Paul Czarnecki

What's a "grand master taxidermist"? I've competed at the state, national, regional and world level and have judged all those shows and most state shows across the country. I've never heard the term. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

"$9-$12 per inch"????? In 1978 maybe. [emoji14] Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

And THATS why we offer reproductions. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Leadcore on a spinning reel will be a disaster of epic proportion. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Why does there have to be a size limit? In my 35 years of taxidermy I deal with this all the time. Like pap said its a matter of personal preference. MY "personal preference" is to have a great representative of the species. More often than not the biggest isn't the prettiest or the nicest to look at. Personal preference ! Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Like what?? Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Trout and salmon fins do not dry well. They are mostly cartilage and membrane and shrink horribly when dried. The only proper way to do them is mold and cast them. However, to do so is expensive and time consuming and most taxidermists take the easier, cheaper way out. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Spin the board with your line through the back pin five or six times before putting it into the release. Won't slip with mono or even braid.

Brian I've read the management plan and I know a little something about wildlife management. The two year old alewives you speak of are not "missing". They may not be as prevalent as other year classes but the steelhead we are catching high in the water column are full of them. Advocating MORE steelhead to replace decreased king stocks will do more to hurt young alewives than anything. For what it's worth---Lake Ontario will NEVER go the way of Huron or Michigan because of Lake Erie. Erie makes Lake Ontario totally unique from the other Great Lakes because of the constant influx of nutrients down the Niagara. Finally---I'm not starting rumors. I merely stated my opinion based on 35 years of salmon fishing the Great Lakes and two decades of dealing with state politics.

Brian do you really believe "200-300 thousand" kings won't make a difference? Do you really believe NY will increase stocking when, according to them, the bait rebounds?? I'm seeing more bait than ever this year and on both sides of the lake. The young 2" alewives are loaded up in the deep water. The kings we are catching this year are the fattest, roundest kings I've ever seen. Body profiles don't even look like salmon! My opinion----there is no bait shortage. This is a manufactured crisis to replace kings with federally funded lake trout. Once those king stocks are gone you will never get them back. If the DEC really wanted to manage the bait in the lake they wouldn't be stocking so many lakers which continue to eat alewives for years. A salmon lives three or four years at most. A laker can live 20 or more. Do the math!