bulletbob

It belongs to a friend.. Mid 80's -- Big, wide, 20 foot Aquasport center console with a good running, ultra fast 200 HP, and 15 HP kicker.. its got 3 electric downriggers, sideplaner mast , etc.. rigged for big water trolling. its a serious big water boat. perfect for Lake O..He just had it out on Seneca a day or two ago... Its simply too much boat for him.. He is looking for a smaller much lighter boat, maybe 16 or so feet.. He wants $ 3500 or best, or would prefer a smaller lighter boat as partial trade.. Great deal for someone that wants to troll the big lake but doesn't have the money needed to get a serious big water rig... I am going next week to see him and take some pictures to post here.. He lives out near Burdett near Seneca lake.. I know the rig needs some tlc, but mostly minor stuff. 2 of the riggers don't work, but it may be as simple as a bad wire, he never checked.. You would pay almost 3 grand for a good running 200 outboard alone actually. Sounded like a great deal, but its way too much boat and motor for me... Let me know of any interest, and I'll put you in touch... From our phone conversation I do believe smaller boat swaps would get first consideration. bob

PM sent...

Now that my center console has been sold, I have decided to keep the Starcraft 18 as its light and easily trailerable for me.. I am doing some mods right now to partially open up the large foredeck to make it more fishable.. Kind of a "dual console" thing. I bought this boat just for its very good motor, but the boat the motor was supossed to go on is no longer here, and I find myself liking this dumb old boat more and more. My apologies to those that replied ... It is now off the market, and I hope to turn it into the boat I have always wanted.. Big enough to fish in a chop and light enough to tow easily and handle myself.. This may be the one, even through its a 40+ year old relic... bob

here are some pics.. Boat is turn key, ready to fish, and motor runs great... Very wide and stable, and is very light , one guy can launch it with ease, just about anywhere.. Replaced all rollers on trailer last year with poly, and added teflon bunks as well.. New strap installed on winch too.. NO problems at all with this boat... First one here with $750[FIRM!] takes it home... Will consider partial trade for small aluminum boat 12-foot or so [without motor] for use in the Susquehanna river.. bob

Sea Pro has been sold and is on its way to the Florida keys via Corning.... bob

I will post a few here in the next few days.. Boat is really dirty from fishing in it this year, and being too lazy to scrub it down.. It is NOT a fancy boat, remember its a very old design that copied the old 60's Boston Whalers.... Plain and very functional, really stable in a chop.. Wide interior layout and lots of usable space. bob

Transom is solid ... Floor as well... the boat is in seriously nice condition for the price I am asking... First "I'll take it" gets it.. $900 firm... Bow mounted trolling motor, kicker bracket, and 100 HP Johnson are staying with me at the $900 price.. If you want to keep them on the boat, we'll work it out real cheap..

Comes with nice galvanized trailer w/ brand new lights.. No title for trailer.. Tires are dry rotted, but hold air fine, and there is a spare that holds air good as well. Really good shape!.. Big water boat , V hull, with a very wide 7/12 foot beam... This boat will not have an engine.. I am removing the 1972 100 hp Johnson and selling it separately, I can throw it in cheap if you want it... Hull is in great shape.... Not many center consoles in central NY state, especially at this price... $900 FIRM... Email me for pictures.. [email protected] Bob 607-659-5334

REALLY cool rig.. Its an older 1970 tri hull boat built in South Carolina by a company called CMF.. The floor is ROCK solid, as is the transom.. Lots of storage.. Very much like an old Boston Whaler.. Its is incredibly stable in rough water while fishing.. I have had it out in big whitecaps on Seneca and Cayuga several times.. It is a really nice platform, very wide, LOTS of standup fishing room... 30 HP Johnson runs and shifts good, starts instantly, .. No issues It has a new hydrofoil ... Interior is dirty right now, but cleans up nice,, Non Carpeted floor, like a Whaler... Just hose it down.. I have used it a few seasons for jigging lakers, in very rough water, and its been great.. Hull is in good condition, and very seaworthy. Trailer is in really good shape as well, its painted black, is very solid, new jack, tows straight as an arrow, lights work... We can even water test it if you'd like.. first $750 takes it... bob 607-659-5334

Really sound hull, new pressure treated floor and transom.. everything on the hull is rock solid... Interior, dash, seats, gauges , etc all in good shape as well. Has a very nice 100 HP Johnson w new power tilt... Good roller trailer,could use some paint and tires, otherwise its solid and tows beautifully.. brand new trolling plate on motor,brand new solid aluminum kicker bracket as well. Real nice rig for trolling.. has 2 square dowrigger mounts and 2 rigger balls as well. First $950 firm takes it.. The motor alone is worth the asking price.. Its clean, runs strong, prop is in perfect shape, PT works perfectly... BOB 607-659-5334 no pics at this time, however I will send them if there is any interest...

hey new@this, Salmon in Cayuga are easy to catch in spring fall and winter.. Just troll flatlines at the south end of the lake or around Taughannock Park after the weather cools down.. Late October into Dec is good, but they will hit right through the winter if you can take it.. In April and May they can be caught anywhere in the lake pretty much from Ithaca right up to where it starts getting shallow at the north end.. I use silver and black rapalas, rebels, or similar lures and catch my share.. The guys that use downriggers get them all summer of course... I don't target them deep, as I don't deep troll.. Also, they are caught all winter at Taughannock park.. Guys use bobbers with big shiners and catch them, but sawbellies are better if you can find them.. Also a lot are caught using 1/4- 1/2 oz bucktails.. White with a strip of mylar is all you need. Off the walls at the park is always ok for Salmon from late oct through May, but its NOT an every day thing.. The guys that catch them put a TON of time in.. Many of them fish every single day... They can be caught though, if you can put the time in..... bob

I was at Keuka Lake for lakers today as well.. I launched out of the town ramp at Keuka while it was still dark.. had a decent bite from about 7:30 to about 9- 9:30 or so, then it shut down... Fished the Bluffs with various jigs... The majority of my fish were caught in about 120-130 FOW.. Lots more life there in the deeper water, than there was at 100 and under. I think I had one in about 110-100 FOW... I believe 7 made it to the boat, and dropped 3 half way up, due to my lazy ass.. Tied jigs on weeks ago, and left them on, and expected the knots to be lemony scented and fresh as a daisy... NOT!!!. anyway, not my best day ever at Keuka, but not bad for this year.. I haven't picked my days well this season, but things went pretty well today. Fish hit plastics and jigging spoons with plastics getting the edge.. I hated to go fishing alone. today. I much prefer to fish with someone, but like many of us I have to go when I can. Weather was really beautiful.. I seemed to be doing better than several other boats near the bluffs... Just my day for a change... Talked to some guys trolling hard with a million lines out, and they had only 1 laker by 10:30... Fish were at various depths and weren't inactive, but not real aggressive either. Kept 2... off the water before 11... bob

So basically, its the exact same thing as I do on cayuga.. Troll the shorelines, using stickbaits... Stay in how much water?.. 10- 20 feet? bob

Earlyriser... I have been fishing Cayuga with jigs for years , and I don't do that great in the evening.. Maybe its just me, but evening just isn't near as productive for jigging lakers... at least for me on cayuga. I can't say why, but i feel that the fish just aren't actively feeding for whatever reason.. You will see them, but they don't hit well.. thats NOT to say they can't be caught, they can.. However, I catch usually catch one or none, Maybe a hit , and a swing and a miss. Couple years ago I got 2 one evening and considered it a good deal. Try the same exact spots you fished, using the same techniques and lures you used some morning at the crack of dawn until maybe 9:30 or 10... I would bet money you will have a very different outcome if you pick the right day... Don't feel bad about the wind..\ Every trip for me this year with NO exceptions has been a white cap blow out.. Even just fishing for panfish. Its been a tough year for me as far as wind is concerned, and that goes for seneca this year as well.... bob

First off, let me say I don't really troll. The rare times I do, its just 2 flatlines off the stern in shallow water in the spring in Cayuga Lake. I catch a few here and there but am low tech and not very good. I have no interest in deep water trolling whatsoever. I usually stop the boat when I get a fish on using light tackle. Really not much of a troller at all. Anyway, I was just at I Bay.. Took a group of kids to Sea Breeze on my school bus. I had 6 hours to kill, and brought a rod and worms to see if I could get anything to bite.. Mid day 85 degree heat, shore bound, I wasn't expecting much. Caught a few very small sunnies, and a skinny perch. Fished at the outlet jetty. I saw that I bay is a very sheltered body of water, and that my 15 foot/30 hp rig would be fine there. I have no need to find Bass panfish, Pike, Walleyes, Muskies there as I can get them much closer to home in the Fingers or the Susquehanna River. { I live in Candor NY]. My question is this.. Since a lot of big Salmonids pass through the bay, is it possible to take these large Salmon and Steelheads using very basic tolling techniques ?? As I stated, maybe just some long flatlines with Rapala, Rebels, Bombers etc?.. I catch the various FL Salmonids that way when I flatline in spring or fall, although its not something I do very often. My take is pitiful compared to the real trollers that are set up to do it right, but I usually catch a few. I guess the notion of of possibly catching some really big Salmon or Steelheads interests me. Is there any time of year when those fish are readily available and catchable for a guy like me thats not very trolling savvy? Or is it strictly a deep water game year round , requiring the proper boat, trolling gear and good local knowledge??.. Not asking for "hotspots", just general information, and if its even worth the 2 1/2 hours drive in the fall or spring to give it a try... bob

Guys.. These jig heads are the best I have ever seen for lake trout jigging, Honestly, nothing comes close. Alec I still have one or two left from the old days.. I would like to hook up before long and buy 8 or 10 of them... I work in Ithaca and we can hook up one day when you are in town.. bob

The area around the park [ west side of the lake], both north and south of the park has very rugged, uneven, irregular bottom, with lots of steep drop offs, big peaks and deep valleys.. You can be in 60 feet of water and within 1 minute if the wind is blowing be in 10 feet or 250 feet. Keep that in mind if its windy unless you have a good bow mounted trolling motor, or a way to stay in the productive depth areas [70-120 feet].. The east side of the lake for at least a mile or two north and south of the power plant has a more even, more predictable bottom contour, and to me is easier to fish in the wind. The wind is usually blowing due north or due south on Cayuga In other words, you either blow up the lake or down if its windy, and it usually is... The east side of the lake has much more uniform bottom, and IMHO is a better choice for extended drifting in the wind as you can stay in the zone much easier. If you find some fish in say 90 feet, you can drift in that zone for a good while unless the wind is really raging.. If you can keep your boat stable in the wind, either side of the lake holds fish.. If you don't have an electric motor, the wind can make it very tough to jig efficiently.. There are some extremely rare days where your boat will hardly move, but DON'T bet your life on it.. Every single trip I have made this year , I have encountered extremely strong winds, and raging white caps.. Every time out since the spring. I go when I can, I can't pick my days. You can catch a lot of nice lakers jigging.. Look for bait and fish from 60 to 100 feet, jigging in the neighborhood of the bait balls. You'll do ok.. Just be aware of that wind... bob

I have found trebles tear too many lakers up.. Too many get all 3 hooks, and start bleeding badly.. A good compromise is cutting one of the 3 points off on the treble.. You will have a much increased hook up rate over a single hook, and the release is almost as easy as a single.. I too lose a lot of lakers on tubes with a single hook, but it doesn't bother me as i don't need to take home maybe 1 laker anyway, as I am the only one that eats them...Some days I find jigging spoons work as well as plastics and I prefer them.. Other days the plastics are way better... Typically, if I am getting hits, chases, swing and a miss, I go to a double hook jigging spoon.. I prefer them these days, as i just seem to have a better hook up ratio with them... Past few years the Shorty Hopkins has gotten me a lot of lakers...bob

Geneus.. I think you are mistaking my post for a knock against trolling.. I assure you it is NOT.. Trolling is far and away the most efficient method of fishing large deep lakes like the Fingers and Great Lakes.. there is no comparison... Day in and out, a good troller will outfish any other fisherman of equaL talent... I troll myself, usually in the spring, and caught an 8 pound landlock earlier this year while flatlining, my best fish so far this year... That being said, when you find the fish jigging is easily as productive for lakers as trolling is, due to the nature of the fish... They are bottom oriented by nature. and congregate around bait in the Finger Lakes... Hermit or Guff can tell you stories I am sure, where at the launch ramp upon asking the trollers how they did, thier numbers caught jigging were a lot higher.. it has happened to me several times.. Other times when the fish are scattered, trolling is FAR more productive.. Depends on the day, the fish etc... My all time best brown, an 11 pounder was caught jigging in Seneca 2 years ago.. I will say this.. Jigging is a lake trout proposition by and large in the Finger Lakes.. Yes you will occassionally get a brown salmon or rainbow, but over the years, better than 95% of the Salmonids I have caught on jigs have been lakers, so if you want "silver fish", stick to trolling... I too like the surroundings and sometimes would rather just "veg out" instead of moving a jig, but as you stated, catching fish is the key.. Most trollers spend a LOT of money on boat, gear, and these days especially, on gas.. So if a couple guys go out and catch 10 lakers trolling, yes they had a very good day. Howver, a good jigger gets those same numbers regularly with a cheap rod and reel, a handful of cheap jigs, and a 14 foot tin boat and 10 horse motor.. It really comes down to what you like.. Personally I don't like deep trolling, but I am in a very small minority... I also readily admit that the trollers on these pages probably catch 10X the fish I do. However, there are a few guys that put their trolling gear in storage, or sold it once they got into the deep jigging thing..... Its just another way of catching fish is all... bob

Lots of great information from guys that know... Most of us that have been jigging a long time have had days where we caught lots of good fish from blank screens, and had bad fishing when we were marking a ton of fish... Don't always let the screen dictate where you fish,, As you gain experience and get into some lakers you will compile a bunch of "go to" areas.. One thing I didn't see mentioned that many laker fisherman do, trollers and jiggers alike is look for bait as oppossed to looking for fish... Typically, if you find good concentrations of bait not far off bottom there will be lakers close by, and the bait balls are much easier to spot than individual pods of fish. I look for bait first... This time of year, if I see bait lets say 60 feet down in 75-FOW, I start fishing not far from the bait.. There will be lakers around, even if your screen doesn't show them... btw, thanks to Chad for getting me back on LOU... I have been trying for over a year to log in, and been unable to, despite jumping through hoops, new passwords, username ,everything.. I look forward to some good discussions.. Glad to see a lot of the "jigging crowd" here as well... This is a trolling board more or less, but I bet some of them will "come over to the dark side" the first time they start hooking into big lakers with a one hande bass rod, instead of heavy trolling gear. bob

Very nice loaded Sylvan 18 footer .. I bought it last fall for $2300, and have since developed a debilitating condition.. Never used it, and need the money for medical treatment.. Strong running early 90's 90 HP Evinrude, in very good clean condition. It has 2 downriggers, Fish finder, VHF radio, with whip antenna, stereo, livewells, bow mounted foot controlled electric trolling motor, canvas cover, other canvas for the interior, lots of swivel seating that pops out for more room, Spare kicker bracket, very good refurbished trailer with new paint, brand new VERY expensive slider bunks, new dolly, good tires and good trailer mounted spare. Floor and transom are solid.. Good carpeting.. Everything works, No known issues with this rig.. I just can no longer keep it as I will not be able take it out, and need to fund some very expensive medical treatment... Come have a look and make an offer... bob 607-659-5334

Yes, WELL aware of the OMC VRO system.. This one is intact, and the seller said its been 100% trouble free, but its coming off anyway.. I DON'T trust the VRO! I have heard this story from a lot of guys- saying the wire dipseys outfish the riggers every time.. I really don't want to get into wire however... Big heavy rods and wire to catch 2-4 pound fish??... Doesn't thrill me.. I wouldn't mind dipseys on mono or good braid, which might work until June or so, until the thermocline sets up solid. At least with thin braid I could use reasonable tackle I would think.. I have to think it over. I am most interested in basic set up of the riggers, and what to do as far as release equipment, ball weight-[found 2 in the boat] spoon colors to get started, line test etc... bob

I appreciate the reply! If I have to go through all kinds of expense and intense learning curves, I'll just sell the downriggers, as I just am not all that crazy about trolling of any type.. I just want to be able to catch a few fish in the Finger Lakes when I see them suspended at 25,50, 75 feet, and they won't hit jigs or when jigging is tough, say during windy days and such... I suppose I am way behind the times, but lots and lots of trout were caught using meat rigs with 50 lb test and 32 ounces of lead.. Won't active trout hit plain old trolled spoons and stick baits anymore?? I used to catch them spring and fall flatlining. Do they shy away from Rapalas and spoons when suspended deep these days?... Water too clear? Do I really need to get all new "state of the art" stuff and get totally involved in this ? It seems like it may be more trouble than its worth bob

Never liked it that much, prefer jigging/casting.. However, I also realize that trolling IS the best and most consistent method of catching large trout and salmon in the Fingers, no question. Jigging lakers is fun, and there are times when I have outfished the guys trolling, but its not the norm, and browns, salmon and bows are hard to come by when jigging. They are relegated to a rare "bonus fish" when jigging. Anyway, I just bought a 1985 Sylvan 18' with real nice condition 90 HP Evinrude.. Lots of nice gear came with the rig including a VHF radio, CD/stereo radio, new fish finder, real nice bow mount foot control trolling motor, and 2 manual downriggers.. The riggers don't look "top of the line", but are not those little $99 toys either.. btw, Any real advantages with electric riggers over manuals? I see just the riggers themselves and the mounted bases.. Haven't checked, there may be balls and such, I don't know... If there is no more rigger "stuff" , what will I need to get started?.. I can get some rigger lures as I have none, but do have a lot of stickbaits and some spoons that can get me started.. I have no conception of all the fly/ dodger type things I have been reading about so I need simplicity at first. Any thoughts as to how to get started?... I have never even used a downrigger.. Made up a meat rig rod once but it was a horrid unwieldy mess that I gave up on in short order. I hate the fact that at 56 and a lifetime of fishing I am such a tenderfoot , knowing NOTHING and having to ask for help in rigger fishing... anyway, I know there are a lot of very good rigger fisherman here, and I couldn't have come to a better place for help... I hope some of you would be kind enough to share some of your knowledge... bob [email protected]

16 to 19 feet in decent shape...set up for fishing... can spend up to 3 K or so,, Let me know what you have.. [email protected]