GAMBLER

13 hours ago, HB2 said:

Man , that brings back memories 

 

I can still smell the stylus burning the paper . 

The best technology in its time!  My father had one and I could sit and watch it for hours!  

13 hours ago, Morningdew said:

Question when running 4 down rigger’s The two off the back of the boat One with the probe sitting in 50° water the other 15ft deeper catch 90% of the fish. The two rigors off the side I like to run 10 feet up from the one below it very rarely go off. Is there anything I can do to make my set up more productive?

 

 

 

I used to run four riggers and went down to 3.  I found some days too many riggers slowed the bite.  I run one at 50 degrees, one in 42 degree water and one 5-10' above the 50' rigger (or higher if there are good marks).  

43 minutes ago, arnold said:

Wonder if anyone can tell me whether the rivers have been sprayed for Lamprey control for 2023.? I know it went two years on both sides of the lake without it being done

I don't think they do treatments until later in the season.  

7 hours ago, cheeseyrider said:

Don't think there made or available any more. Looking for larger size 4 - 41/2 inch models. Black n silver if u have or Blue n silver 

I just talked with Dan and they are in the process of bringing the pirate stickbaits back into production.  

4 hours ago, cheeseyrider said:

Don't think there made or available any more. Looking for larger size 4 - 41/2 inch models. Black n silver if u have or Blue n silver 

Dan Kelly from Erie PA brought Pirate back this winter.  I'm not sure if he is doing stick baits or not.   He is on this site.  Look back in the classifieds.  He posted about the spoons a while ago.  Message him and he will have an answer for you.  I will also text him and see if he is doing the stick baits.  

1 hour ago, SusanJames said:

I'm fairly new to trolling and am having some success on the skinny water browns. I'm limited to near shore and calm weather as my boat is a 15' aluminum. Works great for me though. My question is does anyone run flasher, dodger, etc in front of their spoons or stick baits in the skinny water? Obviously they would be the smaller size. Just wondering if anyone has tried this or if it would even have any value. I usually fish alone so I am limited to three lures in the pattern and just wondering if a little added flash night be of any benefit.

Shallow water, flashers and dodgers don't work that well at all.  They will work when browns are deeper but not as good as other species.  

Lakers will suspend when the water is cold and low light hours.   There will be lakers still staying on the bottom chasing gobies and sculpins but they will suspend looking for alewife,  

On 3/4/2023 at 4:21 AM, troller1285 said:

Thanks for the info !   I’ve got EZsteer now, the problem is that when the main engine is off It’s a real pain to turn.  We’ve got an old 93 mercury 15 hp motor so I’m wondering if a little heavier motor may help the speed of the actuator.  The other option seems to be the panther system and it just seems cheaply made for the cost (700)

I had this same issue and installed hydraulic steering and a ray marine autopilot with an EZ steer bar.  I purchased the products through Rick at Krenzer Marine and they were installed by Tom Barbera at Eastfork Pro marine in Hamlin.  It was expensive but it’s really the best option out there.  Kicker autopilots work but not as good as regular autopilot units.  

First, you will need a vapor barrier paint. I used an Interlux product (cant remember which one).  After that, VC-17 or Pettit are two great choices.  

I have a large rubber Ranger net that is awesome for sticks.  

So sorry for your loss Nick.  If you need anything, give me a call.  

I have a troll smarter unit.  $350.00 and it comes with everything!  The wireless remote control is awesome from the back of the boat.  

6 hours ago, King Davy said:

Yup I was asked to present that to the state council and in attendance was Steve Hurst who also supported the presentation. At the end of it the council wanted to make a TU position statement in support of the two new reg changes to the tribs , and had no statement in any changes to any regs for the lake. And in front of Hurst and the council I said NO. Individual anglers need to decide on their own on if they support these reg changes, and comment back to the DEC. So New York State TU did not make an organized position statement to DEC to the comment period.

 

And I know that Lake clubs and Charter boat groups also discussed these reg changes during the comment period back then as well they should. So what’s the big deal if groups of concerned anglers discuss matters of the fishery? 

 

Yesterday while loading one of the chinook pens at the Oak a section of pipe broke loose and hundreds of salmon par spilled out on the ground. Do you think the trib guys for which there were at least a dozen just sat there and said well these are chinooks flopping around dying in the dirt let the lake guys pick them up?

 

No everybody scrambled to get these beautiful little fish into the water. And by the end they had all been put in and I didn’t see a single dead par laying on the surface.

 

Brian it’s time to stop all this us vs them BS. We all love this fishery no matter where and how we fish it.

Dave,  

I totally agree on the lake vs trib battle needing to end.  Working together towards the common goal is what we should ALL be focused on (like the new Sandy own project).  To sit here and say the DEC came up with these regs on their own is complete BS.  We all know that is a huge stretch of the truth.  When you have an organization like TU commenting on the proposal (even though some of them will never fish Lake O steelhead just inland trout) it floods the comments and the DEC is going to take that into consideration big time.  The regs have done nothing positive to change the steelhead fishery since they were out into place.  The steelhead numbers don’t seem any higher and size hasn’t seemed to improved. 
 

P.S.  when Jessie contacted Rob about using the pens and restarting the Sandy pen project, I was 100% on board and even offered helping Jessie with anything he needed.  

2 hours ago, King Davy said:

Here’s the truth about what happened at the Genny with Steelhead pens. First let me comment on regulation changes three years ago. The original stakeholder committee was involved in offering regs changes. The members of that committee addressing the tributary fishery offered a 1 one brown trout limit reg change ONLY in the tribs and a 25 inch limit for steelhead. The trib steelhead creel limit was changed from 3 to 1 in 2004. That was it. Never did that group seek a creel reduction for the lake creel on steelhead. They did want to see a universal 25 inch limit open waters and trib. That request was refused at the committee level after discussions and the lake size would remain at 21. There was no push back from lake anglers on the two reg changes to the tribs. 

 

That was it. The DEC through their own discussions made that change. It had nothing to do with any tributary group. Call the DEC in Albany or Cape Vincent and ask them if you don’t believe what I’m writing. Ask them why?

 

Two years ago a group of 30 volunteers both trib and lake anglers to include a few charter boat Captains worked with DEC, a private welder to get materials, funding and permission from Skip Shumway to put two new steelhead pens at the Genny. The Order for materials to be shipped to the welder was being finalized, when Skip called me since I had secured his agreement to let us bring steelhead back to the genny and said and I quote. A few charter boat captains approached me to say they didn’t get along with tributary anglers. I can’t have any trouble on my property so I have to rescind my permission to have them put here.

 

This friction between fisherman is childish. Today at the Oak,  lake anglers including charter captains and trib anglers worked side by side to load 127k salmon and 10k steelhead. Wednesday this week a group of lake and trib anglers like they did last Saturday will join each other to load 10k steelhead into their Sandy creek pens. So why can’t that happen at the Genny where both lake and trib anglers enjoy catching steelhead in both the open waters of the lake and the river?

Yup, the DEC came up with it all on their own……. 

Rochester Reel Repair.  

2 hours ago, moonfish said:

Okay, thank you. I'm still new too trolling. 2-2.5 for Dreamweaver ? I could actually run sticks or spinners with kwikfish speed ?

2.3 - 2.8 is the best range I have found for Dream Weavers.  

Tom Barbera is the guy you are looking for!  East Fork Pro Marine 236 Lake Rd East Fork Hamlin.  

10 hours ago, moonfish said:

Is it feasible to troll a k15 plug and 3/4 oz Dreamweaver af the same speed ?

No.  K15 need really slow speeds (less than 1.8 or they spin out).  Dreamweavers are a heavier blank spoon and need more speed. 

12 hours ago, BRsnow said:

How are the new models holding up? Can pick up 500 LC at a decent discount, as good as the prior model? Solid stock drag? Thanks 

They are good from what I hear but they can't be used with wire. 

I use parachute cord.  

5 minutes ago, rolmops said:

Ever since the lotsa event in the Buffalo area became this huge commercial expo show. I stopped going there because it no longer is a friendly meet, greet and exchange event.

The idea of a flea market exchange is so much more appealing. This is where you get to meet the local guy with his stuff that he bought years ago but no longer uses because he has so much more. There is good stuff for cheap and fun meetings with people you heard about but never met. Wouldn't you love to meet the who caught a 34 pound laker ? He is probably going to be there selling his Gambler rigs. The captains will probably trade fishing tales, some true and some embellished. I will be there to listen and buy and maybe talk about my deep sea fishing trips in Costa Rica and the Outer Banks

Come with a friend and make some more friends.

Unfortunately, I will not be at this show with my rigs. I will be there walking around to see the Rochester guys!  I will be at the Finger Lakes Trollers Association flea market on Sunday!  

34 minutes ago, Tomb said:

I live on Hamlin Center and the size of the flocks on our road and along 19 is pretty amazing..   Have lived here for 15 years and never saw flocks so big!!

There was a raft of them off Wautoma last weekend of approx 4000 birds.  Cool to see!

On 3/12/2023 at 7:36 AM, chasdc1 said:

There was an incredible number of Canada goose flocks around Montezuma last week. Saw them on the way to Syracuse and back.

Massive  numbers!

Anybody seen snows?

Big group of snows in Hamlin by the lake.  They have been around for a couple of weeks.  

I run my coppers with double keels.  300 and 400 still put a lot of drag on the Otter Boats and decreased their performance without the dual keels.  Yankee Troller is the man to ask about the keel measurements.  

3 hours ago, JLK said:

Neat! Very Tidy. What are the clear cylinders?

In my picture?  If so, it’s salt and pepper grinders.  🤣