zach

i can uni knot 80lb flouro and get it tight ( 4 turns flouro). to me the uni-knot is no problem to tie and i think for live bait this is what you would want for a more natural approach. the uni-knot is perfect for lines of differant diameter. a blood knot isn't, a surgeons knot isn't. i was just wondering about just using the welded split rings instead of a swivel at the connection point for my trolling leaders. i still would use the snap at the lure end. i just dont see the point to have the bearing swivel on the leader if it really isn't needed. i think a ring is 10% of the price and does what is needed to connect the leader to the line. cranks don't spin the line and that is whats i have on 90% of the time trolling. i have had a berkley ball bearing swivel break on me years ago during the cast and lure went 100 miles with no line attached to it. i think putting a ring on the lure side would be horrible changing lures and that isn't for me. snaps on that end, but the line to leader connect i think a ring may be superior. just a thought. and for changing them out while fishing. that may happen to me once every 3-4x time out that i have to change a leader on the water.

when i get tangled crossing lines the swivel doesn't do much. still tangles everywhere. i just don't see why a ring wouldn't do the same job as a connection point b/c swivels can be the weak connection. still could leave a tag end for weeds. back to back uni knots would also be an idea so you could reel all the way up past the leader if you want. if the swivel is dragging the bottom isn't there a chance of it getting hung also? herbie uses the uni-knot system going from braid to floro.

the kawarthas are a great place. i have heard of 20+ a few times on pigeon.

i was wondering about why we all use swivels on our leaders. i can understand if you are using bucktails because they spin but that seems to me, to be the only time they would be needed. i have them on all the leaders and was just thinking why. i think that when using a jerkbait, since the swivel is heavy- sinks and can wrap around the hooks. i was just wondering what you guys think.

i haven't heard too much about the next one. i didn't do last years and just don't know all the details. do we pay at the dock before we go out? will the tourney fisherman be divided up between the two lakes? i just haven't heard much about it and need to make plans. i know that this is sol's home water and i probally don't stand a chance but i'm down anyways. it just seems that 40 or so boats would really get in each others way all day long. any info would be great!

put hooks on your dipsy . i have heard of fish hitting the dipsy no matter what color you make them.

fast over the summer(4.5mph+) i have got them routinely over 6mph this summer- when it gets below 60 degrees start slowing down(3-4mph max). at the end of the season nice and slow. and remember not to troll in straight lines. making turns speeds up one side of the spread up and the other side will slow down. for me they have been hitting the faster outside lures as i turn. lots of turns will get u more fish in my book. last fish at waneta for me was on a big 10" crankbait (perchbait from legend lures) going 5.2 mph making a sharp turn so the lure was actually going close to 6mph. last weekend the slowest we got a fish was 5.1 mph- fastest 5.8mph. i change speeds often. most of the time speeding up instead of slowing down. its just what i do, others may do better slowing down but not me. good luck and mix up speeds often while making lots of turns trolling and your reels should start singing before too long. good luck.

we saw at least 10 muskies caught in the south basin of chautauqua on saturday- 12 to 16 fow. i would try there. tourney was won in the north end casting in mayville. those would be my two recomendations for that lake. smaller 5-6" lures is what got them for us last weekend. all 3 were on the same lure. white- they say that the cassadaga chain has the highest density of all the lakes in NY. only fished it one time and got skunked (several follows). there are 3 smaller lakes all connected and i was told by the fisheries biologist that this is a great lake for people to get their first and alot of action from 30-40 inchers. he said that a 50+" was taken in june so bigger fish are there. alot of casting the weeds from what i understand. i would guess that smaller bucktails and smaller jerkbaits would be the key at thtat lake. waneta does get alot of pressure though. it seems that i see more people fishing for muskies than anything else in that lake. plus the locals seem to know what they are doing.

nice job guys- that fish in the picture looks like it has a nasty scar on it. was it open or healed? 32,31,36. musky lex added 2 more to her total.

nice job- did you get him trolling? bob is good about heading new people in the right direction. he seems to be a good guy. all that we ask is to release the fish and more info will come for you from everyone else. congrats- i still remember every detail about my first even though it was over 16 years ago (i am 30). a fat 42" on a reef hawg (all black) on the french river in ontario in late october. congratulations! making great memories!

everyones getting all excited. i sharpened all the hooks on all the baits. replaced hooks when needed and added some color to some plugs. good luck everyone! keep an eye open for the newly famous musky lex!

make them yourself. you can get head off cabelas. bucktail is easy to tie. try using cross- cut rabbit strips also. they add 10x the action to the jigs. have made alot of them. gander mountain has all you need to tie.

chautauqua tony needs the beer helmet. you know- the one with spots for two beers and the straws that come out of it.

bob- still have that terminator, woodie or jointed wiley? watch out- just put new hooks on my suicks and bobbies. used to troll these alot and back then the diver jerkbaits were the only baits we would troll when i fished with my father. have caught a good # trolling weighted jerks in the south end. we did many multiple fish days back them. we would troll the jerks when casting wouldn't get the job done. always went fast back then. all black or chart w/ black dots. can't imagine that they wouldn't still hit em. how many firetiger and perch cranks do you think those south end fish have seen this year. getting all excited and such. trolling jerks was a workout though. sore backs and shoulders. we will see if i am still man enough to pull em. will try to have 3 cranks out and switch between the trainwreck and a jerk for the last rod. we used to do like 2:1 on jerks over cranks. but that was back in day with out any specialty speed cranks like i have nowdays. the most muskies i have ever done casting in one day happened in the south end with a black jackpot. all casting- 6 fish- one morning. used to fish the jackpot alot. missed some nice fish also. lost a monster off long point in august on one of these baits a few years back. second biggest musky i have ever had on. damn it. still makes me sick to this day. i think over time- i have missed close to half of my strikes on the jackpot. don't worry- i am still missing fish on topwaters though. have done it this year too. i am really good at missing em.

bob- send it to my house. can't leave til friday am and could hook u up at chaut. she said mine would be here by then. did i tell you about the new plug that they are sending me free? brand new model that goes 15ft+. oh- did i say that? my seceret is now out. watch out for the mighty "musky lex" next weekend. she is representing a strong 33% of the Baker Musky Clan. Make sure to get her all excited about smacking a fatty when u see her. get her all pumped up. she is looking to break the 32" barrier. when we were taking the boat out of the water last time at waneta some people came over after seeing the musky lures and talked to her. this was going on while i was getting the truck and trailer ready. boy oh boy was she talking big. you should have hear her bragging- gotta run this plug, this color, this amount of line out, etc.... i had a laugh.

just in- musky lex has a 95% chance of attending the tourney. watch out- 2/3 of the baker musky clan will be there. coming at you @ 66% strong! i am her official net man!

bob- she told me that she talked to u? didn't you get one? i told her to mail yours on next thursday though. i should be at your door step when u get home...

i got my biggest musky ever casting a topraider off the warners bar at night 4 years ago in late june. long thin 50", 2:30am after tooooo many beers. empty cans all over the boat- big fish- crazy night. 2 others that night also. used to love and do very well casting at night there. night shiner depthraiders along the weed edge and topwaters over the weeds. my dad had the hottest black jitterbug he used to work real slow. i think that the fish ran bigger at night also. haven't done it in sometime though. good luck boys-

gonna be in the south end are you?

(nice fish)

i thought instead of me keeping the free lure i would enter it as a give-away. hopefully someone here wins! if its bob- hmmm... we'll have have to talk. i think he has enough baits .

larry i had her put silver scales over the black also. thanks for the link. and color recommendation. the absolute nicest woman i have ever dealt with.

just placed an order for 2 jones baits and the lady was the nicest woman i have ever dealt with. larry- was the color you ordered custom? she said yes and is doing it for me also. each one is tuned also before they send it out.