Finders Keepers

Current NWS offshore point forecast:

Looking forward to another amazing event this year!! While Friday looks a bit sporty, forecast is looking good for Saturday - let's hope it holds!!

For those looking to go for the $250 Shark Cash Award for the largest fish caught on a Shark Flasher (see details above), I will be stocking Screwy Louie's Sportshop this afternoon with these 24 flashers at reduced prices for you to snatch up - first come first grab! Top row (right) are Shark standard flashers, bottom row (left) are custom pained flashers from Koyote Ugly. I will have additional flashers available all week if you catch me at the ramp and at the captains meeting. 

Previous year model.

Shark Cannonballs has put up $250 cash for the largest fish caught on a Shark Flasher starting Wed the 5th through the Pro-Am event ending on the 9th for those fishing in the Pro-Am. Here are the details:

1) You must be registered for the Oswego Pro-Am to qualify.

2) You need to catch the fish using any Shark Flasher.

3) Take a picture or video of the fish when caught with the flasher in the picture or video.

4) The fish must be weighed in for the $1k, Fat Nancy's BFF, or Pro-Am event to verify the weight. 

Pictures/videos can be posted on this thread, posted on the Shark Cannonballs Facebook page, or sent to me at (585) 330-0494. If anyone needs Shark flashers or downrigger weights, drop me a PM! Good luck and tight lines to everyone fishing the upcoming events!!

Ok good to know. Thank you!

Attendance at the captains meeting is optional, correct? I have graduation that night, but could send another team member if necessary.

Frabill, Plano, Nautic Sport, and Koyote Ugly Spoons are also confirmed sponsors of this year's Salmon Slam event!! 

If you missed the Outdoor Beat TV show last week, you can check it out online at: https://livestream.com/LCTV…/events/2964614/videos/158070284
This weekend the NYS Summer Classic Fishing Tournament kicks off as the NY State bass season opens up! This weekend we'll be on the WBEE 92.5 FM Taking It Outdoors Show with Jeremy Newman - a great show where we discuss the details of the event and all around fishing! It airs Sunday morning at 7am - tune in!!

ttt

**Major Announcement**

Announced this past weekend, we now have a $20,000+ Starcraft boat to give away once we hit 3,000 entrants!! 

C'mon Nick let's hear that first drag go ripping!!

Humminbird Helix 12 SI Sonar/GPS Combo

Like new, Humminbird Helix 12 CHIRP SI Sonar/GPS Combo, used only one season, looking to upgrade. Works beautifully, no issues. Currently installed and able to show potential buyers functionality. $1600/bo. Need to sell in next 2 weeks. Serious inquiries only.

Here is the latest weigh-in location map - 66 total stations and still growing! Today we started to put together the youth and adult tackle prizes to be given out to the Top 3 winners across all 10 categories. Some BIG things on the horizon - stay tuned!!

Pretty cool, I have never seen these ones from Finland...

I think it is like anything else, you have to adjust and tweak things a bit to get them to work (i.e. leader length, etc.). I also remember some anglers were getting better results last year by tying the leaders direct to the flasher rather than using a swivel clip - gave more action on the fly or spoon trailing behind. 

They are similar but have a bit more kick, and the facets send out a vibration in the water (same as the downrigger weights) that is picked up by the lateral line on a fish (just like that given off by a school of baitfish). 

Shark Flashers

Which one do you like best? Anyone have any success on these yet?

Count Finders Keepers in for both the BFF and the main event - looking forward to it as always! All veterans will be given 1-Day passes into the NYS Summer Classic (if they are not a part of it already) for any Lake Trout caught during the event (or other included species if they happen to be caught). 

10 minutes ago, Totally Hooked said:

Yes we marked a lot of both all through the water column.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Ok, good to know - thanks! Seems like with the number of fish/bait being seen and caught, we're in for a fantastic season!!

Great video Abe!! Good seeing you at the event - wish we had the action you did - WOW!!

Thanks guys! I love getting youth anglers involved and helping them become successful out on the lake - there's no better feeling! Building their ambition and seeing their excitement is so much fun!! Brian, thanks for the help on Sat - it's great having anglers like yourself willing to lend an extra hand making things like docking without a dock easier! What did your FF screen look like out there on Sunday? Were there good numbers of fish and bait? Without any electronics I have no idea what we had below...

For us it's more of a feeling than anything else based on changing light conditions, water color and clarity, and most importantly what we feel confident in running. The more experience one has running various things in various settings and either having luck with it or not, all comes into play when deciding what to run what lures and for how long. Sometimes it is simply a matter of waiting until the fish turn on...

Definitely makes a difference, and as mentioned every fraction of an ounce can count! In some situations running in isn't possible, but if it's a money fish running in and losing fishing time is one of those decisions made during an event that can make it or break it for ya sometimes! Ideally, keep them alive as long as possible using water changes (if you don't have a livewell with circulating water) and aeration system. When fishing for salmon, we'll keep the fish on ice to preserve them as much as possible.

Niagara Pro-Am Report

This past weekend I was invited to join Am team Just Wingin' It to fish the Am Division of the Niagara Pro-Am Tournament Event Sat and Sun. Here is the short report:

Sat: Blow-off day and tourney canceled. 

Sun: Fished the bar from the red can to the fence and finished 5 for 8 (4 kings and a laker). Fish came on Atommik meat rigs (010, 012, 001) and one shot on the UV Wonderbread Spin Doc/shredded glow hammer fly. All fish came on wires out 220 to 400. Our top 3 kings pushed the scales to 45.02 lbs landing us in 3rd place.

Long Version (the whole story):

After hearing great reports all week we were pumped for the weekend to get into some kings! Sat morning we headed for the Niagara River at 2am putting at the launch at 4am. We headed out and were greeted by an angry lake with easterly winds 15-25+ and building seas. We made it a little past halfway to the red can before we started hitting 4-6 ft waves and questioning whether the event would even still be on, we called tourney headquarters to find out the event had been postponed until 8am. So we came back to the launch and later the event was canceled due to a Small Craft advisory being issued for the day for 4-8 ft waves. The fellas took advantage of the down day and caught up on sleep while I went to work visiting Slippery Sinker, Bald Eagle Marina, and Evans Ace Hardware for the NYS Summer Classic Tournament. Bummed that we couldn't fish, our hopes built for Sunday as we discussed and formed our game plan for Day 3 of the event!

On Sunday we hit the water early at 4am with the initial idea to check temperatures as we headed out and fish the inside waters if the temps dropped as motored out. Near the green can we had temps around 54 and as we headed out towards the red can temps continually fell and we decided to head a little west and work the inside warmer waters for the first hour. We set out 2 riggers with spoons and 2 short divers with a flasher/fly and meat rig. While the wind had shifted to the SE, there were still 4 ft swells out of the east making it difficult to maneuver and maintain speed in the shallow waters, so after 45 mins with no luck we decided to pull lines and head out to the red can and bar area. On the way out all of a sudden all of the electronics (FF and Fish Hawk) went blank as if they lost power. We continued out and used Navionics on our cell phones to navigate and find the edge of the bar. After setting our spread (4 wires - 3 flasher/flies, 1 meat rig, and 2 riggers with spoons) we began trying to diagnose the electronics issue figuring one of the connections had come undone, but that wasn't the case. As we approached the Canadian border we turned to work back east but with the wind and waves still sporty we couldn't get up to speed (judging by the bend in the wire rods), so we pulled lines and began motoring east with the plan to set back up 5 miles east of the red can. However soon after passing the red can the motor bogged down and eventually died. Another problem to diagnose! So we started the kicker and set back up heading west while we took a look at the main engine to see what the issue was - a lack of gas due to some debris in the gas line was thought to be the problem and mitigated. We also snapped a rigger cable during the run. As we passed the red can the 275 wire pulling an Atommik meat rig got hit. AJ was on the rod and had it 100 ft behind the boat when the outside wire took off - doubled! Handed the rod to first-timer Cody while I netted AJ's fish - a healthy 17.5 lb king! Soon thereafter Cody's fish came unbuttoned. By this time we started to approach the border again and  with the lake starting to settle back down we were able to work back east. We continued working the waters between the red can and the fence picking up a fish each swing. Saw several other boats hook up around us as well. It got to be 12:15 and we had 5 in the box including 2 mid-teens kings and small laker as our biggest 3, and decided to pull lines and head in. As I was pulling in the last wire rod it started ripping line at 200 ft!! Ended up with another mid-teens king to upsize our box! As we headed in the main motor bogged down again - Ughh... AJ pulled the gas line and found a valve clogged again. Once cleaned out, she ran great getting back with plenty of time to get weighed in. Our biggest ended up being just shy of 18 lbs and the full box pushed the scales to 45.02 lbs. putting us in 2nd place! We were stoked!! After all the teams weighed in we had gotten bumped to 3rd - quite the accomplishment for all problems, using no electronics, and navigating the bar with Navionics on our cell phones! What a great experience (although nerve racking at times) with a couple great upcoming anglers!! I look forward to my next with them whether it be on Finders Keepers or AJ's boat again!! We still don't know what happened to the electronics (Garmin FF and Fish Hawk)...