermocline) to the west and north. The cold water can do that because it is much heavier and more dense than the warmer water. It is easy to see the effects of this upwelling and prove what I'm saying by simply fishing a few days in an upwelling. On windy days it might appear rather calm inshore in the cold water but can be really ugly once you get offshore to the warmer water. Cold water simply doesn't get as rough as warm water with the same degree of wind. On really warm days most of us have seen the giant fog bank separating the warm water from the cold. I could go on and on because I'm really fascinated by this phenomenon and have studied it extensively but I'm on a laptop and I hate trying to type on a laptop....LOL. Don't forget the One Day Oak Orchard Open Tournament this Saturday is open to Oak boats as well as Sandy Creek boats. Get your entries in early so we can figure the payouts! Good luck! Paul Free Spirit

You can sign up for each of the tournaments as late as 6:30 AM THE DAY OF the tournament. Keep in mind, however, that not ALL sites will be open that early. I know Lake Breeze Marina will be open and the restaurant at 4 C's "should" be as well but the tackle shops sometimes like to "sleep in"...LOL. If you cannot possibly get to one of the sites on time you can still get in by calling my cell phone at 716-390-0085. If you are going to do that, though, there better be $100 CASH in my hand the second your boat comes to a stop or Guido and Vinny will "pay you a visit"! Good luck to everyone in BOTH ports!

Prize structure will depend on the number of entrants but will be a graduated breakdown the same as it was for the Niagara and Orleans Friday Tournaments. We are hoping to generate some much needed funds for the ProAm with these events so we will probably allocate 10% to the ProAm with the remaining 90% being distributed on a graduated scale down through, at least, 5th place. If we get enough entries (30 or more) we will pay down 10 places. The sooner you get your entry in, the sooner I can give you a prize structure. Paul