Sk8man

I guess I'm just wondering about the ramp area itself/docks (and also the hill coming down to it )

I sent a PM to someone about it who lives out that way....hopefully he will respond....

Yes that is right and if I remember right there is a sticker on the main part of the unit that says don't change the factory adjustment....

I know Bryan and mutual friends told me you're every good at it too especially on the results end Les

That is good practice....and I guess a lot depends on someone's level of confidence and whatever works best for them. I think at this point I trust my own knots and materials more than the commercially tied stuff these days regardless of tying method.

The reason I now use the barrel swivels vs. the loops on the commercial flies is because the commercial ones are the only ones I've had break. My thinking is that the line may be stronger even at the knot vertically than it is when the line is say pulled or jerked on the loop which is basically horizontal at the point of maximal impact stress. I also use glue on my knots

I use barrels on mine....no problems there in my view anyway

Bryan is exactly right about the Spin n Glows for Lake O ...they can knock them dead when nothing else seems to work. On the Fingers however I've had better luck with the peanuts and I've been using them both since the late 1970"s or early 80's and even had a few money winner lakers with the peanuts. I'm not sure of the reason for the difference in the Finger Lakes but it is for real so I'd get both and experiment for yourself.

I think you gave a good answer to that one yourself Sean

Any landlocks?

If you decide to go with those Perko rod holders ....a little tip: don't tighten them down excessively or the threads of the female part will shred. I have 12 of the holders on my boat and they are fine but I also have 2 others that are not...because of the above....the inner threads appear to be made of cast metal rather than stainless.

The #19 at Staples works pretty good but I prefer the ones in Big Lots and Dollar Store that girls use for their hair...much smaller and about the right break strength.

Makes me kinda glad to be inside cleaning perch right now (from yesterday....thawing out the fish and me ) Good luck out there....pretty darned cold today....

I guess from my vantage point "electronics" is not necessarily the answer to the speed issue because there is no "one size fits all". The very nature of speed in the water makes it a "relative" issue. In other words the number on whatever "gizmo" you are looking at is not some "magic number" and it is not necessarily transferable to another boat or situation and the number itself is meaningless for another situation. The reason is this: the speed at the lure (which is what you really are or should be interested in) is related to your boat cutting through the water, the sub surface currents below in that body of water (or section of it often varies from one side or part of lake to another) the length of your line, the lure itself, the other equipment you have out (especially in small boats) because the weight of boats and drag sub surface (are or could be) different etc. So when folks talk about boat speed at a certain number it is applicable to their particular boat in that particular situation with those particular variables (and perhaps many others) present. The 2.5 that they are reading on their particular boat on that device at that particular time may be very different in terms of the speed at the lure (and not necessarily at the ball either because of line out length and lure factors) from another boat at another time on another body of water etc. Even the hull design of 2 different boats traveling at the same 2.5 number with identical equipment out may influence the the action of the lure itself when run at the same depth. My point is the total reliance on some arbitrary number in two different situations is not a great idea. The importance of the number on your particular boat in a situation is repeatability in that you can replicate the conditions responsible for achieving your desired result. To me lure speed is better thought of in terms of ranges where a given lure or attractor/lure combination is effective and is based on repeatability rather than some absolute (but arbitrary) number. Fine tuning your lure at the side of the boat and watching how they run on your particular boat at that time in those conditions (and yes it can change when they are at depth) and running other equipment at compatible speed, watching the angle of your lines seems a better approach than totally relying on the electronics. I'm sure a lot of "technology buffs" will have a problem with my reasoning but it is based on my own experience not blind faith in whatever electronic device I happen to be using. P.S. Pretty funny.....Tom and I were writing at the same time