Memorial Weekend Seneca Derby

[Sk8man]

For most of us this years derby was the toughest fished in a long while. Conditions were far from perfect. Continous soaking rain the first day and relentless sun beating down the second day..some of us opted out of the third half day because of the expected packed launch with recreational boat traffic and all that goes with it. Usually we fish all three days. The lesson here though is that persistence pays off for those hardcore veterans that have paid their ddues over the years, made necessary adjustments in their fishing strategies, and very competent fishermen that have kept up with the times, and lastly that have maintained the dogged determination to reach their goal.

 

Our LOU buddy Frogger after many years of diligent trying put it together this time with his very experienced team and won the derby under some of the most trying fishing I have seen in years. I couldn't be any more proud if it had been our boat as I have known him since he was a youth just getting into fishing. Winning the derby may involve a bit of luck but all those little details learned from many years of fishing that lake finally paid off big time and My hat is off to him and his great team of fishermen.

[whaler1]

Love that!! Great job Mike and team!!

[proline]

Well said Sk8Man, I couldn't agree more, It was a well deserved win for Mike and Team Salotti. 

Way to go guys.

[Frogger]

You guys are awesome. Definitely with finding a couple heads up coins in the Byrne dairy parking lot that morning paid off…..  I’ll post up some pics and stuff. Have to pay the piper for house work lol. 

[GAMBLER]

Congrats again Mike and crew!  Well deserved! 

[cinnamon fish]

Congrats!  Awesome job, well deserved!  I fished all 3 days, landed 11 total... 4 lakers to 6.68lb , 5 rainbows to 4.9lb, 1 landlocked 3 lb and 1 small brown.  Lost a very big rainbow first thing Saturday. Lots of hours grinding.  Had a great time.

[Frogger]

Thanks Brian, thanks again for all you do with your lure brand and tips and tricks to catch lakers!

 

Heres a recap of our weekend, which actually started back in March with upgrading some equipment. My plan was to never have to reel a 3lb thumper rod on Seneca during the derby or ever again for that matter. Fishing in 120-200ft all day, I was done. So I set out to rig the boat with Cannon optimums. Went out with Signalman two weeks prior to the derby to try them out. We’ll, we had the most fish in one day on downriggers with a slammer to boot. Just shy of 12lbs. No lamprey marks and released. The plan was coming together. Got my order in to Gambler for some rigs and within days I got my package. The team was ready. Boat was ready. Roy’s marina was our starting place every morning. Thanks Steve, (tell Larry and Roz) for the awesome hospitality.  I’m just praying the lake was similar to like it was two weeks prior.  By the way, we caught one fish with a lamprey that day, saw none during derby weekend!  She’s coming around folks.  
Sat: started in 200ft worked the East side north to south and banged out 18 fish that morning.  Gambler rigs on both downriggers did all the damage. Nothing on leadcore, copper or flatlines. Not surprised due to going slow down at the ball. Currents were wicked out in 200ft on the bottom but  7.13 lb was our best with my son placing in juvenile. He was pumped. After drying out from the rain, the afternoon slowed for us but we kept grinding. Picked up few more with nothing to go to scales. 
Sunday: Started at the stomping grounds but only netted 1 fish the first hour. Decided to pick up and go shallow to try for a silver or brown on top. Couldn’t move a rod. 8:00am we said back to the deep water.  ( hence how I got the name Frogger, always jumping around) we started shallower in 120ft and was marking a ton of bait and fish. Boom, hit a fish. Then a second one. This one was a good one.  Came straight up from the back damn near wanted into the motors. John (we call him Brad) did a great job keeping it away from danger with it making it to the net. Weighed it, 10.2. “let’s go boys” Into the scales. It’s a long wait when your thinking you have really no chance with a 10lb fish but yet it’s still in the lead. After that we worked through the slim pickings for the rest of the day. We did manage a 7.5lber  that evening but decided to release her.  

Monday:  plan was to go shallow, head down West side with stick baits to have only a smallmouth to show for it. Went back deep to pick up some more of the 5-6lb range ending the derby with a total of 29 lakers all on the downriggers. A record for me on Seneca. The plan worked. This time. 
 

As Les mentioned and as some on here know, I’ve fished this derby a lot of years +40, with the boat getting on the board 15 or so times. Weve won some majors, men, woman’s, juvenile, and Brown, but this is the first major win for the boat. And yes, some tools, past experience, friends help and time on the water sure do put you in a good spot but a lot of luck to have everything come together made this time work.  Some good friends out there that you see on the water makes it a good feeling as well.  This lake will make you humble really quick and no matter how good you are, you can walk away with nothing as has happened many of times on this lake the past few years. I think now after watching my 13 old get so into it setting and running the boat, I get to sit back, have that cigar, and enjoy. And yes I’m done buying equipment for my SeaNymph, for this year at least…..Tightlines!

[Nautitroller]

Awesome congrats!!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Reel Doc]

Congratulations to you and your crew!  Love to read the whole story, thanks for sharing it with us!!

[Fishstix]

Congratulations on the win. We fished basically the same water. 12 plus hours both days.. All our fish came scraping the bottom. No lampreys. Nothing big enough.. Got loaded up with weeds twice in the area of high banks in the morning.The bait and fish seemed to be under the weeds. Decided to go back there later in the day and run a 2 rod spread well tended. Weeds were completely gone so was the fish and bait . Maybe next year.

 All riggers   1 diver fish

[Mikeyman104]

This whole thread is great! Cool to read the story behind the story so thanks for sharing! 

[Hop]

Frogger and crew congratulations on a well planned and executed derby. Well deserved. 

[reeltrout]

Congratulations!! And great report.

[Lewis863]

Great report and article we fished it hard our first time ever on the lake we topped at 8.5 pounds we landed about 20 fish we lost 9 hours of fishing time Saturday due to a mechanical issue.  We caught Salmon 4 pounds Rainbow 3 pounds and a 6 3/4 and 8.5 lb laker to round out our top end of weights… we brought up a lamp Rey and we saw a lot of scars on salmon and lakers.  I was just thrilled we landed as many as we did being our first time with very uncooperative weather we arrived Wednesday planning to sonar the lake on Thursday but got blown back lost that day.  Congratulations to the winner my hats off to you…

[Frogger]

58 minutes ago, Lewis863 said:

Great report and article we fished it hard our first time ever on the lake we topped at 8.5 pounds we landed about 20 fish we lost 9 hours of fishing time Saturday due to a mechanical issue.  We caught Salmon 4 pounds Rainbow 3 pounds and a 6 3/4 and 8.5 lb laker to round out our top end of weights… we brought up a lamp Rey and we saw a lot of scars on salmon and lakers.  I was just thrilled we landed as many as we did being our first time with very uncooperative weather we arrived Wednesday planning to sonar the lake on Thursday but got blown back lost that day.  Congratulations to the winner my hats off to you…

My hats off to you as well. Great job with your results. First time on this lake for you, I’m thinking you will be on top next year. Hope the mechanical piece worked out ok.  Always sucks to have boat issues during the most important time. 

[Roys Boys]

Congrats Team Salotti! Tough weekend of fishing for us we couldn’t land a laker over 7lbs.. Monday morning we had 2 browns on a pass and kept working the area in hopes of finding one for the board but no luck just a few salmon.

[Mikeyman104]

Awesome to see most folks do well this past weekend. We weren't as fortunate as we only got 2 lakers with the biggest being 4.5lbs over 2 days of fishing. Marked tons of bait and a good amount of fish but thinking my speed was off from where it should have been. I was pumped I hooked into a small laker on a dipsey with a death trap though as that was a first for me. Lost it at the boat but happy it worked.

Another first and by far our best catch was this 9lb anchor with buoy my buddy got on a dipsey in 100 fow down about 80'. Could barely get the rod out of the holder it had so much tension on it and it's a minor miracle the line didn't break. Had to put the boat in neutral and pull all lines to get it in. Was laughing the whole time my buddy was reeling cause I knew he was going to be sore from the "fight". Not sure how it got out there but made for pretty memorable struggle and it was still smaller than the winning laker[emoji1787]


Sent from my SM-A515U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[whaler1]

13 hours ago, Frogger said:

Thanks Brian, thanks again for all you do with your lure brand and tips and tricks to catch lakers!

 

Heres a recap of our weekend, which actually started back in March with upgrading some equipment. My plan was to never have to reel a 3lb thumper rod on Seneca during the derby or ever again for that matter. Fishing in 120-200ft all day, I was done. So I set out to rig the boat with Cannon optimums. Went out with Signalman two weeks prior to the derby to try them out. We’ll, we had the most fish in one day on downriggers with a slammer to boot. Just shy of 12lbs. No lamprey marks and released. The plan was coming together. Got my order in to Gambler for some rigs and within days I got my package. The team was ready. Boat was ready. Roy’s marina was our starting place every morning. Thanks Steve, (tell Larry and Roz) for the awesome hospitality.  I’m just praying the lake was similar to like it was two weeks prior.  By the way, we caught one fish with a lamprey that day, saw none during derby weekend!  She’s coming around folks.  
Sat: started in 200ft worked the East side north to south and banged out 18 fish that morning.  Gambler rigs on both downriggers did all the damage. Nothing on leadcore, copper or flatlines. Not surprised due to going slow down at the ball. Currents were wicked out in 200ft on the bottom but  7.13 lb was our best with my son placing in juvenile. He was pumped. After drying out from the rain, the afternoon slowed for us but we kept grinding. Picked up few more with nothing to go to scales. 
Sunday: Started at the stomping grounds but only netted 1 fish the first hour. Decided to pick up and go shallow to try for a silver or brown on top. Couldn’t move a rod. 8:00am we said back to the deep water.  ( hence how I got the name Frogger, always jumping around) we started shallower in 120ft and was marking a ton of bait and fish. Boom, hit a fish. Then a second one. This one was a good one.  Came straight up from the back damn near wanted into the motors. John (we call him Brad) did a great job keeping it away from danger with it making it to the net. Weighed it, 10.2. “let’s go boys” Into the scales. It’s a long wait when your thinking you have really no chance with a 10lb fish but yet it’s still in the lead. After that we worked through the slim pickings for the rest of the day. We did manage a 7.5lber  that evening but decided to release her.  

Monday:  plan was to go shallow, head down West side with stick baits to have only a smallmouth to show for it. Went back deep to pick up some more of the 5-6lb range ending the derby with a total of 29 lakers all on the downriggers. A record for me on Seneca. The plan worked. This time. 
 

As Les mentioned and as some on here know, I’ve fished this derby a lot of years +40, with the boat getting on the board 15 or so times. Weve won some majors, men, woman’s, juvenile, and Brown, but this is the first major win for the boat. And yes, some tools, past experience, friends help and time on the water sure do put you in a good spot but a lot of luck to have everything come together made this time work.  Some good friends out there that you see on the water makes it a good feeling as well.  This lake will make you humble really quick and no matter how good you are, you can walk away with nothing as has happened many of times on this lake the past few years. I think now after watching my 13 old get so into it setting and running the boat, I get to sit back, have that cigar, and enjoy. And yes I’m done buying equipment for my SeaNymph, for this year at least…..Tightlines!

Really great stuff Mike!

[Pete24]

22 hours ago, Sk8man said:

For most of us this years derby was the toughest fished in a long while. Conditions were far from perfect. Continous soaking rain the first day and relentless sun beating down the second day..some of us opted out of the third half day because of the expected packed launch with recreational boat traffic and all that goes with it. Usually we fish all three days. The lesson here though is that persistence pays off for those hardcore veterans that have paid their ddues over the years, made necessary adjustments in their fishing strategies, and very competent fishermen that have kept up with the times, and lastly that have maintained the dogged determination to reach their goal.

 

Our LOU buddy Frogger after many years of diligent trying put it together this time with his very experienced team and won the derby under some of the most trying fishing I have seen in years. I couldn't be any more proud if it had been our boat as I have known him since he was a youth just getting into fishing. Winning the derby may involve a bit of luck but all those little details learned from many years of fishing that lake finally paid off big time and My hat is off to him and his great team of fishermen.

Congratulations!! Good work!👍

[Trouthunter]

6 hours ago, Frogger said:

My hats off to you as well. Great job with your results. First time on this lake for you, I’m thinking you will be on top next year. Hope the mechanical piece worked out ok.  Always sucks to have boat issues during the most important time. 

That is why we call it fishing & not catching great job anyway

[adesalvo]

Congratulations and Great Report!!! 
 

 

[shaneo19]

Congrats Frogger.  Was nice to read your post on how you did it.

 

We found the fishing to be better this year then it has been in awhile.  Managed to place second in the mens division with a 8.98 pounder.   Boated 34 lakers for the derby all on copper.  All in 55ft and under.  I think there were a total of 5 lampreys on the 34 landed fish with about 1 in 4 having marks.  

[Frogger]

9 hours ago, shaneo19 said:

Congrats Frogger.  Was nice to read your post on how you did it.

 

We found the fishing to be better this year then it has been in awhile.  Managed to place second in the mens division with a 8.98 pounder.   Boated 34 lakers for the derby all on copper.  All in 55ft and under.  I think there were a total of 5 lampreys on the 34 landed fish with about 1 in 4 having marks.  

Nice going, congrats on your weekend. You guys sure had things rocking with your program. 

[blueghost1]

well deserved! congrats