Sk8man
-
Posts
13,870 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by Sk8man
-
They are usually not actively hitting when down real deep like that in my experience (numerous attempts in the 250 -300 ft range in the past when marking large fish down there) using wire thermocline rigs with heavy weights. I too am now jealous after seeing that pic -
After fishing Seneca for my entire lifetime I can vouch for the fact it has been through a lot of "changes" some good and some not so good. The specific perch spots have changed significantly with the introduction of the Zebras and Quaggas and those invasives (along with others) have impacted things in a big way. A lot of the traditional spots have either disappeared as being inhabitable by the perch, their food has been removed in an indirect manner by the straining activity of the mussels of the organisms that their "food" preys on, or they have sought deeper water and not necessarily near those spots where things may not be quite so bad. Cameras also reveal that there is little bottom structure that is nearly covered or totally covered in mussels of various types and this is not just in the shallower regions....Quaggas go deep we recently saw the bottom totally covered in 60ft in a favorite spot as an example. It is my belief that the traditional shallower spawning areas for the perch may also be covered with mussels which may be disturbing the reproductive cycle in the lake perhaps with respect to other shallow water species as well (gills, sunnys and bass). A look with a camera reveals that in many places in the lake the bottom is so covered that there are no distinguishable features left there. Are some folks still catching perch "yes" but it remains how long this will be the case and the lake is certainly not producing the numbers and sizes once seen during previous periods when conditions were much better (e.g. before the introduction of the invasives). The most disturbing thing for me is the stark change in the shallower waters around the periphery of the lake and near docks etc. When I was younger (yes there were dinosaurs then too ) these areas were chocked full of minnows of various species, large and smallmouth bass, perch, sunfish, and bluegills....that we would catch one right after another and crowding to get at the bait (e.g. right near the launch at Seneca Lake State Park for example) these areas are now devoid of life of any kind and you'd be hard pressed to see a single fish let alone schools regardless of time of the year.. and this condition is not confined to Seneca The Seneca Canal at the north end of the lake also used to be a teeming environment for smaller warm water species and huge pike and pickerel.....it too is largely uninhabited in appreciable numbers of fish. This is the current reality and it does not appear to be getting better. To add to this problem with the perch Seneca Lake has been advertised as the best perch lake in New York State and folks have bragged for years about the "jumbos" or "elephant perch" coming from the lake. This has in my view led to unprecedented fishing pressure and especially in those rapidly disappearing areas where the perch are now congregated and are vulnerable for one reason or another. Greed has also played a significant role in this situation because some of these people take multiple, limits per day when they locate the congregated perch and some take ALL perch they catch rather than put back the very large ones and small ones with little to no meat on them..... and some for the money derived from the sale of the perch meat is also a driving factor. This has all been going on for years so is it any wonder that things are noticeably deteriorating? -
Which down speed & temp system do you recommend?
Sk8man replied to Todd in NY's topic in Tackle and Techniques
We need an autopilot for this thread -
I'm totally with John on what he mentioned above. reliability and repeatability are the name of the game. -
Yeah they are something ...I 've found a frog and a bullhead in them in the past. A long time ago my son and I came across a huge one with his head out of the water swimming in shallow water in Seneca and when we got closer we realized he had a great big perch jammed in his throat that he was trying to get down. The perch flared his gills and probably flared his dorsal as they do so he couldn't swallow it -
I had the same service awhile back. Andy Copenhaver is a very capable guy and those folks are all about service.....I'd highly recommend them to anyone thinking about having their reels looked at.
-
The very small fluorescent or black ones used for girls hair found in places like Michaels, Big Lots, or Dollar Stores. Although you need to get used to the small size they are just the right strength for most fish and I don't use them in the cold weather where the small size might come into play with big hands
-
My hunch is that you cooked the blades when you tried to sharpen them. Although they often look simple to do.... it should be left to the folks with the right machinery to do it right. You may want to check with someplace like http://www.fish307.com/auger-blade-sharpening/ (Lake George, NY) and have them either re-sharpen them or swap them for some or new ones. Once they are messed up you can't correct by hand. They need to have an exact angle of the bevel.
-
I remember when they used to have them on Cayuga Lake and It was required that ownership info be visibly posted on them and some of them needed to be recovered by the owners and they legally had to be recovered...I'm sure that was expensive.
-
Good going John....those LL' are pretty tasty too. This sure is one year that I wish I hadn't put my boat away.....of course If I hadn't the weather would probably have been like last years At least I've had time to get all my stuff rigged for Spring with the fishing lull -
That garage floor is without doubt the coolest one I've ever seen -
A number of questions come to mind: 1. Exactly how and where will it be located e.g. on a bracket or transom ? 2. What is the shaft length of your big motor ? A lot will relate to steering concerns....e.g. do you intend to use a steering hookup (like EZ steer etc.) If so you'll need to know rod length for the connector. 3. How far down will the prop operate in the water when the shaft is in the down position? 4. Will the prop be out of the water (or dragging) when you are underway or full tilt? 5. The specific type of bracket and clearance settings etc. come into play as well (need a real sturdy one). Sounds as though you need to do some measuring and a little research for starters Although I have the EZ steer system I found that I actually didn't even need it under most conditions with my 25 inch shaft trolling motor. I just steer with my big motor (also 25 inch outboard) and it works fine but it is also located up fairly high on the bracket as well so it doesn't drag in the water while I'm underway.
-
He must have been the big guy with the beard....I spoke briefly with him ....seemed like a good guy and not surprised as Jeff is great too. It is neat to kick around ideas with manufacturers in person instead of just impersonally buying products from "faceless" vendors in big stores...very refreshing. -
Be real careful if you fish Honeoye Kevin some of that ice is very "sketchy" right now and a couple guys already had to be rescued after a close call. We're hoping that this warm spell doesn't destroy what is there and that the following projected cold spell will firm it back up but it is still a big question mark right now. It is great that your buddy got into the walleyes as for most folks they have been "absent". -
I envy the ice you folks have Kevin and there is some great eating there. Most of the folks I know around here are afraid of the pike because of the bones but pike and pickerel have some of the best tasting meat of freshwater fish. Looks as though the ice may disappear here with this warm spell.
-
sodus_guy_09 You have a PM with a potential plan "B"
-
By noon the wind is supposed to be 12-13 mph out of the SW by noon which means 2-4ft waves/white caps at the north end maybe more. than the 2 minimum. You may stand a chance fishing the south end of the lake but it is a hike from Sodus and you'd probably have to fish the very corners of the lake anchored up. It is supposed to be 10 mph at 7 AM tomorrow changing to the SW at 9 AM and 12mph by noon SW. Usually the high number is close to the minimum there. sodus_guy_09 You have a PM with a potential plan "B"
-
Sold / Closed Evinrude/Johnson controls $100.00 or best offer
Sk8man replied to MCF's topic in Classifieds - Buy, Sell, Trade or Rent
The pic is missing. -
I like your optimism Jim. I too am hoping it isn't over so quickly. A lot depends on wind direction , how much water opens up and the wind speed during that warm period and when the temp goes back down. Hoping for the best. -
To answer the rest of your question: lead core allows you to achieve some depth without using a downrigger and it can add stealth as well as it is deployed out to a hundred yards behind the boat (10 colors is commonly a full leadcore setup but many folks have 3, 5, 7's etc. setups as well for running shallower. You can figure roughly about 5 or 6 ft. depth per 30 foot color depending on speed you can achieve bout 50-60 ft with that 10 color rig or less the faster the speed in general (and also depending on water currents and specifically what you are running at the terminus. Copper wire rigs (usually either 32 or 45 lb test braided copper wire but newer 60 lb is also possible) can be used generally on high capacity reels (as the wire takes up a lot of space and you need room for backing as well (often 300 yds of braid used). Commonly used lengths of copper are often in hundreds of ft. (e.g. 200, 300, 500, up to and including 600) which is usually the max and for good reason if you have ever reeled in two football fields of line especially with drag from resistance or with a fighting fish on the other end . A rough estimate for depth is 22 ft. per 100 ft of copper out but again it depends on boat speed water currents etc. and is at best an "approximation" unless you have a specific measuring device such as a Fish hawk TD or Smart Troll probe on the line. Again there is a stealth quality to the presentation because your lure if a long ways from the boat itself and the motor noise and turbulence etc. Wire rigs are usually 30 lb 7 strand or 19 strand stainless steel wire on a good line counter reel with smooth capable drag and the rod should be relatively stiff at least at the base and at the tip either a roller tip is used or a twilli tip so that the wire doesn't cut or wear through the guides and tip. Usually 1,000 ft of wire is used and the rig is used mainly to run dipsey diver and fly setups but can be used for other things as well (e.g. cowbells, meat rigs etc.) Other folks may want to chime in with anything I may have omitted from this very basic description.
-
Nice pics Mike. Man I noticed that boat has a 150 .....not sure I'd want to be in it going top end Hey good luck down there bud. -
New line of spoons sneak peak hybrid lures
Sk8man replied to power dive's topic in Tackle and Techniques
Yes Mike get on to some of those good Redfish...they are a blast. You'll be having fun regardless -
Nice going Brian. I saw there was a bunch out there earlier out from the ramp on the webcam. Hope the ice holds up with the projected weather coming up.
-
MY bet is that it is crossbreed -
For walleyes and Spring browns and just running spoons and sticks they are fine but with the heavier stuff I think the Black releases are the way to go.