chowder

Is that 2nd picture where I ran the inside board into a tree forcing us to dock without permission at a foreboding looking place in crashing waves while you ran down the railroad tracks and got the board? Seriously though, what yesterday attests to is the fact that after a complete debacle in rough water and terrible weather the thing to do is regroup and make a new plan and then persevere. If you’re really lucky, you’ll have a fishing partner who feels the same way.

Hottest stick for me so far this Spring has been a good ol rapala in Hot Steel. Just saying…

I’m not aware of any reputable USCG licensed captains in my area who encourage customers to entertain the idea of using crew or captain’s limit.

Also a charter capt and agree with Rich. Rule on my boat is - if a legal fish comes over the side it counts towards your limit whether you keep it or not, for 2 simple reasons; #1. On average a fish released may or even more likely will probably not survive. #2. We can’t get into a situation in a derby where a customer wants to ‘release’ fish after fish to the detriment of the fishery.

PM sent about leaders, thanx

My first trip of any given new year is typically the first weekend of January so I’d say that I’m pretty far behind…

Launched in very shallow water at Treman about 10:00 am with my 22’ outboard boat. Prop was stirring mud while still trimmed up quite a bit . Navigated out the inflow in 5-8 fow. All systems checked out so deployed bow mount ( AP for my outboard boat), started kicker , put out boards and got 2 inside stix lines out near shore, headed N past docks, bouys , moored boats, guys on paddle boards in dark wet suits, etc. Picked up a decent LL on chartreuse jointed rapala fairly quickly and then a bow on a hot steel rapala 1/2 hour to 45 minutes later, temp avg 38.6. I was marking fish under the boat in 30fow so I put out a shallow rigger with a gold/orange scorpion spoon and a shallow braid diver with a Northport nailer mai tai glow. Sometime in the next 1/2-to 1 hour both of those presentations picked up browns and board lines had gleaned a couple LL shorts. By now the salt plant was well within view so I crossed the lake and reconfigured my lines. Water was colder by a degree but I was marking fish in 200fow. I deployed 2 wire divers with different spoons down 50 and 75 feet and a spoon rigger at 80 down. Within 1/2 hour to 45 minutes the deep diver had clobbered what looked like an Ontario Laker and the rigger hooked another Laker about 4 lbs. Seeing as how I had completed a full check on all my equipment and had accumulated a promising start to a nice baked fish medley , I called it good and gingerly navigated back up the inflow and after a lot of dicking around (from the perspective of a charter captain who is accustomed to launching or pulling a boat solo in 5 minutes) got the boat on the trailer and promptly headed to “The Lucky Hare” in Hector to celebrate the latest start to a fishing season I’ve ever had- Cheers!

I texted you- I’ll be in Ithaca Thursday. Got lead , need weights. Thanks!

Thanks. Never went anywhere this weekend.

Pine Plains Park, Penn Yann. Lakers in 40 FOW Saturday- glare ice.