chowder

Get one with a Honda motor. I have a bunch of these motors in different pieces of equipment that get used daily and used hard and I've found them to be very, very dependable. I also have a pressure washer w/ a Honda & we use for very demanding agricultural cleanup jobs- no complaints (got it at Lowes) A word of caution, these things can peel paint and break electrical wires if you aren't careful w/ nozzle choice.

When those redwoods are submerged they must pull pretty good and that's a plus. I've got a pair of these and they are the real deal; http://www.auroralitestackle.com/planerboards.html They make the Otter boats look sick!

Thanks, I know how to snell up leaders but I'm really trying to save both time and $ by using the same fly and leader rather than cutting off the existing leader and changing it out b/c then I'm trashing a leader each time. I guess I'm gonna go with my original idea which is to use a 30-50lb sampo swivel up at 18" from the fly, then I can add what ever I want to it fairly easily.

At one point you could get the Navionics Great Lakes Gold Chart chip and then if you sent in the proof of purchase you got the "Fishing chip" which is a bottom contour map. I use the fishing chip more than the charts in my Lowrance 5200 Globalmap. These chips are supposed to be compatible w/ the new HDS series as are all the platinum series.

I'm not sure how many people do this but I keep my flashers paired up w/ the flies that seem to work well with them, I just wind the fly leader around the flasher. Some of my real favorite flashers I have paired up w/ 2 or more different flies. On my boat I'm generally fishing w/ kids or friends who don't know (and don't want to know) what the heck is going on w/ the lines so my line setting time is at a real premium. Consequently I like to look at combos ready to go. My flashers are organized by color but like w/ spoons and stix I keep a "go to" box w/ my standards in it. Also like spoons & stix I keep a "not happening" box for stuff that comes off the lines (between trips I like to get the stuff from the "not happening boxes back to their respective homes) I started out storing my 8" flasher/fly combos in the fancy Dream Weaver Plano plastic box but they were so expensive I switched to the same size Plano box as it comes from W-Mart #3970($6.00). I keep my big paddles and 10" Spinnies (all paired up w/ flies) in W-Mart tupperware like boxes, I just make two stacks of flashers in the box and separate them w/ a halved section of swim noodle and they stay very neatly in those. I keep my unrigged flies in a pair of the compartmentalized Plano boxes that are probably most often used for crank baits,etc.

here you go; http://www.fishingrodstuff.com/

Hey Split, is this "fish fry" a public event? That sounds like a better deal than trolling in the rain! -Andy

Look out!

Hey Mark, hope all is well out in your neck of the woods! Keep an eye out for your old boat, we might cross paths up here on the FLX. -Andy

Anybody got a tried & true method for making fly leaders longer? I just want to be able to take a fly that's got a fly leader of say 21" and make it a 36", etc. I can see a number of simple ways to do it but I'm figuring somebody has messed around with this and could save me some trial & error. Thanks, -Andy

Good looking browns!

Got in a Cayuga trip today out of Long Point and it was laker mayhem! Got a bunch of these guys for the smoker.

I am planning to put in at Long Point tomorrow. If anybody knows of any problems please post. Thanks, -Andy

Anybody been out of Long Point (Cayuga)?

Get and read this, it's a good overview of all the techniques you will encounter trying to figure out what we are talking about http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Salmo ... 620&sr=8-1 I don't really need my copy anymore so if you want to borrow it, I'm sure we could arrange it. Here is a site that carries a bunch of the stuff we use to troll for trout and salmon http://www.atommiktrollingflies.com/misc.htm My suggestion to to you would be to look over some of this stuff, and then go back thru this forum reading posts. After you have a sense of what's going on I would suggest that you get a ride w/ somebody here (we are always looking for fishing partners for a one day or another) and see some of these techniques and gear at work. After that you would have a pretty good idea of what's going to work for you. I could tell you that one good idea would be to consider getting set up with 1 downrigger and one dipsy rod setup and get a couple inline boards for spring and or copper/core to the side but this is not going to mean much to you at this point. Do some reading & some surfing and when you feel like you have some specific questions, fire away. We'll be glad to help in any way we can. -Andy P.S. Watch out, this kind of fishing is infective and you might just get sucked in farther than you could imagine!

Nick, the mouse ears are probably ok, just don't wear your birthday suit! Hope you are having a great day! -Andy

I was over at the lake today and at this point both Myers and Finger Lakes Marina are closed, Myers for the dredging and FLX Marina because they are afraid the concrete launch ramp is going to break due to the need to back so far out due to low water. Treman is OK.

I'm glad to hear you got some good sized ones up high. One thing I've noticed fishing Seneca this winter is that a lot of guys are running all high lines and catching a pile of small LLs & Browns (12"-17"). I'm not sure what kind of impact this will have on the fishery?

Mono can deteriorate underneath the core when used as a backing. I would use a superbraid instead and it takes up a lot less space on the spool.

Here's a piece of advice for ordering any kind of equipment for business or pleasure; If you really want to be using something in April you need to order it by mid Dec. This way you account for the following delays: a) the X-mas shopping budget crisis delay and the post holiday lethargy delay.b) The shipping delay # 1. c) The shipping delay # 2. d) the accessory delay(better known as "but I figured it would come with all that stuff delay"). e) the really bad one - 'THE INSTALLATION DELAY'-this is when you really figure out all the stuff you needed and thought you had in part d of this saga + it's when you realize that you really should have had somebody w/ more experience and more available time install this thing because it's May 1st & the yard looks terrible, the grass needs to be mowed, the pool deck needs to be stained and ...well you know what I mean!

I would think that you would get a "fainter" echo back the deeper the fish is so the same size fish would appear smaller but it's been bloody hard for me to catch the same size fish 40' apart in the same troll to verify this.

RR, do you know what the skinny is on launching at Finger Lakes Marina, if Myers is closed that's my next best option?

It is pretty shallow from just past the bridge out to the drop. I went out of there today.

I had a great time out there today, glad we were able to make that happen and I'm real glad you brought that R&R spoon with you! -Andy

Couple thoughts; 1. I like to use snubbers, I use the Howie snubbers, they are fairly unobtrusive. 2. I like to use flies w/ the tournament rig, i.e a single followed by a treble. 3. Set the drag so that it's just barely giving up a little line all the time, then after the fish is on DON'T HORSE IT, adjust the drag a little and work it in patiently! 4. For FLX sized fish a rod w/ some give is helpful.