Spiel

Well the first thing I'd ask you is, does your sonar display those neat little fish icons/symbols? Followed by, what setting did you have the sensitivity at? With the info given I'd wager you were marking baitfish.

Well Cliff, unitl I actually get out fishing I'm more like an anchor than a contributing team member.

Yes a great big THANK YOU TJ, your generousity is greatly appreciated.

Now that was an epic trip! Not a day goes by Dan when I'm not somehow thinking 'bout betting back up there.

Oh I don't know Cliff, I'm thinking it could be "epic".

I sit starboard as well. If I'm trolling rods in my right hand (did I get it right Dan?) and Camillj makes a valid point on the room issue.

Epic indeed! Well done folks and good job on the entry Cliff ( I see you lost the nail polish ), at least it was bigger than Carole's.

Sorry you weren't able to make it Jim, was a great night and as brifishrgy pointed out it was in the announcement section, perhaps next year. It was a good night and we had a packed house (SRO), Pete Bowman did a great job and hung around talking to guests afterwords. I unfortunately didn't get to talk to Pete as I was kept busy working most of the evening. I did however get to chat briefly with are own Jen, Fishmaster and Sonny, good to see yous again and I'll be out that way soon.

I'd be happy to pick you up at the Hamilton airport Roy if you can talk Wayne into picking you up and flying you over.

Pete Bowman and I will be under the same roof tonight having a cold one. If you're in the area come on out and join us. Where and When

Fisheries manager discusses changes March 22, 2009 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com What happens in Lake Ontario fisheries circles stays somewhere between science and stakeholders’ selections. This balance between pure scientific analysis of Great Lakes fisheries and the wide range of expectations from anglers, business people, and others interested in the outdoors and aquatic outcomes made the annual “Future of Lake Ontario Fisheries” (State of Lake Ontario) public-input meeting interesting. Lively discussions and thought-provoking remarks were shared before and after professionals gave their presentations on Wednesday. Paul McKeown, Department of Environmental Conservation Region 9 fisheries manager, began the program with reference to one major change proposed for future fishing regulations. The proposal, beginning Oct. 1, 2010, will not allow anglers to fillet those fish with measurement requirements while aboard a boat. McKeown noted that rainbow/steelhead trout are the key target of this regs change. Starting in 2006, a 21-inch minimum size limit was imposed for steelies caught in the lower Niagara River and all of Lake Ontario and its tributaries. The filleting proposal met with no opposition from the floor. McKeown answered one question about gutting fish. “Fish could still be gutted and gills removed when caught. The main concern is that they [conservation officers] can measure the lengths of fish brought to shore in a boat,” he replied. Jana Lantry, a DEC aquatic biologist, began with a general overview of Ontario’s prominence. Without mentioning high gas prices during the 2008 fishing season, Lantry noted the lake’s fishery generated $114 million in income last year, despite an 11 percent drop in boat trips taken for fishing. For good news, she noted part of that economic upturn was for catching Chinook (king) salmon, a fishery which peaked in 2008 and has been on a five-year abundance high since 2003. Rainbow/ steelhead trout also showed record numbers, with the best catches in 2008 and highest total numbers in 24 years of surveying. On the down side, brown trout totals dipped in ’08 and lake trout tallies continued their serious slide. She later reported the Allegany Hatchery, source for many Lake Ontario lakers, should reopen in 2010 and resume previous production by 2012. That facility was closed due to infectious contaminants in 2005. Sea lamprey, devastating mainly to lake trout, had record sightings and reportings in 2007. Lake-wide treatment efforts in 2008 and more scheduled in 2009 should reduce lamprey wounding this coming season. Maureen Walsh, a research fisheries biologist with the U. S. Geological Survey, explained how shifts in forage fish affect game-fish numbers and sizes. Alewife populations, high in 2008, led to good Chinook results. Harsh conditions during the 2008-09 winter season could lower the ’09 year-class. Rainbow smelt presence has been weak since 2003, Walsh reports. But invading round gobies have yet to peak. “Their numbers nearly doubled in 2007-08,” she noted, adding they now serve as the main menu for smallmouth bass in Lake Ontario. She concluded with an appeal to fishermen who see another newly arrived invader—bloody-red shrimp. She asked anglers to report sighting locations to the Lower Great Lakes office in Amherst (691-5456). Dan Bishop, DEC Region 7 fisheries manager, showed the newly completed salmon project at the Salmon River Hatchery. A fully computerized fin-clipping program in which all Chinook passing through the facility are shunted into lanes that record each fish by size, remove the adipose (top, back) fin, and return each fish to the river system. “They [six computerized stations] process all fish without a human hand touching them and without the use of anesthetics,” Bishop said. He added the survey system may soon be applied to rainbows and coho salmon. Steve LaPan, Lake Ontario unit leader at the Cape Vincent Station, summed up overall objectives and programs, citing Chinook (king) salmon as the leading angler target. LaPan pointed to the Ontario program helping to produce the largest adult kings among all five Great Lakes. To sustain good salmon sizes and numbers, programmers have to maintain a controlled balance of adult fish with available forage (bait) fish. He admitted this balance cannot be considered pure science. Much of the assessment is based on input from professional and recreational anglers, such as those attending this Lockport gathering Wednesday evening. Anyone who would like to submit comments on the Lake Ontario fishery should e-mail, write, or call the fishery station at: [email protected] ; NYSDEC Cape Vincent Fisheries Station, P. O. Box 292, Cape Vincent, NY 13618; (315) 654-2147. Submissions must be made by April 10. To view all proposals for changes in fishing regulations, make a visit to the following site: ny.gov/regulations

How about the one I wouldn't want to relive. It was back in the mid 80's when small boat trolling off the Hamilton Beach Strip was in it's hay day. A co-worker (Wayne) who fished very little wanted to try and catch his first salmon/trout so I offered to take him out on the big lake. So early one morning we dragged the little 12' tinny over the beach the lake was like glass and the fog was thick! I had a feeling the fishing would be hot and it was. We had caught a mixed bag of fish and all was going well till I hooked a decent spring king. Fought it out and got her boatside when Wayne went for the net, I said "no no don't net it, I'm releasing it and the lures free trebles (chartreuse J-13) will just entangle the net". So I lean over the gunnel and procede to try and twist out the one tail hook that holds her from freedom. Thats when she bolted upward impaling one of the free hooks deep into the flesh of my upper left thumb...... Now Wayne is panicking, he's asking me what should he do? Well, I have a 15lb king attached to my thumb via a hook and all it wants to do is get to the bottom of the lake, so obviously I'm also thinking what the hell am I going to do? I tell Wayne don't net it! I'm sure that having it twist around in the net is just begging for more pain so I have him retrieve the small billy for me. Once I have the billy in hand I lift the big girl from the water by the hook imbedded in my thumb and procede to bash the poor girls skull into oblivion in order to stop the thrashing which is causing me considerable pain. Wayne is now near as white as Casper (puppy) but he nearly faints when I pull the hook straight out of my thumb with the pliers, bandage it up, start the motor and begin trolling again. The fish were hot that day and I wasn't about to leave. I can honestly say I never, never want to be attached to a large lively spring king by a hook ever again.

I used to fish it quite a bit from the late 70's to the late 80's and the target was rainbows with the occasionall brown. The rainbows were stocked and the browns were native. Never did I see or hear of any speckles (brook trout) being stocked. There may still be remnants of the native specks that inhabit(ed) the upper Sixteen Mile Creek but I doubt you'd find them in the resevoir. I believe the stocking ended some time ago. Yes of course assorted panfish are there and the only bass we encountered were smallmouth which for the most part were quite hefty.

(is this week a record?) Not yet.....

Take five, smokem if you gottem.

Actually I've witnessed the trend move steadily away from light leaders. Thirty years back long rods/float rods were buggy whips and boiled spaghetti wands and were designed to handle very light leaders for trout/salmon and guys would regularly use very light leads. Todays long rods are much better designed and for the most part (not always) are rated for heavier lines thus heavier leads (this is good for the fish). I seldom drop below a 4lb. lead these days but there are occasions when gun shy trout will shy away from anything but the thinnest of leads.

Ditto.

I'm surprised you don't have half of the OFC members camped out on your doorstep Ben.

Seems this on has gone off the tracks.

Happy Birthday Norm

Damn, seems I'm a little late with my "best wishes" Wayne. I see you had a good time anyway.

Hello Kevin, good to see you've come out of another hibernation safely.

Signs of spring.... The bashing, flogging and flaming of fellow anglers. We should all be so perfect.

I had moderate success using the packaged ones last year for walleye. Definitely something I'll keep on hand. Don't know that I'll ever buy the tub version.

Anyone like to buy a helmut?