HB2

Yeah , really don't think the course would benefit me in any significant ways reason being as I've been an avid boat owner for almost 50 years. But if I don't have the certificate and something happened , maybe insurance would be less likely to cover the loss as they would have a reason not to . And agreed Rolmops, why take a chance .

So am I to believe if I don't have this card if I go boating in NYS waters tomorrow that I am not in compliance and subject to a ticket ?

I miss seeing him and his crew going by my place heading out and coming in . They all looked so happy on that boat . How it should be.

Our best spots were as you head out of Naples Bay and get to the intersection( where the police boats sit ) of heading straight to Marco or right to Gordon pass , about 250 yards past the intersection on the left , drift and cast , there are a ton of Ladyfish usually . Or head right to Gordon pass and that whole shoreline along Keywaydin to the mouth is good . All around the rocks on South side of Jetty is good also . Got some nice Redfish , Jacks ,and Snook there . Also that Sheephead time . Fun to catch . Also about 200 yds as you head right from the intersection there is a bay , allalong that shoreline to where it wraps back around . Watch out for the sandbar . I would think if you are a pin guy you would clean up with a shrimp or minnow drifted along the shore or rocks . I used Red / white bucktails w/ shrimp 1/4 to 1/2 oz mostly .

My brother Winters in Naples . Lives on a canal . We fished the bay out to the Gordon pass . Also went down on the inland canal to the Big Marco pass . Did well .We fished the inland stuff which I prefer . It's like bass fishing in salt water . Got Snook , Reddish , Sheepheads , Snappers etc. I used a 7 ft med spinning rod with braid and 20# floor leader . Bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp . Also shrimp under a float . Don't know any charters but there are a bunch down there. I did the party boat thing a few times and got grouper and some nice Mangrove snapper . But I like the inshore better. Where are you staying ?

I installed the Kell Outdoors noise filter on my Yamaha kicker . Was a game changer .

Something I did with my probe rigger was I made a 4 ft lead of coated downrigger cable for my pinch pad release . I have a broom stick with a cup hook on it. I reach over and snatch the cable while the ball it at the surface and put the line in the release and deploy it that way so I don't have to pull the ball to the boat . Works great.

I have been using pinch pad releases for 25 + years and I use to use blacks. I have used Offshore but I like the Scotty's better . Both work .

I have sharpened serated bread knives with something similar to Sk8mans sharpener and it works pretty well

Well , the DEC has said repeatedly that it is bait related. I have my armchair quarterback theory on why but they are the guys with the most experience with this . Banner year this year they supplied . I saw the most bait I have seen in a long time out there this year . There has been a biatfish biomass rebound the last few years . We are only about 5# off the mark for bigger fish actually. Let's see what happens when we have continuous years with good bait instead of using this as an excuse to close the tribs . Let's wait and see next year if avg and top end are bigger . We had a banner year . Be happy for that and hope for the best . I met the daughter in San Antonio of a guy who fishes a lot of Lakers in lake Superior. I have been going back and forth with him. The Lakers he catches average 5 # and a 10# is a big fish . If he gets a 10 fish day , that's a lot . He is jealous of what we have . It certainly could be worse . We are not Lake Superior.