LongLine

Try contacting WTP at wtp-inc.com, or call 800-521-3399 (or 269-468-3399) and ask them.

Let us know how you make out.  (Tell them you're an active member of LOU and they may send you a few samples)

That J is a special plastic that almost nothing sticks to. Polypropelyne not acetate, I think. I'd go to an auto parts store & see if they have anything that sticks to plastic cheap auto skirts/bumpers or research any loctite that sticks to cutting boards.  (Do you get same results when laqdder put on the other way?)

How do you separate the tape from it's backing?  I use an exacto knife blade at the very tip of the tape and never touch the adhesive side with my fingers.

Make sure your lure is really clean before applying tapes.  I always use de-natured alcohol to wipe them down first and then wipe it with paper towel & let set for 5 minutes or so, then apply tape.  Any kind of residue (soap, fish slime, fingerprints paint oxide, etc) will affect how well the tape sticks. Also, on freshly painted lures, I let it dry for 2 days to make sure paint is thoroughly cured then the alcohol & tape.

You've both made some very good points.  I however have many questions to which I'll probably never have an answer.

Yes, it's been my experience that bigger salmon come from the depths, however shakers that I've caught come from warmer depths. while looking for steelhead.  48 in 1985 is the same 48 today, yet today the kings are smaller than back then not only in Lake Ontario but big time smaller in Alaska where the temps are much colder year-round than Lake Ontario.  The kings caught in 48 today are smaller than way back then.  Browns seem to have gotten a lot bigger than way back then. (Could temperature have made them eat more gobies?)  What does a 48 degree King eat?  What's down there?  Or does he frequently come up to feast on alewives?

I've read someplace that Kings can't survive in water temperature over 72F regardless of spawning condition because their metabolism speeds up so much that their guts turn to mush.

Milder winters here have greatly contributed to the increase in alewife numbers.  What have the milder winters done to salmon?  Eggs & milt have been collected out of warmer water.  Is metabolism determined at a fish's birth?  or the first few months of life?  I don't know.  Does an 8-inch King head directly out to where the bigger ones are?  I doubt it.

From that article, I surmise there must be an ideal temperature for birth and early development.  I don't know what it is.  I believe the SR tanks are spring fed, but are they strictly maintained at a given temperature?  The right temperature?  Net Pens are great for survival but are they good for growth?  Aren't they generally in shallow water or high in the water column?  I've never seen a temperature profile of the Genny.

Research that I've seen on Kings in Lake Ontario keys on survival. The question is whether there is a tradeoff between survival & growth that is acceptable.  (NO, I'm not advocating for a cut in stocking number!)  I will however ask if SOME (not all) the stocked kings can be given some kind of "growth hormone". After all, they are treated for disease and deficiency issues.

Luck to all.

Interesting theories, however, Kings aren't Tuna and they don't spend their lives in streams. Many shakers in the 10-12 inch size are caught quite a ways from streams.  Smaller Chinook size is not unique to Lake Ontario.  It's happening in Alaska too.

Here's an interesting article that was published in Nature:  

Recent declines in salmon body size impact ecosystems and fisheries | Nature Communications

This article talks quite a bit about salmon maturing at younger age, hence not having enough time to grow to the larger sizes that are highly desirable of sportfishermen. All salmon are experiencing it, but it is most notable with the kings. Further down in the article, they talk about why the declining maturity age and say a major factor is warmer water.  The warmer water has the effect of speeding up their metabolism which speeds up the aging process.

The lower food web in Lake Ontario has changed quite a bit. 

Kings eat alewife.  Alewife numbers have greatly increased, especially the older ones. King numbers are good, but Kings (caught) weight is less than what it used to be.  

My question is whether the same age alewife contain the same calories/nutritional value that they used to?  Brian's report says condition of the 6.5" alewife has decreased but published studies site length. They say nothing about nutritional value.

What are the alewives eating?  A few years ago, DEC reported they were eating more fleas and that the fleas had little nutritional value. So, the question is whether the alewives today are a diet version of those of years past.  If a King can only eat 10 alewife per day because of the size of his stomach, will he get as fat/big if those 10 are diet version as he would if those 10 were fat greasy ones?  Browns & Lakers don't seem to be getting any smaller.
 

2 riggers - 1 in each corner as Shakemsam said

There are 2 main general currents in the lake. (double gyre) 

The 1st starts at Niagara and follows the south shore all the way up to Henderson.  Some of it flows out the St Lawrence while the rest curves back and heads south hitting the south shore somewhere between Oswego/Sodus. It then circles back up the coast. 

The 2nd starts at Niagara and flows along the north shore and goes up past Kingston where it meets the south shore current.  It is then deflected back west farther from shore and hooks southward at the Scotch Bonnet ridge towards Sandy/Braddocks and meets up with the south shore current.

A strong easterly blow will slow the shore currents slightly and may shift the areas of south shore contact somewhat, however the lake recovers a couple days after the east wind dies out.  

If I remember my hydrology correctly, pure wind action on water affects the water 5 to 6 times the wave height. 

Currents on the lake are a "bear" to figure out on any given day which is why a down speed probe is a necessity.

Concentrate on the riggers first, then move on to the other "stuff."  (Dipseys, cores, etc)

- 1 lure in temp, 1 lure above and 1 below.

- spooks (Black/silver with a splash of red)

- Troll North & South watching temps.  Fish stable water. Temp probe on the deeper rigger.

- Occasionally take down speed up to 3 or a little higher then slow back down.  Occasionally put it in neutral & let spoons flutter downward.

- Run a MUP rig.  Two identical lures on a rigger about 10-12 ft apart vertically.  Run lower one about 15 ft behind the upper.  Can also try flasher/fly high with spoon low (same colors) but don't put it in neutral.

- If you spot a scum line, troll to outside of it.  If you spot bait fish pod, troll to outside of it.  (Go at least 30FOW deeper then back in)  If you see birds, troll to the outside of them.

- Keep your eyes on the water.  If you see minnows or fish swirling, then get a plug on the surface. (maybe only 4-5 ft down) 

Good luck out there.

ADK mtns used to be Northeast of Syracuse. 

Rochester is playing it up pretty good.  Downtown city supposed to have 3 min 34 sec of totality.  Buffalo to have 3 min & Syracuse to have under 2 min.  East of Syracuse won't have totality.  

If heavy clouds, City will go pitch dark.  

Yahoo & The Weather Network posted an article about reporting any "weird" things that people observe during the eclipse and they're asking people to report events.  The site is eclipsesoundscapes.org. ) NOT an April Fool's Day joke) Apparently started by the Boston Society of Natural History years ago and has some NASA sponsorship.  So, if you notice bees returning to their hives; bats flying around; racoon coming out; crickets chirping; squirrels hiding; wind changes; etc. they encourage you to report it.  Sounds like a pretty neat thing to keep an eye on. 

Also use cable.  No reason to chamge.

WTG Rich!  You got the big boat in?  

I'll be sitting on my back porch & should get a perfect view as neighbor cut down that tree.    There's no way I'd go to a park or be on the water.  People are generally nuts during the full moon so I can't imagine what they'll be like during a total eclipse!  

If cloudy, which Rochester generally is, it should go totally dark.  Will be interesting to see if the street/expressway lights come on.

If you've filled the boat and have drips coming out of the end of a runner, then it sounds like a hole under the runner.  I'd pull the floorboards and check that area really well.  

When fishing solo, size of boat and how you control/steer your boat is a factor.  Can you lock your wheel? Auto pilot?  A single planner to one side will tend to turn your boat in that direction. 

Steering is the biggest problem when going solo.  I assume you have a smaller boat with manual steering.  Only using 1 planner and to a smaller extent, one dipsey will pull you boat to that side.  Best to run a pair to balance things out.  Going solo 99% of the time I used 2 riggers most of time.  

Years ago, I had a 21 ft PennYann that weighed roughly 4K Lbs on a tandem axle roller trailer.  I was dumb enough to go fishing at the river in early November. (River ramp real steep with shallow water) I had a steel cable on the winch.  Upon retrieval, I got it roughly 3/4 of the way on the trailer and the cable snapped.  Pulled bow line right out of my hand.  Boat went back out in the river about 25 ft from end of dock.  Nobody else around so had to take the winter suit/boots off and go swimming.  Colder than all get out!  Got rid of that beast the following year. (for other reasons) My current smaller boat (18 ft;r) has a trailer that is half roller & half bunk. (Rollers on keel & at transom) It's never been a problem launching or retrieving. 

I just replaced a keel roller, but it had a metal tube insert.  Used marine axle grease on installation.  1st one lasted over 37 yrs with not add' greasing.

Thanx Rich.  Must be fun keeping the clients straight, much less the lines.  Good luck out there. High probability of good weather.

Hey Rich - 2 questions"

1st:  2 each board, 2 plain dipsies, 1 each rigger, 2 lead, 1 copper.  How'd you run more?  (a kite?) 

2nd: Ever have 12 fish on at a time? 

Funny how some want govt vehemently out of their lives and yet so quickly change their tune when things aren't going their way.

Yes, ecosystem is fragile.  Mussels changed things.  Takes years to recover, but recovery is happening.  Areas of Concern are being cleaned up.  Polution laws have gotten stricter. (no thanks to a certain political party) Bass are getting larger.  Alewives seem to be coming back.  Sturgeon are coming back.  Hatcheries are getting more than enough eggs.  Natural Repro is occuring.  Bass tournaments have grown but weigh ins  are more and more requiring live weigh ins. (Most Bass boats have live wells. )  If enough aren't "plucked out", the result is stunted fish. Problem I see is that not enough guys report violations that they witness.    

Just wait till Artificial Intelligence is introduced to fishing, if it's not already there.