Wilson Harbor Invite

A slow day on Lady O it appears as though we may have a roll over for the 1 K a Day as I write this at 730. So far 3 teams weighed in the Salmon slam 18, 17.05 and 10.40 pounds respectively Pacific Time leads. Good luck tomorrow and don't forget we have ice cold Molson on tap here at the Gas Shack in Wilson!

Yvan we have spoken many times I appreciate you and your vision as it predated mine by many years. I understand the hard ache and appreciate the growing pains it has caused. The timing sucks I agree and im to blame but its me hanging on to hope while I dove into this mess headfirst that is the cause. I wish things were different as I have been a mess over it all. Im not going to kid you and make you thing im a "what I say goes kinda guy". Regardless of the anonymous Y- Knot I give a **** and will continue to do the right thing regardless. None of our committee is above it all and I urge everyone to get involved if they have something to offer. I cant wait to see everyone next week and hope the fishing and weather are good.

These are the updated rules. As we have already said we are allowing Cohos and persons under 16 to fish with a parent or guardian. As stated in other posts this is no longer an at your own risk event as it pertains to fishing Canadian water. After researching the subject it had been determined that ALL vessels are required to call at the time of crossing as Canada has no jurisdiction over vessels not in their territory. Due to our NO Comm rule it is not possible for any tournament vessel to adhere to these policies therefore any vessel determined to be West of the Canadian US border during tournament hours will be disqualified. I understand this is causing hard feelings with a good handful of you. I am suffering myself as when the WHI was born it was with out restrictions and concerns as it pertains to this subject. The limitations are simply to protect myself, tournament and business from repercussions that could be eminent if one or more of our teams were to have an issue. Please try to understand our position and be respectful as it pertains to the subject. As most of you know we go a long way to provide a fair, exciting and equitable event. http://www.wilsonharborinvitational.com/whi-rules/

We are a weigh station Sent from my SCH-I435 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Guys I will firm things up tomorrow. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Keep it classy Y-Knot. Phones are open and my email works. Not sure why you have made this personal but it happens from time to time. Regardless of your ramblings its not as easy as you claim it to be. I did the research countless calls with officials on both sides to find out the real deal. Obviously with a few rule changes and requirements we can move past this and I have provided the platform to do so. No matter what has taken place in the past 2013 provided some real world scenarios that forced us to take another look. Presently as in this year there are only 2 tournaments out of 10 that allow border crossing its hard to believe that the WHI is susceptible to so much criticism while trying to maintain the integrity of the event. Im sorry Y- Knot if I have disappointed you we have tried to meet or exceed everyone's expectations and will continue to do so by providing a level playing field. In the the future this might include educating and preparing our teams and observers to cross the border legally. At the end of the day most of the people that know me realize I dont belong to a Good Ole Boy network in fact quite the opposite. In fact it might be that good ole boy network that led you to make the response you did. As I have said in previous posts please call or write [email protected] 716-863-1001 Kevin

Thank you again for those who understand the situation and for those who are disappointed but still understand where we are coming from. At the end of the day no matter where we fish someone is still walking away with alot of money. As everyone arrives there are many cool things going on this year beginning with our Salmon Pollooza events and the addition of the Salmon Showdown crew being in town. For those would like to make the changes necessary for travel next year I will plan for some time before the captains meeting. As I have always said if change is supported by the majority I will not stand in the way as long as the integrity of the event and the tournament committee are not compromised. At the captains meeting I will ask for a show of hands for motion to begin the process. At the captains meeting I will not debate the above topic as it is better dealt with privately to remain diplomatic. We have operated in the spirit of the rule since we began and we have reserved the right to make the necessary changes to maintain the events integrity. Further we are picking up steam not slowing down and wherever it leads I hope to see you all there reaping the rewards of the journey! See you all in a few weeks! Tight lines! Kevin Jerge 716-863-1001 [email protected]

As I said before I have my facts straight in writing. It reads clearly if you take the time. I've made the same calls with conflicting results. Im using what I have in writing as my guide. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Pretty disappointed after speaking to both of you on the phone that you would take to the boards to rally the troops. My phone and email are listed and we can continue to converse. Regardless of years past this liability issue is a big one for me. I understand the disappointment but I dont see a workaround for this year. It is my hope we can make the necessary changes to make it happen next. I too have called the above number and have gotten mixed results. In fact in some cases all it takes to to tell them you dont have a cell phone and they proceed to tell you differently. The above content was taken from the website I would say it clearly states what the rule is regardless of what someone says via phone. That plus our non com rule spells it out. In all actuality the tournament itself does not prohibit travel the Canadian government does. I get what you both are saying im a bit offended that you would think this isn't a peoples tournament as we are protecting the integrity by providing a level playing field, and in my next breath providing a platform to make the changes you seek for next year. I would ask you both to get the information you received over the phone in writing as I have done, as it would be a big help in supporting your argument. Bottom line if there is infraction that cost someone a payday it will be my ass and until we have specific rules that support what your asking I cant look the other way as there were several people last year that I know were ticketed. Once again my email [email protected] and my phone 716-863-1001

There has been a lot of talk Lately about the Canadian border fishing, crossing, etc. I have taken many phone calls with regards to regulation that prompted a phone call to both the officials on the Canadian side and the US side. My findings are as follows US regulation - US passport is required for a return to the US only after landing on foreign soil. Calls and reporting in are not required if you have not landed on Canadian soil. Canadian regulation- This is where it gets a bit difficult as it pertains to the tournament rules. They state that those arriving from the US but not landing on Canadian soil must call at the time of entry. It also states that everyone on board must clear customs which includes observers. Please see the following sent to me and taken from the website Kevin see below fact sheet. My contact on the Canadian side suggests contacting the number listed below local boating event section. Reporting Requirements for Private Boaters As warm weather returns, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) wishes to remind all private boaters how to report as required by Canadian law, upon entering Canadian waters. In recognition of the importance of travel and leisure to Canadian communities, the CBSA takes a practical approach to the application of the law. While there are both low-risk and higher-risk private vessels travelling through Canadian waters; we know the majority of private boaters just want to enjoy Canada's coasts and inland waterways. To make the most of your time on the waters we recommend you: Never leave home without acceptable identification. It is the responsibility of the owner/operator to ensure all those onboard have proper identification. A valid Canadian passport, while not mandatory, is the preferred piece of identification for Canadians entering Canada. Other acceptable identification includes an enhanced driver's licence, Permanent Resident Card, or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status, as well as a NEXUS or Free and Secure Trade card for Canadian citizens. Know what you've got onboard. It's not a problem to bring the food and drinks you need for your trip. When law enforcement authorities patrol Canadian waters, they're looking for signs of higher-risk activities, which could include smuggling goods into or out of the country. Canadian law requires that travellers report to the CBSA when carrying CAN$10,000 or more, or its equivalent in a foreign currency across the border. We recommend boaters carry only what they need for their trip and leave the rest at home. How to report your entry to Canada: Planning to "land" your vessel on Canadian soil or did you leave Canadian waters and land on U.S. soil? All private boaters who intend to land on Canadian soil, or who have departed Canadian waters and landed on U.S. soil, are required to report to a CBSA designated marine reporting site. Upon arrival at a CBSA designated marine reporting site, call the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) at 1-888-226-7277 from the phone provided to obtain clearance. Not planning to "land" your vessel or did you leave Canadian waters but did not land on U.S. soil? You still need to report to the CBSA. Certain private boaters may contact the CBSA by calling the TRC at 1-888-226-7277 from their cellular telephones upon arrival in Canadian waters. This includes: Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have not landed on U.S. soil; and U.S. citizens and permanent residents who do not plan on landing on Canadian soil. Private boaters that are strictly weaving in and out of Canadian waters but are not in transit, are required to call the TRC only once at the time of their initial entry into Canadian waters. If this activity changes, i.e., the vessel docks in Canada or takes on new persons or goods while in foreign waters, the boaters must report to a CBSA designated marine reporting site and call the TRC to obtain clearance. All other private boaters, including those without cellular telephones, must proceed to a CBSA designated marine telephone reporting site and place a call to the TRC to obtain CBSA clearance. This includes all vessels carrying individuals who are not Canadian or U.S. citizens or permanent residents. What to expect when calling the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC): When private boaters call the TRC, they will be asked a series of questions about their trip, any passengers onboard the vessel, and their declarations. After recording the information provided, the CBSA officer at the TRC will determine whether further verification or examination is required. If no examination is necessary, the CBSA officer will provide a report number to the owner/operator. The receipt of this report number will constitute release and approval for entry into Canada. If a verification or examination is required, the CBSA officer will advise the owner/operator to ensure all goods and passengers remain onboard until the verification team arrives. A report number will be provided following the verification process. Owners/operators should keep their report number available during their entire stay in Canada. Looking to make the most of your time on the water this summer? The CBSA's Trusted Traveller programs streamline the border clearance process for pre-approved, low-risk travellers. NEXUS and CANPASS members can provide advance notice to the CBSA at least 30 minutes (minimum) and up to four hours (maximum) prior to arriving in Canada by calling the NEXUS Telephone Reporting Centre at 1-866-99-NEXUS (1-866-996-3987) and 1-888-CANPASS (1-888-226-7277) respectively. For more information on how to apply to NEXUS and CANPASS, as well as the full requirements and benefits of the programs, visit our NEXUS or CANPASS Web pages. Organizing a local boating event? Are you organizing a local boating event or fishing derby and wonder how reporting requirements may impact your participants? Contact the TRC as soon as possible at 1-888-226-7277 to discuss clearance procedures for your participants. Ask for the TRC superintendent who can assist you and your participants in complying with reporting regulations, so you can enjoy your time on the water this summer. Failure to report While Canadian authorities do not inspect every vessel entering Canadian waters, private boaters are required to obey the law and comply with reporting requirements. Canadian law enforcement authorities do patrol Canada's coasts and inland waterways and have the authority to stop any vessel having recently entered Canadian waters. Failure to report may result in detention, seizure or forfeiture of the vessel and/or monetary penalties. The minimum fine for failing to report to the CBSA upon entry to Canada is CAN$1,000. Following enforcement action, all persons have the right to appeal the penalty. An independent third party reviews the elements of the seizure/action and will render a decision. To appeal a seizure or penalty, individuals must send a written submission to the Recourse Directorate of the CBSA. For more information on appeals, visit the CBSA Web site at: www.cbsa.gc.ca. The appeal must be filed within 90 days of the penalty action. We have always operated in the spirit of the rule to maintain the strategic value of the event. In the past we have all traveled back and forth without regards to the "actual" rules as depending on who you talked to the official rule seemed to change. I made several other calls to ask if the call could be made in the morning before entering Canadian water. I also inquired about pre-qualifying teams prior to the event as they do in several sailboat races that enter Canadian territory. In both cases the official answer was no that they have no jurisdiction on vessels not in Canadian water and no unless the vessels follow a pre determined route. I realize many have called and received conflicting information as it pertains to the above but we as a tournament committee will use the language as its written as our guide. Currently we require each team to follow the letter of the law as it pertains to both reporting and fishing regulations and this year is no different, this is how it plays out in the effort to keep the playing field level. Based on my findings the tournament rules themselves handcuff travel out of the country "no comm" means just that unregulated conversation is not allowed on any device thus calling in at the time of crossing cannot be done. Further we have not required "certified" observers in the past and due to time constraints we cannot make the change this year to allow for them. My position has been and will continue to be the least restrictive route as I believe strategy should continue to play an important roll in our tournament. Regretfully as the rules are written travel over the border is nor permitted for this years event. The Wilson Harbor Invitational is a peoples tournament and for next year and beyond it is possible (majority) to make the necessary changes to allow for the changes to permit travel back and forth over the border. I hope in the mean time you can understand the liability this would create for me personally as well as the event itself. If you have questions or concerns please use my email [email protected] or phone 716-863-1001 to discuss the above matter if you feel the need. Please note that regardless of how the rules are interpreted the above should serve as your guide. I will ask be show of hands at the captains meeting how we should proceed in future. Thank you for your understanding........

Huge!

Please be advised that balances are due tomorrow. You can pay using your registration email or please request a new one sent at [email protected]. We also have very exciting news coming soon! Sent from my SCH-I435 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

We will be giving away a Raymarine Dragonfly unit to some lucky attendee. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

yes Sent from my Nexus 7 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I've installed a few autopilots using various kicker drives. There's a few better than the panther. Most are vary fast and can keep up without any problem provided your running a high thrust motor. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Dave we are drawing in front of everyone at the banquet. It was brought to my attention last year that several threw their $200 in for the chance to win a grand. Of those two one opted out of the tourney one paid very late. This way we are keeping everyone honest and in the event they opt out we can draw another name. Sorry for the confusion. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

With the early bird deadline come and gone its possible that we could be fielding the largest ever field of boats in this years event. Only time will tell as we are still waiting on a few stragglers. February brings early bird deadlines for the 1K a Day and the Salmon Slam. What does this mean? Well currently we are planning prize structure to obviously the largest Salmon each day of the 1 K a Day and a payback of between 10 and 15% percent of the field in the Salmon Slam depending on entries. Your early bird entry could earn you additional prize structure (cash for your second place fish ) or three hundred bucks in the Salmon Slam early bird drawing. Still not enough? Obviously we have some of the most reputable companies in the fishing industry supporting these events. Your early entry also gets your team a ticket to win prizes from these sponsors on their respected day. At this time we are still sorting things out and you can expect an announcement soon on which day is what. What I can tell you these will be some really cool items just think big. Additionally its fair to say we continue to add sponsors weekly so the pot grow as do your opportunities. The 1 K a Day and the Salmon Slam are for everyone. Running the week before the WHI and along side the LOC they create tremendous opportunity to win some serious cash. You could even find yourself on the big stage at the Wilson Harbor Invitational accepting your award. From weekend warrior to professional angler these are equal opportunity events all it takes is one big one or in the case of the Salmon Slam Seven good ones. Since Ive had a few questions I figured id answer a few. First off "how does your entry work".......Well its easy your entry covers the boat not the person or the people in it. In our case we wanted to make it simple for the charter guys to fish and an added bonus for their customers. Bottom line if your weighing a fish it had better come from the boat you registered or no dice. Secondly "do I have to fish all seven days in the salmon slam?" Hell no after a long cold winter who would want to fish seven days straight? In all reality you have to weigh 7 by weeks end. So 2 one day 5 the next 1 each day even 7 in the same day the name of the game is strategy. Its not likely that even the weather will hold out for seven days so don't you either. Lastly "where can I fish" a simple answer is anywhere on the open waters of Lake Ontario. Catch it in oswego if you like but there will only be weigh stations in Wilson and Olcott currently. We are looking into expanding that list in the future but as of now its just the two. In all reality though thanks to technology the leader (1 K a Day) will be posted, tweeted, facebooked, instagramed, and texted. Even if you are halfway down the lake whats a 2 hour drive for a $1000 bucks. Still further why are you halfway down the lake when everyone one knows this is the place to be each spring? Long Story short stop over to www.wilsonharborinvitational.com and register. Take a chance with a $100 or $300 because hey ya never know? Continue to expect bigger and better as there is great energy on Lady O in 2014. Wilson, Oak Orchard, Sodus and Oswego all represent opportunity learn,grow,fish see you on the water. Oh and if you have a question feel free to call me 716-863-1001. Rather not? Try Yankee, Vinny, Tall Tails Brian or Prime Time Pete

Rookie prize structure is in place. A large percentage of each rookie entry will pay back top 3 regardless of overall placement. We still have room for new teams Sent from my SCH-I535 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Awesome Job! Its great to see everyone looking beyond what has become standard. 2014 is going to be different you can feel it. Keep up the good work and whatever you need were here to lend a hand.