Sk8man

ummmmm... "What guns and ammo" ?

There are rules for boating courtesy but there isn't one simple answer. The answers depend on the exact situation under consideration for example who is inside or outside and direction of each vessel whether they are under power or not (sails), size of vessels etc. generally staying away from traffic is smart....I stay away from charters ( often inexperienced people on board etc.) give wide berth to planer boards and outriggers, and don't go full speed near anyone fishing, and get way the h away from anyone that has a fish on.

Welcome to LOU and Happy New Year!!

Dave's advice is right on target and if followed you'll be fine out there and probably catch more fish as well.....as in ice fishing folks clustered up doesn't mean they are actually catching either....

ADK - Tim has a good point. The temp/depth speed at ball/lure issue isn't just related to Lake O either....most of the deep water lakes stratify e.g Great Sacandaga included- (creating a thermocline layer ) significantly in the summer months/early Fall and temp at depth becomes very important .... Spring and winter ...not much...you can mark all kinds of fish on a depth finder without knowing what they are, why they are where they are, or if they may be actively seeking food but the temp information can give you some strong "clues" or "leads" about what may be happening there and whether your probabilities are increased for catching fish. Speed at the ball/lure lets you know what your lure might be doing (or not doing) and whether adjustments might be required (speed of boat, length of leader etc.) If the screen of the temp device is watched diligently you will know exactly what "state" to return to after a fish hits that particular set-up which saves a lot of time and screwing around. With that said a Fishawk TD is much better than nothing.....but it has limitations. It gives you a static (one time) picture of the temperature profile every 5 ft. down say a hundred feet so you can see where the most radical change in temps occur and then run your stuff in that range (e..g downriggers or Seth Green rigs). The main problem there is that the stratification layers are not consistent throughout the lake or the water column (e.g. wavy up and down or laterally with currents or spring inputs etc.) so while you're trolling along the thermocline changes depth significantly and you aren't aware of the changes and keep trolling on without results. For many if not most folks it comes down to economics though and it is a lot of money to lay out if you don't fish often or don't do a whole lot of summer/early Fall trolling....not everyone actually NEEDS half the stuff they have Including me (acording to my wife)

:drink: :drink: Happy New Year folks! I hope this season brings you all you hope for....fish included

Man.....the ice fishing isn't looking quite as attractive to me now for some reason Nice results Rick!

Let's hope the cold temps change the picture this year!

I left my speakers turned up from listening to some Jimi Hendrix music the other night and then went into the LOU site forgetting about it and my wife was doing something in the kitchen.....I hit the bulbs by accident and it almost took my head off and she came running into my office and said "What the hell was that....(or something like that) ?"

I've been using Mustad SINGLE stainless steel (3x or 5x strength) Siwash salmon hooks for well over 40 years or so and they are hard to beat. Over time I've replaced them on well over at least a thousand spoons and never had one bend or break on a fish and I've never lost any fish to "hook failure" with them (mainly just impatience and incompetence ) I don't replace the trebles on many of my stickbaits because of the balance issue.

mfz :smile:

Hey Sneaky I have a Pro Model 2 person Clam and one big thing I DON'T like about it is the integrated "buttons" that you have to press inward in the frame to release the sections when raising or lowering it when starting or quitting. They are VERY hard to deal with in the cold and sometimes stick...very poorly designed. My son''s Frabill was less expensive and doesn't have any problems and he loves it.

Just keep in mind that the two man pop over versions are in large part enough for a big guy and that is about it without a whole bunch of extra room to move around. Another major consideration since you will be the only one pulling it on the ice is weight. Get the largest and lightest one you can for your purposes because when there is snow and lumpy ice with snow on top it can be brutal pulling a heavy one ;especially by yourself. A lot of folks buy or make "runners" to go under their setups that get them up off the ice so they cut through the snow. With a child inside I'd opt for a Buddy heater probably the smaller one (Little Buddy) to save on propane because they have more safety features than the catalytics which can be dangerous (burns) for kids because they are open.

My son and I checked out the launch ramp area at the south end of Honeoye this afternoon. The ice measured at 2 1/2 inches total with 1 1/2 hard ice and1 inch of"milky" ice. Some flexing was noted under our feet so we didn't venture any further out than at the ramp area. Looks as though it will be a couple days yet before it is safely navigable.

Its been accurately answered so to add to it....you can get a whole lot more if just the heads

Hey Nick....I can see why you are doing the engine rebuild now while ya have the money (only joking)

Troy, There are hundreds of wineries in this region and the Riesling wine is some of the best out there. Check here for some ideas: http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/ There are many bed and breakfasts in the area that far surpass staying in a motel. http://www.flbba.org/ Here is a real nice winery you may want to visit http://www.drfrankwines.com/visit-our-finger-lakes-winery and here is another nearby that one that is my favorite: http://www.heronhill.com/ There are so many good ones in the FL region to check out and it would take days to visit them all. Also locally here where I live in Canandaigua is my favorite eating place (informal dress too) and they have wine tasting as well The Bistro http://nywcc.com/upstairs-bistro at the NYS Wine and Culinary Center http://nywcc.com/ Good luck!