skipper19

Not so many fleas on copper so far...30lb ...or 45 lb...the line lays nearly flat and they do not have a chance to grab on so much. You will get some on knots though so keep them very smooth or coat them with epoxy, however the fleas are not bad as long as the knot is compact and smooth. Mark

Well the flyline cleaner and silicone treatment makes the fly line slide through the guides a lot easier and affords a longer cast with it. It has the slick properties that might make the little "bass terds" loose their grip on the 30 lb mono. I'll see if I can get some and give it a try on one of my rigger rods and see the difference if any from the untreated ones....Saturday I'll be out and give a report on it. Mark

Tom, you think the flyline treatment would slick it up enough to do any good?

Heard someone discussing something about it on the VHF the other day......I'm wondering ....I think that if anything is going to reduce the flea buildup ....it would have to be something like fly line cleaner and silicone treatment. Wipe it on with an applicator pad as you pay out your down section of line..HEY , I'm gonna try it next time out, seems like it would last longer than WD40....what the heck...can't make it worse Mark

It's purpose is to hold water to the prop. You may ventilate the prop in heavy seas or hard turns. It's also possible that a broken edge will introduce bubbles to the blades. If it doesn't affect the performance noticeably you can probably get away with it as is but it still isn't pretty. I would find a prop repair shop that does aluminum welding and shaping and they should be able to repair it if it's just too ugly or it does something to the performance. Check with the guys at the Lake Breeze Marina in Point Breeze. Nice fishing by the way Mark

Lately out of the Oak, it does not matter what is on your spool. They got on everything, rigger cables, 40 lb big game, 30 lb ande, 20 lb flea flicker I'm not sure that 50 lb ande wouldn't keep them off...maybe that's next Hopefully these hot temps and sun will kill them off quicker.... or maybe they will go the other way I don't know....just want them to go away real soon. I don't like the 30 lb flea flicker, It is unruly and really difficult to get knots to tie right. Just about as much nuisance as the fleas in my opinion. Mark

And a great story at that ...Thanks for the reading Rich, great question, I think the Atlantics are not much of a threat in their younger stages of life to the food chain. As mentioned they love the insects and they also feed almost entirely on krill (sea fleas) and other tiny crustaceans as they reach maturity. They might actually help in a very small way to reduce some of the flea problem. I hope. Mark

Ray, I have a compass that Captain Jack Sparrow gave me just before he was eaten by the giant squid monster. If I put my cellphone next to it, it works even better Anyways it sure looked flat to me..... the water that is. Yup, Rich that was me, you were just inside me when I set up there. Saw your orange boats out there and figured you were pulling the copper around. Soon as I saw you there I said to myself, "This is it, gotta be good right here". When you turned north I was on the "hot rod" of the day. "Captain AHAB Abby" (our estate caretaker) along just for the ride, was drivin' and another Rich on the net. Mark

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s): 7/6 Time on Water:7:00 AM to 1:00 pm Weather/Temp:Hazy sun not bad on the water Wind Speed/Direction:west 5mph Waves: less than 1ft Surface Temp: 68 inside 67 deep water Location: Glass House to flats and deep out in front of port LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== =============== Total Hits: 7 Total Boated:6 Species Breakdown:Kings Hot Lure: pearl frog protroll and crazy Bich fly/ also the dreamweaver ss NBK Trolling Speed: 2.3 to 2.7 Down Speed: Boat Depth: 120- out to 540 Lure Depth: 70 ==================== Went east of port for the first time this season. Set up in front of the glass house with a four rod spread including three riggers and one mono dipsey moving east to the flats and a little beyond. We had a plan to target kings so we set up on the inside in 170 FOW deep rigger at 70 with the protroll frog on pearl towing an Atomic crazy bich fly. port rigger hauling the NBK dreamweaver ss. My partner brought his own box of lures and ran a number of different colors, including a green frog on the mono dipsey, and various spoons in green hues on the starboard out down. We trolled in to 150 fow and then 120 and held course there when the deep rigger fire with the crazy bich fly. It runs out 500 feet on the first run and slowly came to the boat and put up a struggle at the last 50 feet, diving deep behind the boat then came to the net after a little bulldogging. A very healthy 26 lb King. We turn back west and stiched the origional course out to 170 and back to 120 FOW and score another fat king on the same fly 23Lbs. The NBK takes 3 small kings as well as one for the silver and green spoon that was running on the starboard rigger. At about 10:00 AM it slowed on the inside with the sun going high so we picked up and ran to my waypoints from the previous day where we had a double and triple three ring circus, only to find the circus packed up and left town . We trolled everywhere that was hot with steelhead just the day before and got zilch. had deep sets and shallow sets and changed up lures several time for 2 hours and had no luck . Man what a difference a day makes...where have we heard that before . So all in all the purpose was to target kings and we did well for that but the chrome missiles were missing from action. Mark ==================== Triple hookup on steelhead the day before....lost one due to flea picking 23 lb king on the crazy bich fly Me with my 26 lb king back at the Skippers lodge.

A standing ovation for you Chad....now take a and pick up a beer for a salute!!!! Mark

Thanks Tom for helping me park that guys trailer Heard you guys going in with that big fish and got jealous right away Man another one Great job on finding the kings Shawn. We had a circus out there in the 380 to 540 FOW. Mostly a Steelhead bite and a small king and a couple juveniles. We had doubles and triples and stuff tangled up and fleas all over the place. Tried to keep six rods in the water ....what a joke!..lost count of the hits and fish lost...no one out of four people on the boat was driving most of the time...boat turning around...more than one fish in a net...the copper was out 500 and it got mixed up twice with tail walking steelhead. We boxed five fish let three go back. lost countless fish on the multiple hookup circus. We also caught more than our limit of these things ....my limit of vocabulary began to decline to sacafrachabeararackin stinky little critters and a few other unmentionables about these things. Basically they caused most of the trouble with tangles with fish on. The steelies were allowed to run rampant with the lines and cross everything up while the flea picking and rod slapping was going on The 30 lb ande got it, the 20 lb fleaflicker got it, and even the rigger cables got it One cool thing was right next to the boat we had a steelhead chasing bait right out of the water and circling around on the surface after it in 540 FOW. Wish I had casting rod with a rapala on it and toss it in there like fishing for mahi mahi Again congrats on another great fish and a pleasure to meet you and Tom for few minutes there today. Mark

Niiiicccce Shawn congrats Mark

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s):7/4 Time on Water:8:30 to 12:00 noon Weather/Temp:bright sun and very warm Wind Speed/Direction:just a flicker Waves: 1 inch or less...I could see myself looking back Surface Temp: 66.5 Location:25.5 to 27.5N and out from Johnsons LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits: 7 Total Boated: 5 Species Breakdown:Kings and Steelhead Hot Lure: everything took hits Trolling Speed: 2.3 -2.5 Down Speed: Boat Depth:270 to 410 Lure Depth: 70 to 90 ==================== Had Friend Butch back out today again. Had a four rod set pulling 2 flasher flies and 2 spoons. Got the deep rigger set at 90 with pro troll pearl green frog and crazy bit ch fly only to turn my back and have it fly off the release and Butch grabs the rod and brings in a nice 21 lb king. Ok back to set again, and the rigger goes down to 90 again and now the other side. That rigger goes down 30 and a 42 second NK 28 is off the ball. I stack a down and out small dipsy 2.5 set with a nuclear green mag spoon out 90 feet and lower the whole thing to 80 feet. Soon after it is down there the down and out is off and running hard. A nice steely comes from it at 11 lbs. back down again, and the rigger ball release goes off on the down out set up and 10 lb steely comes from it with the 42 second spoon in it's craw. Ok now the stacked down and out is gonna stay so put the 42 second out on a center rigger by it's self.... Whew now....let me see we have another rod to put in and I grab the copper to put down the chute. Peeled off 500ft to set up and finally we get four rods running all at once. Then the copper decides to go zinging off for parts unknown 500ft going to 600 and a few more. A fish breaks the surface like a rocket that seemed like it was a mile away and Butch is on the torture rod cranking away when he says wow my arm is burning....here take the rod for this one so I do and then after what seems like a week later a nice 14lb steelhead comes to the boat chomping on a bloody death fly preceded by a frog on white protroll flasher. The 500 copper took a couple more hits but dropped and we had little shaker king with an adipose fin still intact hit the crazy bit ch fly and put him back. Bite was good till about 11:30 then died for us so we headed in at noon. Lots of junk floating around out there. caught plastic bag and logs. Be careful out in the 25 lines north, there is a lot of big wood floating out there Mark ====================

Hand over hand....wow. I hate fleas. Not quite that bad here at the Oak so far. Great job Tim Mark

Great report Shawn ...nice King headed out tomorrow . Mark

This is what I have. It is 22 feet on the running hull, 8.5 beam but overall is 24 feet with the dive platform and pulpit. It is an Aquasport tournament edition and it has the T top as you mentioned is on the Robalo. I had a 19 ft center console before this one and liked it but it wasn't enough hull for the rough seas that can come up on the lake. This 22 foot boat is good on the rough stuff and I feel very confidant in going out in rough water with it when others are coming back off the water with comparable rigs. If you can see by the pics here I have a winter front on the T top and it is a good option to stay out of the wind when it is cold. The Aquasport has a sharp entry in the bow and it does cut the waves well but it also has a fair amount of spray that comes over in a cross wind and the front keeps me dry behind it. The Robalo that you are looking at is a very seaworthy boat and has a little less of an aggressive entry and will probably yield a drier ride in the rough. Also I believe the best length is the 27 foot hull that you are looking at. It should be able to bridge the wave action that Lake O sets up very well and should be able to give you good speed in the rough. I can cruise at 28 mph in three to fives if the set is predictable without too much cross chop. 27 foot will or should require a twin outboard power option unless being powered by a 300 or 350. As far as being in out of the elements, well if it is ok to stay under the T top and you have the winter front you will be able to stay dry. If it is cold well you will have to dress for it but you would anyway if you plan on being at the back of the boat tending riggers and such. Two people fit well under the T to stay dry...three maybe if you turn the bow into the wind. Hey if it is a good deal I would go for it. A Robalo is a great boat, and the center console is the race breed of fishing vessels if you are looking for speed and agility. I like the wide open air feel of the boat as well. The ability to walk forward a long way and get that dipsey up close to net the fish is a plus. It's a matter of preference in boat style. If it is raining all day and you can sit in the cabin of a sportfisherman then that is a comfort that you will have to give up when the bite starts to get hot cause you will be out there anyway at the back of the boat..........I have a good rain suit and I'm not afraid to wear it if it rains or to just break the wind if necessary. I would go for the Robalo if it has all the bells and whistles and has a great price and you aren't afraid of some inclement weather now and then. They do trailer very easily too I might add. If you need any more answers shoot me a PM, I have extensive experience with this style of fishing vessel. I see more and more out there all the time. Mark

Godspeed to you and your family's healing , Vince. Mark

Thanks guys ....yeah I noticed the Adipose fin too, forgot to mention it. These fish were very active. The little king pulled line like a lot bigger fish than it was. Mark

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s):July 1 Time on Water:6:30 to 8:30 PM Weather/Temp:west wind 70ish Wind Speed/Direction:west 10 to 12 mph Waves: 2 to 3 Surface Temp:65.6 Location:25.5 line Oak Orchard LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits:2 Total Boated:2 Species Breakdown:King and Steelhead Hot Lure: king took NK28 42second Steel took hammer fly and pro troll pearl green frog Trolling Speed: 3.2 t0 3.5 Down Speed: Boat Depth:240 Lure Depth: 80 and 90 ==================== Took friend Butch out for a late afternoon 6:30 PM troll on a heading of 320 into the waves. Set up after reaching the 25 line and trolled east with the following sea. Deep rigger at 90 ft protroll pearl green frog and hammer fly. 80 rigger with a nk 28 in 42 second pattern. set a mono dipsy on 2 out 180 with a lemon ice spinny and crazy b fly and a copper down the chute also out 180 with a halogram NK fire tiger for steelies. They did not move. Found a nice temp break and color change at 240 FOW. The graph was returning a nice Thermo echo at 80 to 95 feet down there at that spot so it wasn't long and we were dancing around in the back of the boat with a double on these fish steely from 90 feet and king from 80 feet. The Gps speed was fast 3.2 to 3.5 but there was a strong current running east as the cables and the dipsy pull indicated. Soon after that the fish went really deep and went to bed. Lots of bait deep and the hooks were down 135 and more feet there too. Sent the deep rigger to 125 to try and get them going again but nada. Pulled the spread at 8:30PM and ran back in. Pretty nice late afternoon bite while it lasted but as the sun went low on the horizon they went deep and couldn't get them to turn on down there. Mark ==================== Bait and hooks deep

Happy B day! I know the slayer will have pics..and some very nice ones at that!! Ray.... make sure when you go buffy on his trips that you have every hair in perfect order (course not on yer head baldone) cause he has a very high definition camera Mark

In one of my posts earlier this season I had mentioned that I have reservations on keeping these fish after catching one. They are on the endangered species list with NOAA as a wild salmon in the Atlantic. There is a recovery plan in place there for them. Supposedly they have a two season spawn, one in spring and one in fall but that is in the ocean environment as a wild salmon. They do prefer to have cold waters to spawn in and I think that alone would be the signal that drives them to enter the streams at the right time to spawn. Unlike pacific salmon that die in fall after a once in a lifetime event, the Atlantic enjoys the event with a little more time on their fins to accomplish what they are doing. So it is not a hurried spawn time as the pacifics are on a time clock so to speak. Just like a steelhead they can spawn all through the late winter into very early spring under more ideal water temps and levels. Also The Atlantic will live to 10 years and begin their spawn cycles after being in open water over the course of two winters. Another great advantage to Atlantics in Lake Ontario is that the juveniles eat mostly krill and small crustaceans which could be a great advantage to reducing the sea flea problem. Mark

wish there was a no more BS smiley I hate BS, now ya'll go out an ketch sum fisch....hair? an don't luse no more plyers or sunnys, lord nose we don't need to feed th lake monster....specially chinese. uuummmph

Fun times for all Nice video

Water Fleas this time of year are a real problem with the super braids. Stainless wire cuts them off as you reel in. The fleas will jam your guides and lock the line down so you can't reel it in. Save the braid for the early and very late seasons. Braid will do as well as wire in depth and ease of tripping the dipsy, but remember the flea thing when the water temps reach about 65 degrees and more. You can run 30 lb mono like Ande brand which is very durable for towing the dipsy, but you will not achieve the depth of wire or braid. As mentioned above the stretch will make the tripping difficult, but once you get the set of the pinch right, with a little practice you can have it work fairly well. No need to run snubbers with the mono. If you run a nice dipsy rod of 8.5 to 10 feet length you will have the necessary shock absorbing action from the rod to keep the pinch set lite enough to trip easily. I like to run a small adjustable dipsy stacked off the downrigger cable as a "down and out". For this you can use 30 lb mono and achieve the depth you are looking for without going to the wire setup. The ball and cable will carry the mono down below the surface and you won't collect fleas. I start a minimum height above the ball of 25 feet on a Scotty pinch pad stacker release set tight. and go anywhere up to 50 feet above the ball for the stacker. As a rule I let the small dipsey out three times farther than the stacker is above the ball on a 2.5 to 3 setting. 75 feet out stacked 25 above the ball.....150 feet out stacked 50 above the ball which the ball would be down 70 feet or more. The dipsy will be down near the same depth as the ball and trailing back and out for that second chance hit from a looker. You can run two more dipseys higher and wider off the boat for more spread, but I would suggest using the wire setup to keep fleas off if you want them to run deep too. As for leader to your lure, do not let it be to much longer than your rod. A little bit is ok but if it is too long you won't be able to get the fish close enough to net. and remember if you use a flasher fly combo there is added length there too. Snubbers are not needed if you have good rods meant to run a dipsey and you keep the drag set so there is a slight amount of creep or a few clicks going out every so often when you are at your determined troll speed. This will keep a heavy hitter from ripping your rod holder off the boat or breaking you off. Mark

Ray don't forget to stop at Dunkin Donuts, and get some bait....remember to put the donut hole on the hook ...not the ring