2014 Sodus Bay Healing Waters Salmon Slam - Saturday Aug 2nd

[SoSaarie]

I'll be getting t-shirts done up again this year, same design in the previous two years only this year they will be on a green shirt. I will also be getting the Salmon Slam logo on a white tank top. I will post again in the next day or two regarding the prices, but if know you'd like any, please send me a PM with how many of what style and desired sizes. The order will have to be by the 25th at the latest... I know it's short order, but the summer kind of got away from me!

 

Thanks

 

~Joe

 

 

shirts are going to remain the same as last year - $10/ea.  Tanks are also going to be $10, The order is going in a week from tomorrow, send me a PM if you already haven't .....

[TOP SECRET]

Just a reminder that Joe needs everyone's shirt orders by this Friday!

 

I have also received an extension on dinner reservations until Wednesday, so if you haven't contacted me yet but want to join some of our Veterans and Captains for dinner, please let me know by Wednesday!

 

Nick

[SoSaarie]

Last call for t-shirts, order going in tomorrow morning. Here's what I have so far:

 

'Bout Time - (3) XL; (2) L; (1) M

Cohomotion - (1) XXL; (1) L

1fish2fish - (1) XXL; (1) M

Ruff Rider - (2) XL; (1) L; (1) S

Dispey Ranger - (1) L; (3) M; (1) M tank

Sammy Gee - (2) XL

Indecisive - (1) L

Echo One - (1) XL

Apple Boy - (2) XL; (1) L; (1) M

 

 

Let me know if I missed anyone or if there are any corrections

[TOP SECRET]

Thanks Joe, love getting a new Salmon Slam shirt each year!

 

We've gotten our 25 boats for the tournament! 

 

Even though the Saturday tournament is full, everyone is still welcome to fish Big Fish Friday and attend the dinner if they are interested. 

 

I need BFF payment in my hand by Thursday night (July 31st) to qualify for BFF.  You can pay via paypal ([email protected]) or drop cash/check off with me this weekend.

[THE TRADESMEN]

Geese I guess I need to pay more attention to the board. The Tradesmen would like 3 L shirts if its not to late.

Thanks 

Lee

[SoSaarie]

Tradesmen -

 

the order went in yesterday but I will send the guy a message to add 3 L shirts, no promises....

 

 

~Joe

[THE TRADESMEN]

Ok Thanks 

[TOP SECRET]

Ok folks, just a few more days to go and then we'll be putting some big smiles on the Vets faces!

 

BFF jackpot is over $400 now and we have OVER 60 people attending the dinner, WOW!

 

I continue to be amazed and proud of the support our LOU family shows to the Veterans and Servicemen this event supports. 

 

Now start praying for great weather, calm seas, and even a good bite on Saturday!

 

If anyone has any last minute questions, please let me know.  If you are interested in getting in on BFF there is still time, just let me know!

 

Nick

[insufishent]

just looked at the weather calling for 79 deg. sw winds at 6mph and scattered t-storms. nice weather except the thunder storms  

[TOP SECRET]

Forecast is looking pretty good, but bring rain gear just in case!  I'll have some of those dollar store plastic ponchos for the Vets, but if you have an extra rain coat, please bring it along!

[TOP SECRET]

Just a reminder that all Captains (or their designee) must be present in the Arney's Parking lot Saturday by 6am for the Captain's meeting and to get assigned the Vet that will be fishing as part of your team.

 

If you are launching your boat, please do so before the meeting as things will move quickly and we will be escorted from Arneys to the chute a bit before 630.  If you do not have a slip reserved, find someplace to tie up during the meeting, or drive over by car and plan on bringing your Vet back with you, but you will need to hurry to join back up with the pack on the bay outside Arneys. 

 

Upon return to port at the end of the tournament, please do not use a dock unless you have reserved one.  Instead return to your normal dock and drive your cooler and Vet back over, or if trailering, pull your boat and park it in the far lot and then bring your cooler over to weigh in.

 

The forecast looks beautiful other than the chance of thunderstorms.  If there is lightning prior to the tournament starting, we will wait for it to pass.  Once we are out on the water, please use your best discretion for safety if storms pop up.

 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Nick

[crumcake1223]

like welcome DEC once again to or fine event this year! they will be doing there normal check of fish after we have weighed in.  we look forward to to seeing you all again this year 

[Finders Keepers]

Looking forward to another great event!! Good luck to all fishing the BFF tomorrow - see you at weigh-in!!

[crumcake1223]

Safe waters and tight lines guys. Hunt them down so the vets day will be filled with screaming king's

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[TOP SECRET]

Ok the BFF, Dinner, and Salmon Slam lists are up to date as of this evening.  I will probably post updates from this weekend in my live report in the Fishing Reports section, but will make sure to post a summary of how the weekend went in this thread next week.

[TOP SECRET]

One clarification as folks have been asking, Big Fish Friday is single biggest fish, Salmon or Trout.  No sturgeon!

[crumcake1223]

How about bull shark?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[insufishent]

Good Luck everyone fishing BFF this morning!!! See you tonite at dinner!

[bout time]

Nick/Theresa

Just wanted to say what an absolutely wonderful job you both did again this year. Everything was great and the event ran smooth. As you know this event holds a special place in my heart with my dad being a vet and watching him exchange stories and just hanging with the other vets. Fishing regardless how good or bad it was did not matter everyone I talked to had a great time and can't wait to do it next year. Thanks again for everything you both have done and please know from the bottom of my heart and many more it was truly appreciated

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[insufishent]

From the Cohomotion capt. And crew this was an excellent well run event and would love to participate again next year!!!

Sent from my C771 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[THE TRADESMEN]

The Tradesmen would also like to say thanks for putting on an excellent very well planned and organized event. It was very impressive being escorted to the channel seeing all the Flag flying boats and knowing everyone of them had 1 of our fine military men or women on them was very cool. Our guy Deek was a pleasure to have on the boat, he had in addition to all the struggles of recovering from war recently lost his home due to fire. Needless to say a day on the lake to forget about life was truly in order for him. We are really glad the weather cooperated and that we were able to put him on some fish. Big thumbs up to all who helped put this event on.  

[crumcake1223]

for our friends that have joined this page after our great weekend many pixs and conversations can be found and had  on this great events face book page https://www.facebook.com/SodusBayHealingWaters?ref_type=bookmark

    im sure more pix are on there way as soon as they can be

 also if u have pix plz send me a wisper as i would like to get a look at them ty all

   tight lines ans safe waters guys, girls and vets alike

Edited August 4, 2014 by crumcake1223

[reelintense]

Nick/Theresa

Just wanted to say what an absolutely wonderful job you both did again this year. Everything was great and the event ran smooth. As you know this event holds a special place in my heart with my dad being a vet and watching him exchange stories and just hanging with the other vets. Fishing regardless how good or bad it was did not matter everyone I talked to had a great time and can't wait to do it next year. Thanks again for everything you both have done and please know from the bottom of my heart and many more it was truly appreciated

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I am not sure I can say it any better than Mike did.... so let me just Ditto / 2X / plagiarize....etc....!  Thank you BOTH (and Tavian) for your hard work and efforts.  We cant wait til the 4th annual next year.  Becky and Jason!!!! 

[TOP SECRET]

 

2014 Aug 1

On Friday, August 1^st 2014, twenty-two teams participated in our Big Fish Friday (BFF) 50/50 event to benefit the Sodus Bay Healing Waters Salmon Slam tournament that would be held the following day.  The BFF event cost $50 per boat and the team that caught the largest salmon or trout would walk away with 50% of the entry fees, while the other 50% would go towards supporting the Salmon Slam event on Saturday.

 

 

 

At 6am, we left the dock on the Ruff Rider team and were greeted with a flat calm lake and sunny skies.  We were catching salmon and steelhead pretty consistently, but struggled to find any of the big bruisers we were looking for.  We managed to pull in one mid-teens king on a Dreamweaver gator spin doctor pulling a green ITO fly over 140 feet of water.  Our fish was good enough for 4^th place.

 

 

Team Predator took an early lead with a 21lb Chinook Salmon.

 

 

Team Fishin Magician then took a commanding lead with their 24.5lb Chinook Salmon and we thought we may have found our winner.

 

 

However, Team Roll With It was able to beat Fishin Magician’s catch of the day.  Roll With It squeaked out a narrow win with a 24.8lb Chinook Salmon and went home with the $550 prize!

 

 

The Big Fish Friday event was followed by our Salmon Slam Dinner.  The dinner is a chance for our boat Captains to meet some of the Veterans, Servicemen, and Project Healing Waters Coordinators that they will be fishing with the following day.  This year’s dinner was held at Abe’s Waterfront in Sodus Point, NY.

 

 

 

Over 62 in total, Captains and their families, Veterans, and Volunteers, joined us for prime rib, chicken french, and all of the fixings.  After dinner, the Veterans were able to walk across the street to the Sodus Point Lodge where they would spend the night in anticipation for the Salmon Slam tournament in the morning.

 

8/2/2014 Salmon Slam

We awoke in the morning and began to prepare for the Salmon Slam tournament.  The Veterans and Captains were registered and each received a gift bag containing items donated by our many generous sponsors.  Within each gift bag there was also one special fly.  It was an ITO SBHW Salmon Slam fly and each boat received an identical copy.  The biggest fish caught on this fly during the tournament would win a special prize.

The Veterans joined their Captains and boarded the boats.  Everyone gathered in the bay, where to their surprise, the Sodus Point Coast Guard, Sodus Point Sherriff, Sodus Point Fire, and North Rose Fire boats were waiting to provide an honorary escort out to the lake!

It was a stunning morning, with the type of hazy sunrise that can only be seen over Sodus Bay.  We lined up behind the escort boats and all 25 tournament boats began to head through the bay towards the lake.

 

 

Once we were through the pier heads, the escort boats peeled off to each side and the tournament boats took off at full speed to seek our their fishing areas.

 

 

Teams began setting their lines and it didn’t take very long for the first of many fish to start coming aboard!

 

 

The VHF radio came alive with boats calling out to other boats that they were catching fish:  where, how deep, and on what lures.  You see, the Salmon Slam isn’t like many other tournaments where communication is shunned and fish catching secrets are held between tight lips… the Captains in the Salmon Slam understand this tournament is about teamwork and getting our Veterans hooked into some fish!

 

 

 

Excited calls on the radio came out with teams catching Chinook Salmon, Brown Trout, Steelhead Trout, Lake Trout, and even a rare Atlantic Salmon came aboard the Ruff Rider boat!

 

 

The Ruff Rider team also picked up one stowaway, which sneaked aboard on the side of a Chinook Salmon… a lamprey!

 

 

Dave’s Chinook Salmon aboard Team Ruff Rider was big enough for a 4^th place finish.

 

 

Team Green Dolphin’s Veteran is shown holding one of the beautiful Steelhead Trout he boated.

 

 

After a fun day of fishing, on a flat as glass lake, the tournament teams returned to port for the weigh-in ceremony.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Ruff Rider

[TOP SECRET]

 

Back at dock, the teams lined up and began weighing their fish and crossing their fingers that their fish would be big enough to take home a trophy that day!

 

 

Our barbecue was also in full swing as the teams waited to weigh-in and the food donated by R.F.H’s Hide-A-ay restaurant was being gobbled up quickly by our hungry anglers.

 

Nearly every team managed to catch a few fish during the tournament and everyone was grinning from ear to ear while taking their team photos.

 

 

Team Stress Reliever boated the largest fish on the ITO SBHW Salmon Slam fly and took home a nice ProTroll dodger pack.

 

 

Team Reel Outlaw won 1^st Place Brown Trout for the second year in a row.

 

 

 

Team Apple Boy took 1^st Place Salmon

 

 

 

Our big winner, Team SoSaarie took 1^st place in the Steelhead division and also won the Grand Prize Tournament trophies with their 23lb Chinook salmon!

 

 

 

Once the trophies and top prizes were handed out, every Veteran and Captain was entered into prize drawings for the great donations many of our sponsors provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We could not have asked for better weather this weekend and we certainly could not have had more worthy guests.  With over 100 fishermen, 30 Veterans, and countless volunteers, this year’s tournament more than doubled our inaugural event held just two years ago.  I’d like to personally thank everyone who has helped to make this event possible.  We could not do it without all of your support and generosity.  I hope to see many of you next year, so please mark your calendars for Saturday August 1^st, 2015 for our fourth annual Sodus Bay Healing Waters Salmon Slam!

 

 

Edited August 12, 2014 by Ruff Rider