Sk8man

Mike I'm certainly not a lure paint expert but I do know that it is critical that the undercoating for whatever you use is the right stuff for the particular paint used over it as this is often the problem with the surface paint coming off. Jann's Netcraft has a selection of paint stuff that you might want to take a look at.

A 4 stroke 9.9 (9.8 depending on manufacturer) will do for normal trolling and it is possibly all you'd need for most Finger Lakes fishing but if you are fishing Lake O you may want to consider a 15 horse instead. Considering the weight of a 24 ft. boat and particular hull design a 9.9 may be working harder to push it which may long term affect the life span of the motor. The more important consideration is the other function of a kicker motor - auxilliary power in an emergency. If or when your main motor should quit (usually in the worst weather too) no matter what size kicker you have you'll wish it was bigger I'm not sure all the 4 strokes in terms of physical size/weight diffeences but the older 2 stroke 9.9 and 15 horse motor were identical just had different carburation. If you go with all the bells and whistles (e.g electric start power trim/tilt, extra long shaft etc. these plush models can be substantially heavier than the basic models so that may be something to consider as well.

Like Jimski 2 I have seen parts of zebra shells in perch but it is unclear to me whether they were actually eating them or may have accidentally ingested them along with food in the weeds or on bottom.

I think you may be referring to sliders and fixed sliders rather than a "cheater" per se. A true cheater is usually thought of as a leader that is located on a Seth Green rig and located about 3 or 4 ft up the rig line and it is long enough to trail behind and downward from the shorter set of cowbells and resembles something hit and crippled and trailing behind the "school" which the cowbells represent. It can be a spoon or stick or else a wobble troll or peanut. and the leader may be up to 20 ft or more in length. A normal slider on the otherhand is a short section of leader (from 2-8 ft. long) with a spoon and swivel at one end and a swivel at the opposite end. Normally you want to keep the length of the leader slightly shorter than the rod you are using so that it is easier to net the fish without backing up way into the interior of the boat. The end without the lure is attached to the downrigger mono after the main lure on it is fixed and lowered to the desired depth. The slider "slides" up and down or locates itself in the belly of the mono line. A fixed slider is a normal slider only it is affixed on the main line in a single desired location on that line after the main lure is lowered. There are numerous ways to do this in terms of the attachment and release used. The normal slider is perhaps most successful when either the thermocline layer is not yet formed, and/or you are fishing deep with the main lure and want something covering varied depths above it. Often steelies , rainbows and landlocks are the main "targets" but s Pacific salmon also hit them even when close to the prop wash of the motor. Although you may spot the slider lure on your depth finder it may often be out of the cone so many times you don't know where it actually is in the water column and this may be especially so when fishing the downriggers in the extreme outward and 45 degree angle position. The fixed sllder can be used anytime but I normally use it when the thermocline is formed and I wish to present the second lure at the top of it or just within it so it isn't "free ranging" and is more predictable because the lure stays at that approximate depth. They both have their place in the arsenal as does the true "cheater"

Welcome to LOU Mike. Good luck with the startup business

I haven't heard much or anything for that matter about the possibility that the Zebras and Quaggas may be inhibiting the effectiveness of spawning in various species by covering the traditional spawning beds but I can't help but wonder if this is a huge but perhaps largely unrecognized problem in the Great lakes and the Finger Lakes as well (i.e. the reduction in numbers of fish present in many areas.

It might even be worth while to try trolling with a worm harness. I have caught both rainbows and browns on them in addition to walleyes in other lakes. They are usually considered a Spring and Summer tactics but you never know in a multi-species body of water what you might find.

dawg - I wasn't in any way being critical of your post just adding to it and I guess I am pretty heavily influenced by my own experience I for one sure as hell don't want to repeat it Each of these products probably has its strengths and weaknesses depending on the individual situation and it is good to have all these selections to choose from too and I wasn't previously aware of the one you mentioned so thanks. Les The point about Spring trolling is a good one too. I have a separate Arctic Armor jacket (only) for that and mainly for warmth and breaking the wind because I wear a PFD over it so multiple floatation and the outer PFD is Coast Guard approved. I'm on my 12th season with my Arctic Armor jacket and bibs andstill going strong.

The Dominus jackets are Coast Guard Approved as a Type III device but the bib pants aren't although they are advertised as able to float. The major reason I suggested a one piece suit over a 2 piece (which is what I currently have) no matter which option you get is that after going in the water I now know that cold water can and does get inside the 2 piece suits and believe me hypothermia can rapidly set in if you end up spending even a few minutes in the frigid water. As with many things there is a trade off here in terms of heat regulation and comfort and safety factors. If you don't end up going in the water the comfort factors may be very important to you but if you should happen to go in safety will immediately rise to your number one concern along with staying warm. Learning to properly layer your clothing is crucial to ice fishing because on the way out on the ice and dragging a sled and other equipment you will sweat if "over dressed" at that arrival point out there and you will start to be chilled due to the sweat evaporation so the trick is to perhaps carry some layers with you to add when you get to your spot if needed and/or dress with "wicking" undergarments especially. Yes this may be "clumsy" when wearing a one piece suit but safety should always be your main concern. Another factor here is whether you will be in a shelter with a heater as this also dictates to some degree how you dress. The most dangerous times will be while walking out to a spot, walking around while out there, drilling holes, and when returning to shore and this is when you want to be dressed safely above all else.

Thanks ...the Bills win helped it out

Watkins Glen area at the south end of Seneca Lake (southwestern NY)

Troutman87 here on LOU may be able to help you out. He makes great torpedo type weights. 607 535 2390. Troutman 87 aka Harvey