John E Powell

400-500'+ coppers off the boards all summer.

Jimmy, yes. You basically have to reel the main lure up to the snap of the free slider as quickly as possible to get tension on the slider lure. It is during this time when there is no tension on the line (and lure) when most free-slider fish are lost. The hook was never really set deeply, and the fish just shakes the poorly set hook loose. The quicker you can take up the slack line the better the chance the fish will make it to the net.

Sliders or cheaters are used to place a second lure, usually a spoon, on one rod. The only real difference between the two is whether the lure "slides freely" on the mainline or whether it is "affixed in place". There are advantages to both methods. Fixed sliders (or cheaters) can be held at a controlled depth with the use of a small pinch pad type release or rubber band. Most people will rig a fixed slider so both the snap and release/rubber band attaches to the fishing line. Then there are those people who might rig the snap to the fishing line but attach the release/rubber band to the downrigger cable. Either way will work, but attaching to the downrigger cable usually requires a heavier rubberband or more powerful release than necessary if attaching solely to the fishing line. "Free" sliders use only a snap that goes around the fishing line, never around the downrigger cable. To deploy a slider, rig you main lure into the release and drop your rigger to depth. Reach out and attach the slider snap around the fishing line and carefully toss it over ensuring the lure runs true. Depending on a variety of factors including currents, lure type, cable angle, boat speed and other factors, most people would tend to agree the lure will settle to a point somewhere around 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the ball, but in shallow or deep conditions could be even higher or lower than that. It's because of all these variables that many people choose to affix the slider at a specific distance above the main lure. To deploy a fixed slider with a rubber band (or pinch pad type release), set your main line as normal, then lower your downrigger weight a few feet below the surface. Consider both the depth of the release below the surface and how high above the water you can conveniently handle the fishing line to affix the slider. For example one might set a rigger at 4' deep and reach out to attach the slider about 6' above the water to get the fixed slider lure to run 10' above the main lure. Half-hitch a rubber band around the fishing line, then attach the fixed slider snap to the rubber band AND the fishing line (some people forget to go around the line and only go through the rubber band. If you forget to go around the fishing line, you will lose the rig to the first fish that breaks the rubber band). Drop the rigger a few feet to take the slack out of the fixed slider line and then toss that over making sure the lure runs true. When a fish hits on a free slider rig, there isn't a lot to do except reel the fish in. If the fish is on the mainline, the slider will just slide down the line to the main lure and the slider lure will trail a few feet behind the fish. if the fish is on the slider, be careful not to catch the mainline lure (which is closer to the rod tip) in the net as you reach past the main lure to net the fish on the slider lure. When a fish hits an affixed slider or cheater rig it will be slightly different. if the fish hits the main lure, the affixed slider will still be affixed to your fishing line quite a bit in front of your fish. it will be more than the 10' you rigged earlier because you also have to add in how far the main lure was running behind the release. For instance, if you set the main lure 15' behind the release and the affixed slider 10' above that, you will have to deal with un-attaching that affixed slider with the fish on the line about 25' behind the boat. If the fish is green and running all over the place when you bring him in, the affixed slider will be dangling around and can catch in other rigging complicating matters quite a bit. The person on the rod has to watch not only the fish but has to bring in the dangling affixed slider between the other gear so the netter can un-attach it. Probably the easiest way to deal with it is to un-attach the slider leaving the half-hitched rubberband on the line and then wind the rubber band up through the guides and onto the reel as you bring the fish to net. Other people prefer to break the rubber band off completely. If you decide to leave the rubber band on, just do a pre-check to make sure your rod guides and reel levelwind are large enough for your rubber bands to pass freely. If they are not, you might be better off using a pinch pad type release instead of rubber bands. Now if the fish hits the affixed slider, it will either break the rubberband or pull the pinch pad release loose and turn the affixed slider in to a free slider and you will net the fish as described above. Affixing a slider takes more work to rig and to remove when changing lines or netting fish, but most people would agree you have better control of where lures run in your presentation, and some feel the affixing of the slider offers a more solid hook set in a fish's mouth than a free slider.

Having owned both, I'll take twins over a main and kicker anyday (and twice on Sunday).

No credit/debit card, just cash? That's dumb...

Twili tip or Torpedo swivel roller tip are all you need on a standard diver rod, no need for full roller rod at all.

A lot of the stories you may hear about trolling with a 2-stroke may not be with current engine technologies. I troll just fine with my 225 E-Tecs and use .3 gph at trolling speed (that measurement is verified with a digital fuel flow meter). You might want to check out one of the mercury boards and ask the optimax gurus if there is a preferred spark plug for extended trolling use.

This is always a contentious topic. I've been on both ends of the charter tip. I've gotten up at 3am to drive 70 miles one way to substitute mate for a friend who called me at 3 am. I've steadied hung over vomiters as they puked their guts overboard. I've wiped up diarrhea that missed the bowl in rough seas with paper towels. I've cut the barb off a hook that impaled and passed through a customers hand. I've entertained spoiled brat out of control kids whose parents should be ashamed of their behaviors. I've had to breathe second hand smoke, and bite my lip at stoned and drunk customers, one drunk stumbling into me injuring me to the extent I had to take time off from work. I've had people get upset at me because they lost a fish, some to the point of being rude. I bring extra food, beverage, and sunscreen in case you forgot yours in the rush to get to the boat. I offer some Bonine or ginger root to calm your motion sickness if you forgot that. I clean your fish with the skill of a butcher, completely boneless filets or steaks if you prefer and custom package them and have sometimes gotten dirty looks because you think I work too slowly and your in a hurry to get on the road ( I guess you feel I should apologize for taking twenty-five minutes to clean your 4-person limit catch of kings). I managed to be polite all day to your angry bitter teen because you dragged them away from her friends hoping this would be a good way to bond with your kid that disrespects you so much they call you by your first name (instead of something more appropriate like dad). I've taken pictures and videos of you and your kids so in the future you can reflect on some of the happier times in your life. If your interested, I'll try and teach you all I know about the fishery. I'll teach you the what, where, when, and how of salmon fishing and encourage you to be an active participant if you are willing. I'll try to anticipate your needs and desires and fulfill them if I can. I'll listen to what you feel is important and when I say listen I mean listen, not wait for you to finish so I can one-up you. I won't bring up your work on your day off, and if you do, I'll try to get your mind off work without you realizing it. I'll point out the sunrise your missing cause your searching through your gear for some unimportant thing like your cell phone or organizer. I'll do what's in my ability to ensure that you and your friends and/or family have a great time sharing each other's company. After you leave I'll spend a couple hours getting the boat ready for tomorrow's guests, just like I did the night before for your trip today. I'll get home exhausted, shower off the fish smell, and skip dinner because I'm just beat from the 85 degree temp and the sun reflecting off the water all day. Oh, and that alarm is going to go off at 3:00 am again... Now, you don't think twice about giving the waitress 10-15% for comparatively minimal contact with you bringing you a drink, taking your order, bringing you your food, and checking in that everything is to your liking, yet somehow you balk at what amounts to less than minimum wage for personalized all day long service for your charter first mate? Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Finally found it on the road leading to the harbor-mouth pier. A sign was hung this past weekend which explains why I was having so much difficulty finding it. The building doesn't seem to have a street address posted, but it is directly across the street from a house with a clearly posted address of 129. You can park at the sewage treatment parking area next to the pier, or park in the Wilson boathouse/boatyard parking lot and walk past the slips and shops on the right side of the harbor and go up the stairs at the very end of the walk. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

So it sounds like if you stand by the Boatyard gas dock and look across the harbor it will be to the left of the boatyard property - across the channel from the Tuscarora Yacht club? Can you walk there from the boatyard property or do you have to get there from the pier road? I think I know where you are describing, but without a sign, I am hesitant to walk on what might end up, if I am wrong, as someone's private property and come face to face with a guard dog or something...

Does he have a sign on the building? Where is it exactly? I looked for a fourth time this weekend when I went down to assist with the yacht club launching and still couldn't find it.

Pancake weights are generally used on outside riggers to provide a small amount of extra horizontal separation (when you bend the tail of the weight slightly off center). Dan Keating runs pancake weights on his boat and talks about them in detail as part of his seminar (I think he covers them in one of his videos also, maybe the second one). The Wingers are supposed to do a similar job with regular weights. I had never heard anyone running both until the post directly above this one, but it could make sense to do so if you feel that additional horizontal spread is important for your boat's particular layout and how you rig your lines.

There's good news and bad news. Bad news is you will likely need a new seat. Good news is that this is a very easy repair on a fly rod, something you can do yourself - this is because the seat is at the end of the rod blank. It's a more complex repair on a rod with a rear grip. First remove your old seat. If it's a metal seat, use a heat gun set somewhere from 360-440 degrees and heat the seat making sure to protect the grip material from direct heat. If it's a wood seat, get a pan of water boiling on the stove. The water should be deeper than the length of the seat your removing. Pre-size a pair of pliers or vise grips and have them ready to go. Pull a plastic bag over the end of the seat and dip the seat in the boiling water and depending on the materials heat conductivity allow time to heat the seat sufficiently to loosen the epoxy. After a few minutes, check to see if you can get it loosened, if not, heat some more and try again (and again if necessary). Eventually it should come right off. If this doesn't work, you will have to mechanically remove the seat by carefully cutting the seat. If your middle name is "Bubba" you might consider a pro at this point, but still most anyone who works slowly and carefully can remove the seat without damaging the blank. Once the seat is removed, clean up the area all the way back down to the rod blank. Don't worry if you damage the finish on the blank cleaning it up, just be careful not to go all the way through the finish to the fibers. Now you have a clean blank and a reel seat. you need to create an arbor (or arbors) to fill the area between the smaller blank and the larger inside diameter of the seat. Depending on the seat you use it may or may not come with arbors. If it comes with arbors, they will need to be drilled to clear over the butt of the blank (this is backwards from how a rod is normally built so the arbor holes may be loose in their final location. If they are loose, wrap a band of masking tape tightly around the blank that is narrower than the arbor and build up the tape so the arbor is snug. using a band of tape that is narrower than the arbor allows room under the arbor for direct epoxy contact between the arbor and blank. if it comes with one long arbor, wrap multiple bands of tape leaving spaces between the bands for the epoxy to fill the area and connect the arbor to the blank. If the seat did not come with arbors, then you will make some using tape again making sure you wrap very tightly and leave spaces between the bands of tape. Dry fit the arbors to the blank, then the seat to the arbors. If no arbors dry fit the seat directly to your bands of tape. Mix up your 2-part epoxy. Use something that sets up in at least 30 minutes, not the 5-10 minute stuff. Set the epoxy aside for a few minutes and allow it to spread out on a piece of aluminum foil. Give it a minute or two for the large air bubbles to work to the surface and pop. Have some denatured alcohol handy for cleanup, and start assembling the various parts again making sure everything if fully filled and slide it in position. Clean up any squeeze out, and using either tape or some large rubber bands secure the seat so it doesn't twist out of location and at the same time the tape/bands should apply some pressure to pull the seat forward against the grip material. Then set aside in an upright position. There may be some variations to all of this depending on the kind of seat you use, but it really is a lot easier than what most people would think.

I have driven that road twice and there isn't a business operating there that I can see, no sign on any structure. They were to have a grand opening some time ago, if they are actually open, I can't imagine they will be in business very long. No one seems to have a clue where they are. Maybe the grand opening date was overly optimistic and they haven't actually opened for business yet. In any case, they need a sign... Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

4487 Lake Ave (Rte 78) about 2 miles North of Lockport. It' in the Cornell cooperative extension complex, in the first building on the right as you drive in. http://lotsa.org Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I don't believe so. I've heard on 425, and I've heard right in the harbor between the boathouse restaurant and the piers. The owner was at a LOTSA meeting back in March and handed out a sheet. I didn't notice at the time, but there was no address on the sheet (that I can find anyway). This is a second store for the owner, his first store is somewhere in the southtowns.

Has anyone found this place yet? It supposedly opened a while ago. I've looked for it on three occasions and still can't find it. The few people I've talked to describe where they think it is, but I can't find it for the life of me. Can someone who has actually been there describe in great detail exactly where it is located and how to get there?

http://www.fishingmonroecounty.com/resources/bait-tackle-retail/ http://www.yellowbook.com/yellow-pages/?what=bait+and+tackle+shop&where=surrounding+monroe+county%2C+ny https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=&safe=active&ie=UTF-8&q=monroe+county+ny+tackle+shop&fb=1&gl=us&hq=tackle+shop&hnear=0x89d6b08fd00f765d:0x7c66490d613aab7b,Monroe+County,+NY&ei=uYtaU_-SG-fOsATun4DQAw&ved=0CCwQtQM