BSmaster

You could get really creative and place a transducer on an R/C boat. That would keep a 10 yr old busy. I am not sure how the other fisherman will accept that, but that would be kinda cool to see. My dream has been to find a way to drop a camera in front of the salmon as they head up stream in the deeper areas. The idea was to learn how they hold in patterns before they move up into the shallower water. Status is still in fantasy mode. Anything you do is likely to upset other fisherman. Have thick skin. Joe

In the summer you have to decide right away and execute as soon as possible. Mother nature accelerates her clean up process when it gets warmer. A lot of good ideas on the board. I think I have tried them all. I just came back from Maryland. I imagine if it was easy to get it down there it would work good for there crabbin traps. The longer you wait the more the stink accelerates. I find it easiest to freeze em if I have the space and throw away on garbage day. I try to bury them but the neighborhood cat thinks it is fun to dig it up. I tend to do a drive and dump, but it gets more difficult to find good dump sites anymore close by. WIT - Just do it quickly.

Stopped by Hamburg, PA yesterday and saw some Palominos. Genetics is some pretty amazing stuff.

I was taught how to fillet them as a kid was like ripping the hide off with pliers and then cutting the fillet off (quickest). We left the pin bones in (3$ fish cleaners). I don't do it this way anymore. I fillet them like a normal pan fish and then run the knife loosely above the skin. This will be the least favorite tasting part of the fillet so don't worry about leaving flesh. Trim the back and belly. I also flip the fillet over and cut a V-groove down the lateral fat line to remove the darker area. I never liked the flavor of the fish fat and they claim this is one of the contaminated areas anyways. You can pull pin bones out of the fish with needle nose, cut them out, or just look for them after it is cooked. My rule is that if it is just for me, go the quick route. It taste the same , it just looks less pretty. I do think the flavor improves with the absence of the fish fat. I clean this area off all my fish - any species. If you want to grill, you can leave the skin on for extra protection or substitute foil. If you have the fore sight to gill let the fish, the meat will cook more cleanly, without the gelatin like stuff oozing up out of the fish surface. Does it matter is up for debate. I gill let. Don't know a good reason not to. Just try some things - hard to mess it up. A lot of ways to skin a cat too I'm told. Joe

So I have posted this clarification before but here is a reminder. If it jumps more than 3 times it is a steelhead... If it jumps less than 3 times it is a rainbow... If it jumps 3 times it is a hybrid.... Really... That simple. Where it gets complicated is with the skamania doing the aerobatics. I do not know how to describe this one. Just just have to know that the fish is doing something different.

I read it as inland waters only as well. I think the Southern tier rivers still open with walleye/pike but Waneta is one example where musky fisherman won't have to deal with as many bass fisherman starting 3 weeks earlier. I also read that it looks like there are no more bodies of water in NY that still have a 30in min.

Correct me if I am wrong. Don't a lot of the charter boats switch to perch and/or bass fishing after the eye creel limit so the customers have more fish?

To me too.

This highlights some proposed changes. I thought it may be of interest to Musky fisherman. Statewide Minimum size limit and season dates for muskellunge (2014_SW_01)Description: Increase minimum size limit for muskellunge to 40 inches and move the season opener to the last Saturday in May. Rationale: The current statewide season opener for muskellunge (3rd Saturday in June) is very late for the purposes of protecting spawning fish, as they typically spawn in April/early May in inland waters (water temps from 48 - 60 F). Moving the season opener to late May will provide additional opportunities for anglers while maintaining protection of spawning fish. Also, a review of muskellunge regulations in other states revealed that 20 of 24 states with muskellunge fisheries have year-round open seasons. Four northern latitude states (NY, MI, WI, MN) have restricted seasons and NY's current season opener is the latest among these. MI and WI openers are variable based on location and are from late April to late May. MN's opener is the first Saturday in June. The proposed change would make NY more consistent with these states. Muskellunge are treasured for their large size and fighting ability, and are appropriately managed as a trophy sportfish. The current statewide minimum size limit of 30" is not consistent with this intent as muskellunge at this size are typically immature and not close to reaching their size potential in most waters. This has been recognized and addressed in many NY waters already. There are 33 waters in NY with muskellunge populations and 19 of these already have minimum size limits above 30", 18 of which are 40" or more. This proposal would bring more statewide consistency to muskellunge minimum size limits and add protection to allow muskellunge to increase their trophy potential in 14 waters. Here is the link for the entire State: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/91959.html

Like Dave said. If you need any information for the Northern tier of PA send Don a PM. He has helped me on numerous occasions. Don, Glad to see you Joined LOU. Joe

Where = look for deep holes with lots of cover. Rule of thumb is if there are no snags there are no walleye. Fish will leave cover at night to forage. If fishing is slow, you hit the wrong night. Don't give up on it. They won't eat everyday. How = Best bet to get a walleye in the summer is to throw rapalas late at night or really (pre dawn) early in the morning in pool areas like I mentioned above. They'll move away from the cover at night. There eyes glow in bright light so you can probably see them in the shallows with a spot light. They move in under cover of darkness to feed. Thats why you use surface lures and rapalas. Live bait. They eat just about everything.

Gill-T is right on. I was beginning to think that I was the only one who doesn't think the sky is falling. I do not disagree with any of the comments about what is happening or has happened. I just do not see the cause and effect logic that the walleye population is doomed. BP, are you thinking slot limit? The Canadiens did this and I refuse to go there now. The DEC may be thinking about the license sales ramifications too. While not a put and take fish, it is part of the economics which does entail that some fish will be harvested. BTW, I too believe in letting the big girls go, but I also believe that it is a personal decision for each fisherman that is following the fishing syllabus rules. Those that cheat deserve stiffer penalties. Joe

Are you seeing a lot of Bait? That's why the fishing sux. I am refraining from finger pointing and I am not having any Legend (wait for it) dary outings since last spring. I know the fish are there. It's like asking a guy leaving Old country Buffet if he wants to head down to Apple Bs for a burger. Walleye bite is super late or non existent around here right now. I will wait til late August before I even try again. No guarantees then either. I'll still go because I am a fisherman. I spend of few hours "getting" dozens of bullheads and countless hours "fishing" for several walleyes. A lot of what is said above is true but this (lack of fish) is the consequence of last years early spring. Everything will be fine. I just don't know when. To the experts: Don't be afraid to keep learning. Change the patterns. 3rd year in a row I have changed my patterns for large mouths. It is logical that "goto" would work every year, but it doesn't. Not for my haunts anyways. The only netting I have ever seen in Canada was at Sundowners. Now that was Legen (wait for it) dary! Tight lines, Joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B_qBTj78xo

Adam, That is almost like asking if there is a good place to eat. I don't know how to answer that exactly what you are looking for. Right now, I am focused primarily on soft plastics around 12-15 ft of water, this is from a boat. Depending on water color, depends on what color bait I use -Clear is natural, Stained is Dark. Shore fishing, I would use top water or some sort of weedless lures and try weed mattes. Wacky rigs, are a goto producer in the spring, but I have yet to have success with them so far. River, go with live bait. I don't like to use live bait too much right now because it is so hard to keep it alive and fresh so usually don't hit the rivers until fall. As far as places to fish, you can use google - all the good spots get burned (quickly from pressure) out so no one will tell you where they are. But bass are everywhere so you should be able to find a few fairly easily by stopping and trying places. This is the part of fishing that I like. Goin somewhere I have never been before. Have fun and get out there.

Fast Trac in Corning.

This is definitely better than not at all. Thanks for the update.

I know that feeling. I can't blame them. They want to catch fish but aren't sure how and somewhere, somebody told them to go where the other boats are. I am always curious what the other guy's patterns are, but I never want to be up on someones grill because I think the fishing is better over where they are. 80% of the time its the pattern that will determine success. It can be as simple as a slight color change. Just my two cents. Swirling winds and extremely inefficient boat launching techniques (by others) was my only aggravation this weekend. It was nice to be out there. No eyes for me but about 15 bass 12-14 inchers.

My theory is a little different but relates back to the early spring we had in 2012. Fishing was fantastic at the beginning of the year, but by August I noticed that it was getting harder to get bites. I started looking in the water and there is a lot of bait fish. I am hopeful that things will work out soon from the late spring this year. I figure all the forage fish got to spawn more times and earlier last year. Should balance out this year. I could be wrong. This is what I am telling myself. That and that I am fishing and nothing is better than that.