Capt Vince Pierleoni

Great stories, guys. Good luck with them!

WILSON HARBOR INVITATIONAL, c/o Wilson Boatyard, PO Box 441, Gasport, NY 14067 Its on that blue sealing label on back of invite. You are welcome, FK.

'Wilson Boatyard' will do the job.

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Definitely not a 5 yr old. The rare 5 yr olds in Lake Ontario are always at least high 30's in weight.

Gambler is right on. Most years, the density to the west is pronounced, this season I expect them to be a little more spread out. Big flows like the Genny, Oswego and Niagara will have them, but sleeper spots that have a smelt population like Sandy/Devils nose will have some around as well. Typically but not always, they do not like to venture inside of 20 fow in the Spring, regardless of what the temp is in there.

Congrats on the King no matter what the deal is. As wierd as it is, Paul, a couple years ago I organized a large multiple boat trip in the Niagara and one of the boats got a King like that. Fairly chrome, mature ripe eggs but tight in the skein, about the size of that one. Took a minnow but it was on the stella drift IN the Niagara river at this time of year.

Can't comment based on the model numbers, but when in wide cone mode certainly tracks weights and everything else. Worth investing in dual frequency transducers for this fishery. For me, fairing blocks are a thing of the past.

Thanks for clarifying Yvan. To say the players are ready to get it rolling is the understatement of the year. Please keep your favorite KOTL 70 knot winds away, I've seen enough sailboats fall over while "on the hard" for one lifetime. Also please note, there will be NO Sun Chips onboard, so don't even think about stopping by dockside and devouring 2 whole bags while telling a single story, LOL.

The air mar "tilted element" flush face thru hulls are the "cats meow" and perform flawlessly. Not only less drag, but peace of mind when striking wood under the hull. FYI, Kevin at Wilson Boatyard does this type of work as well a dealer for DIY guys.

KOTL up and running yet? Went to site and it was still 2011. Nice try, Greg. It should be an observer tourny.

Great guys! Lets start the Country-wide movement, right here from this thread. Support ethan-fraudanol free gas whenever possible.

Very cool question. In most fisheries where Kings are found, the fingerlings hang out in areas not frequented by larger Salmon. Steelhead, Bass, Rockies, and especially Walleyes at night feast on them, but the Salmon are just not in tribs or estuarys while the young are treking downstream. Mother nature sees to it as well as the simple fact that fingerling Kings are about the most agile fish in the Lake, and would be a tremendous waste of calories for a big King to chase around. Thankfully, we have ample bait in Lake O. I have filleted many thousands of them since the late seventies and have found only 1 perch besides the normal Alewives and Smelt.

Used 2 seasons. Complete with swivel base and rodholders. Good condition. $350.

Your rig is probably just fine. The winning presentation changes daily, if not hourly. Wind direction, flow, and the differences in one boat to the next vary, all affecting drift speed. In addition, when billions of baitfish are present as they are now, the fish get much more particular about size of bait and lures in that area.

Thanks Guys, I will pass it on. Brad, that is very interesting about the moon phase. We did some shiner fishing for LM Bass in FL during the last full moon and it was the exact same story. Whiff! Lots of dead shiners, with about a 33% hook up ratio.

I have a friend who was burned by booking from the internet before. In this era of pop up ads and internet shysters, does anyone have a suggested choice for private charter or head boats in the Kennebunkport area for the Summer time frame? He is vacationing there with family and asked if I would help him find a reputable choice or choices.

This is primetime for "pier jockeys." Now, through the end of April. The weather will play a huge factor in your success, and sometimes on the choppy days they(trout and Coho) will "tuck in", inside the pier heads. Sometimes they feed heavy when it's the least comfortable. The water is still cold, so keep spoons and spinners moving slowly but pump occaisionally to trigger strikes. When the Alewives move in to spawn it will get move tougher for you, as you will be competing with billions of twirling/dying baitfish. Legacy is right, don't be afraid to invest in road trips to Oak Orchard, Sandy, and Olcott for pier fishing. I did lots of pier casting in the late 70's early 80's and had my best days at those sites even though I lived in Rochester. Good Luck!

Congrats Anthony! I was out of town but Nick sent me text me about your HOT maiden voyage. Nice job!

Congrats to Bills fans. You just cannot let the best QBs have time and win Championships, pass rush is key. Although I'm a lifelong Giant fan, I do pull for the Bills and have felt that the Gailey/Nix regime is on the right track. I love the fact that it was our areas Whitetail hunting opportunities that "sealed the deal."

Depending on the wind/storms that can happen with 40 degree and 70 degree air, you should be ok. The fish are there, at times it can be challenging as you will be competing with millions of smelt and emeralds. This weather keeps up and the "K" word will surface.

Tom's right Pete! Can't sell that "under the radar stuff" with us anymore! Behind that "Hollywood smile" is an ASSASIN of Lake Ontario Salmon and trout!

Chas, If you are able to get out on Lake Ontario several times a year, the common practice is to keep some injured ones or smaller ones for your personal consumption. Charter clients that are dropping money throughout NY on the way here, on the southshore while staying here, and on non-resident licenses for as little as one day of fishing are entitled to what they want to take legally. This being said, if the crews just want a few, we suggest taking the injured ones or a few smaller ones. I have had clients release Browns, Steelies, and Lakers in the high teens(LB-wise) because they wanted to share a trophy catch with others. If you are asking because of the stocking shortfalls, you may want to release Lakers, especially big ones now that natural reproduction has been documented. If you are talking Salmon, most of the fleet frowns upon keeping "skippers"(1st yr Kings) which are usually under 18" long. Coho that size usually spawn and die in the fall so it's not as important. As long as you are using the fish there's no apology needed for keeping some as the most important thing is that anglers continue to use the fishery to justify it.

No full report but a summary. A mix of fantastic news, and disturbing news. The Lake is full of healthy baitfish of different species. "size at age" of Kings(how the DEC determines health of fish) is excellent. Catch rates of Kings at or near record levels( I feel this isn't necessarily due to more fish, but due to the growing popularity and knowledge of todays anglers-from both sides of the fence). Lots of wild Chinooks hatch out, primarily on both shores of the eastern basin. How they survive and contribute depends on the conditions and presence of predators. It is obvious that this cannot be counted on, but perhaps can help offset the growing pressure on Kings lakewide. The negatives are due to flooding, disease, and human error, we will incur shortfalls in Brown trout stocks next Spring, will continue huge shortfalls of Lake trout stocking, and have to scramble(with big help from the Canadians) to hit target numbers of Kings and Cohos. It doesn't look good to hit target numbers of Coho next Spring. Of concern is when money is found to build a new hatchery or study center, it is met with opposition. Restarting Caledonia as a Chinook rearing facility, is met with opposition. We are dropping the ball here in NY, but expecting different results doing things the same way over and over. In Canada however, using dedicated volunteers and new state of the art facilities, they are "showin' up". Thank you "brothers in Kings". The best news I heard was from a Canadian who told me that the US and Canada agreed to keep management objectives the same for at least 10 more years.

Nice job putting this together guys. This should shed some light. Yes, the entry fees are higher, but yes,more teams of all skill levels will recoup more and possibly play with "house money" and profit.