Lucky Enuff Niagara Pro Am Report

[Fishtails]

Arrived Wednesday to get the boat ready and met our observer (Shade from LOU) to make our prefish plans.

Thursday morning I left the dock with Shade and his son with my mind pretty well set to fish the bar. I knew the Sabres tourney was going on in Olcott, so I'd get a feeling on the fishing there through the results and I knew another boat fishing Wilson so It was off to the bar for me! We had an OK morning, nothing stellar but the fish were obviously there. We took a nice rip on the 600 copper, so I handed the rod to Shade's 33 year old son Howie and after about 1 min he handed it back to me wanting nothing to do with that fish. I ended up landing a 19+ lb king and it turned out to be our big fish of the trip. that fish came on a white/blue halo spinny pulling an atomic hammer fly. We took a few small fish before calling it quits around noon. All fish were released to fight another day.

Friday....heard no reports that sounded any better than the bar, so I left the dock with a new crew (Todd and Bill from Fishful Thinking) and we made the run down to the bar again searching for some big boys. Well, the big boys eluded us and even though we fished over a fantastic looking screen, all we could manage to do was pick away at the small Coho's and kings. We ended the day with around ten in the boat, with our only "good" fish coming unbuttoned during battle. We released all but three Coho's, with most fish coming 70-90 down on various purple spoons (NK purple frog, Dreamweaver ss bloody death, etc) off the riggers. Wire bite was slow and copper bite was non existent on this day.

Sat...day one of the Pro Am. My partner Jeff J and his 13 yr old son Matt had arrived Friday evening and we decided the fishing was good enough to stick with fishing the bar, especially considering the east blow we had on Friday. We knew with the new AM time rules we could never get to the bar in the 15 min. we had from leaving the dock till fishing started, and we couldn't afford to stop and search other areas and loose even more fishing time. So we left the dock at 5:15 am and arrived at the bar by 5:50 and began to set up. We were the second boat to arrive and we were greeted with tons of bait, but not the screen we had the day before. We trolled west and at 6:15 the 300 wire started pulsing....FISH ON!! Jeff jumped on that rod and a rigger fires so I grab that one and hand it to Matt. We are doubled up on kings and boated both by 6:30 (15.2 & 11). We are stoked as we get set up again. It took an hour and 10 Min till our next fish, then another hour till we get #4 (both coho's) Fished from 8:40 till 12 with a several dropped fish but no more in the box. We stuck with our king program to long thanks in part to those two early fish and the coho's had changed from the day before. We never got them figured out so we headed to weigh in with only 4 in our box. Lucky for us, very few kings were taken and the extra weight of those fish helped us out and we were sitting in 11Th place and still in striking distance of the money.

Sun....day two and we knew what we had to do! Make the 12 mile run again to the bar and get on a combined king/coho program stat! The east wind was gonna blow and I feared the fish may shut off (they didn't), so we targeted kings early but ran some coho gear right from the start this time. By 6:10 we had fish #1 in the box, and by 6:40 we boxed our 3rd...two coho and a smaller king. That was our last touch on a king (wire rod w/white & green spinny and a green glow fly). We picked away at the coho's all morning, seemingly loosing every other one which was somewhat frustrating but those fish were green and went absolutely ballistic behind the boat! It was a Chinese fire drill on and off all morning....but lots of fun for 5lb fish. Our 35 rigger stayed steady early...then it was the 45 that got hot & by the time we finished it was the 60 & 80 riggers taking coho. We found ourselves with 8 in the box at 11:55 and we knew with the snotty east winds and 3-5 fters we wanted to pull lines and head to port by 12. Jeff and myself were right by the rods, as we were only running 3 rods/riggers at the end. 5 min left....I'm chucking in the last of my change to pay the fish gods and bang....FISH ON the 90 rigger and I run up the front of Jeff and down his back to grab the rod before he even knows we got bit

We are pumped thinking this puppy was in the box and as soon as it hits the surface it flips and comes unbuttoned and we watch it swim away. It's 12 now and time to head in...we decide to give it 5 more min. 12:04....60 rigger fires and Jeff, (now keen to my cat like reflexes) boxes me out and jumps on the rod before I can make my break . He does a fine job as usual and we net this one by 12:06 and throw it on the floor, pull the riggers in and throttle down for port with our 9 fish limit

We had a BUMPY ride in, with lake Ontario rearranging all the stuff in my cuddy for me.

We managed to jump up to 6Th place in the final standings and had a GREAT time! Thanks for being our observer Shade...it was good meeting you and having you aboard on Thursday!

Jeff and Matt accepting our awards

Looking forward to this week in Orleans....hope the fish cooperate!!! Good luck to all participating in the Orleans Pro Am

[fishman08]

good job rod! i hear you on alot of fish coming unbutton. we had a very hummbling experience losing 10 fish lol. see you this weekend.

[stan]

great job Rod thanks for the report and pictures, In the mess on the deck you have a spoon box , where did you get it ?

Keep a tight line a knock them dead in the next tournament

[spoonfed-1]

Nice work Rod and team.

See you this weekend.

Glen

[ray koziatek]

the cabin lookes the same as it did before we went stripper fishing onlywith a tad bit bigger bunker spoons,how many roaps on the radar tower ..great job team ...it really hurts sitting in campsites without a pink towel,heck id wear my whole barbie outfit if the wife would let me go..Hmmm honey there is something ive been meaning to tell you!

[Shade]

Rod,

Once again thank you for the invite to fish with you prior to the Pro/Am it was a pleasure. It was my misfortune not to fish Friday due to some resposibilities at home.

The team I observed also went to the bar and I happened to look behind us as they were setting up and it looked like the Normandy Invasion with all the boats heading our way. Out of the 75+ boats that were in the Pro/Am 35 fished the bar which did not help the east wind swells that we delt with.

I must say if some of you gents have the opportunity to be an Observer believe me it is an experience to watch fellow fishermen have the same situations you do like tangled lines, debating on what lure to use and where to put it, posioning to get the pole faster than your teammate, loosing fish and the dissapoinment that follows.

The only dissapointment was a couple of the Pro's being very unPROfessional when it comes to courtisy .

All- in- all it was a learning experience and I got to meet some great fishermen.

One more thing Rod, Ray is right, your cuddy looked the same to me on Thursday.

Shade

[salmonbound1]

well rod i wonder what melissa will dream were you will place this weekend nice job on your finish

[Fishtails]

I asked her to dream big dreams Bob

Hey guys....stop picking on me....my cuddy is not a mess!! I've wrecked it before in rough conditions, but this was a new high We hit one wave and the hatch door blew open and busted clean off

[Shade]

Rod,

The ride I was on lost their Canvas top, all was left was the frame.

Howie

[Fishfull Thinking]

Hey I'm doing the best I can for ya buddy!

My Dad and Todd really enjoyed their time out on your boat Friday and said they learned quite a bit - so thanks again for that.

Also, they learned not to lock other peoples vehicles without asking them first whether they have another set of keys. I told my dad about that and he said he knew Todd shouldn't have locked the doors I told them it all turned out ok but they still feel bad.

See you (probably) this weekend!

[Fishtails]

Well....tell them not to worry, it all worked out and I really appreciate their help! But....if they still feel bad about it tell them my tow plate still won't be arriving before I leave ( ) so I'm gonna be in a fix getting the RV and boat and van to Sodus. Maybe helping me again will make them feel better

I'm leaving the boat and RV in Sodus till the Sodus Pro Am.....you think you can get the number to that storage facility again Melissa? We're gonna use Janz boat for the Oswego event.

Hope you make it out this weekend

[Fishfull Thinking]

We'll get you moved. I will be headed back Sodus way if I end upcoming up there this weekend, so I can move something for you.

I'll get you that number later today, I have an idea of what it is but I want to make sure his storage phone number is the same as his charter phone number so I will grab it when I go down to the boat later.