A-TOM-MIK

Oswego doing awesome, our fish will be released 5/8, growing fast, furious little guys, great class of fish for Oswego

Tom

Good stuff, huge hatch last fall too, more than I have seen in 10 years in Jeff Cty

Never hurts to be conscious of all Lake Ontario biology

Tom

All invites have been sent out:

If you did not get yours please contact us

[email protected]

Deposits are due May 1

Tom

This coming Saturday the 8th is our annual Oswego Net Pen maintenance day
Oswego Marina around 10am, east side of the river
Tools needed:
-Gloves
-Side cutters to cut plastic zip ties
-Tin snips to cut galvanized mesh screen
-Utility knife
-Drill with a hex head 5/16 bit to drive self tapping screws
-Staging planks or 2x8, we can usually scrounge up some cinder blocks (to reach top of pens 8’ high)
-Hammer, screwdrivers, drill bits 1/8", wrenches, other hand tools needed at times
We'll need to replace nylon mesh, replace some screen on ends of pens, secure ropes that tie them off to the docks, mend some existing mesh, re-secure floats here and there
Should take 2-4 hours tops
Your help is much needed

Tom

48 minutes ago, HB2 said:

guy at work said his 80 year old step father passed yesterday  . He lived on Chamout bay ,said he wanted ( his dying wish) some of his ashes loaded in 5  12 gauge shells with ,and he said this specificly , lead shot ,and kill some cormorants he hated. 

I feel some of his pain ):

Football field size flocks, 4 and 5 of them some mornings, stretched throughout a 20 mile area in Jefferson Cty. Sometimes all togther and at times flocks 10 mils apart, I'd blitz thru them and they would scatter, yet land 1-200 yds awy, but then they close back in, at times within casting distance. Within 5 minutes of flying away they are already diving again and feeding. Fish have absolutely no where to hide, I've witnessed them press a school of fish up against a shoreline and just feast. From 5-35 fow doesn't matter. Perch from 6-10" absolutely no match for the birds

I'd imagine an entire pen project of fry, 40-60,000 fry, could be devastated in 1 day, no lie 1 day they could be gone, very sad !!!!

Tom

Cormorants are going to be a bigger issue than I feel anyone will ever realize

Invites will be out early April

Tom

   I dropped Steelhead in 2011 from pens in Oswego due to a total lack of interest in helping what it takes to stock them. I can rattle of dozens of names who have helped me the last 10 years run the Oswego project, I would only need a couple fingers to list river guys who help. 5 years during my current term and another 8 or so prior to me river guys have shown a very minimal and I mean minimal effort, this all while 20k Steelhead were planted annually with highly ranked proven success rates. I mentioned to Scott a few months back when I heard of these private meetings why the proven success rates of penned steelhead wasn't parlayed on the SR, word for word Scott noted "Just no interest". Again, I brought it up at the Pulaski meeting and was finally given what seemed like a "good excuse" as to why not (I say this with full respect towards Scott)

River guys are no where near as interested in helping on any level, crying behind the scenes is what it seems to me "Woe is me" Now, I have nothing against Steelhead, and I would of put some in pens this year in Oswego, again with a show of hands (after a notice of a meeting concerning pens in Oswego) there wasn't a single river volunteer who even stood in on the meeting, yet I have increased interest each year now for the last 4 concerning lake guys. This entire response was given due to the fact I witness the help first hand, outside of excuses from river guys I hardly ever hear a peep from them. However they sure do love catching Kings in the rivers early season for a solid month each year, they book trips from it and enjoy it very much, but when its time to help they are a NO SHOW

I also agree with everything you said Eddie

Cormorants are going to be a huge issue, I've witnessed more in the fall of 2016 in Jefff. Cty from early Oct till the end of Nov. than I have ever seen in my life, maybe more migratory birds but still there are tons and trust me when I say tons

Tom

Thanks Rob

First year A-TOM-MIK was represented there, there were about 6 vendors, we sent 30 flies to be sold lol

A-TOM-MIK @ LOTSA

A-TOM-MIK LOTSA 01/20/17 -01/22/17
GREATER NIAGARA FISHING EXPO 
*Big Lake Gear 
Here is what A-TOM-MIK will have at LOTSA 
-Copper: Bulk 3500', Marked 2000', all other sections 200-600' (20) spools each, just a few bulk and marked
-Fly Bodies: 120 colors (5) 2 Pk's each color (Only 10 total fly bodies per color) Except the new UV190/Gold and Goldilocks, we did (20) Pk's each of them
-John King/A-TOM-MIK 3-Fly Style Meat Rigs-24 colors (6) each
-Rhys Davis/A-TOM-MIK 3-Fly Style Meat Rigs-60 colors (6) each
-All our flied meat rigs use 40# Gamma Fluro and have replacebale leader ends with tied in Rosco swivels
-John King/A-TOM-MIK Clean Meat Rigs-25 colors (6) each
-Rhys Davis/A-TOM-MIK Clean Meat Rigs-12 colors (6) each
-Twinkie Teasers 3-Pks 36 colors (6) each
-Twinkie Teasers Rigged on 40# Gamma Fluro 30 colors (6) each
-Die cut tapes 27 colors (6) each
-Lure eyes 3/8" 10 colors 12 pks each
-Bead Chains, Hooks, Rattles, Harnesses, Chart. Opaque Beads
-Hoping for 12 cases of cut bait (?) (6) cases each size
-A total 160 Sq ft of stock
***We will offer a very wide selection of color patterns in all our products, however a very limited amount of each, this is out of respect to our many dealers. It is our ultimate goal to showcase our diversity and color selections first.

Hope to see you there

Tom

2 buy in options for 2017

We will have 2 entry options for 2017

-Normal entry $800

-Entry for entire cash pool will be $1500

You can pay to get in both, but only the teams who entered from 2016 are eligible for all monies with the normal entry

Tom

 

 

 I bought Eggs like Hollow grinder &  Braddock Bait shop ETC. Did.   It was convenient and I paid more than these places. I left clean 5 gallon pails & cash envelopes on every Charter boat on the PM ride home that had eggs. I could tell you how big the salmon runs there were yearly  and exact dates of the yearly runs, based on my records kept of salmon egg pounds collected and when.  A company called Tempo-Tech from Michigan (Rick Bovee owner ?) would pick up Hundreds of #'s of eggs every few days from my home garage refrigerator.

Jerry: This was truly a cartel: Have a read when you get some time

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_caviar_kings/P1/

Tempotech, run by George Jackson and Robert Gehl, obtained a contract to harvest salmon and salmon eggs from Lake Michigan, where, because the waters were considered relatively uncontaminated, salmon (and its roe) was deemed fit for human consumption. Tempotech maintained two egg-processing facilities—one at its headquarters in Hart, Michigan, and one

in Pulaski, New York.

However, Jackson and Gehl decided to use the Michigan contract as a cover to launder Lake Ontario salmon eggs,

which could only be legally sold as fisherman’s bait. Tempotech’s own analysis of the eggs showed high levels of polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs) and mirex—a banned pesticide linked to cancer, stillbirths, and reproductive disorders—but still Jackson and Gehl sold nearly one million pounds of the contaminated eggs, most of them to Gold Star. The eggs would have an eventual market value of $16 million.

The salmon eggs processed at the Pulaski plant were packed into 45-pound buckets clearly labeled with the warning stickers. But once in Michigan, the eggs were repacked, this time without the “bait†label, and then shipped to Gold Star, where they were resold directly to the public for consumption as caviar. Caspian Star’s records indicate that each bucket was referred to as a “piece†of caviar. A typical shipment contained ten pieces—450 pounds. A Tempotech manager confirmed to DEC investigators that “all Pulaski caviar went to Gold Star.â€

DEC tests performed on Gold Star’s salmon eggs confirmed high levels of mirex. One investigator noted that Jackson had personally delivered the contaminated caviar to Gold Star.

Panchernikov paid for the shipments with shopping bags and attache cases full of cash—payments which totaled, according to court papers, “cumulatively many millions of dollars.†As a result of the DEC’s investigation, Gehl and Jackson were convicted in February 1995. Gehl was sentenced to 87 months in prison and fined $250,000, and Jackson was sentenced to 70 months. Tempotech itself was fined and forced to forfeit funds totaling nearly $1,500,000.

While no criminal charges were filed at the time against Gold Star or Panchernikov personally, the company was identified as an “unindicted coconspirator†in the Jackson and Gehl case, and the DEC instead pursued a civil action against Gold Star. The company admitted violating New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law by improperly harvesting and selling contaminated salmon eggs, and got off the hook with a $230,000 fine.

Koczuk may have been on the top of his world for many years, but climbing to the top always pisses off someone. By October 28, 1998, he had clearly pissed off somebody very close to the heart of his organization.

The tip-off call came in to a US customs office in Frankfurt. The anonymous caller gave specific information: the airport, the flight, the date of arrival, the names of all the smugglers, and what they would be carrying.

The customs agent dialed his counterparts at JFK, who in turn placed a call to their colleagues at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The call was answered by FWS Special Agent Ed Grace, member of an elite investigative core at the heart of the FWS that trains alongside the FBI. Many Special Agents are biologists, and all are armed. One of their jobs is to take down smugglers of endangered species. Grace wrote down the smugglers’ flight arrival time and looked at his watch.

There were only two hours to go.

“Look, how are we supposed to fight corruption when a police lieutenant doesn’t make enough to feed his family?†one lieutenant colonel in the Astrakhan fisheries police says bitterly. “I have served 25 years and earn less than $300.†But despite the police’s professed economic woes, nearly half of the cars in the parking lot of the dusty fisheries police building were BMWs or Volkswagens. When asked whose cars they were, the department’s senior officers claimed they belonged to “visitors.†The cars were in the same parking spaces three days in a row.

Although 1,400 people were caught for poaching last year in the Astrakhan region, police admit that not one of them received a prison term, which could be up to three years for a convicted poacher. Most were instead fined between $40 and $2,500, the maximum penalty.—The Moscow Times

.....continued on the link I posted, I knew these guys and still remain friends with Rick Boeve from Muskegon MI, who operates out of Pulaski each fall

like noted: everyone knows everyone, even us innocent guys trying to bang out a buck in the fishing indusrty 

Tom

Ontario also has some eggs for us to if we need them (:

I frequent the general area with the most nests on the lake, Galoo and north, I do about 40 trips each fall, been doing this for many years. All I can say is ITS NOT GOOD, I'm seeing more and more, situation is horrible

Tom

I often feel or relate to guys/anglers who coincide with my particular situation, I am not a captain, do not run trips. Its my passion to chase these fish, sort of a unique situation. Yes, I bank on ALL that carry a similar passion to buy my product, and I do voice my opinions openly on 3 of my social media pages that carry some weight with upwards of 5000 followers. This the importance of our input to those making or having a part on decision making. So in a sense if you know me you should already know how I feel

Either way I'm hopeful a fire of any magnitude will be lit under our Bio's (who I ultimately respect) to feel an impact from us a anglers, to know we care about whats going on. For those who invest in our fishery from out of town and those close, to play that part is only aiding in your own vested interest. 

Gill-T Great idea, creel limit 5 per person once over 21"

dmd113

I never mentioned for anyone not to post (and I understand I wasn't necessarily being called out) but since I was and still am one who feels more attendance should take place I figured I'd respond on the subject.

All interest given to this fishery is appreciated to a great degree (by me anyway) and I understand perfectly for someone to drive several hours each way is a tall task to ask, however for several years to pass and anyone to have adorned the role "of not making even one meeting", I feel is truly shameful. Especially if you care for the quality fishery of our lake.

Between the many trips "some anglers" will make up here, to work on your boat, check on a cottage, or many other scenarios outside of actually fishing, to squeak into a meeting should me a given.

The monies spent as mentioned THANK YOU VERY MUCH, as without it we prolly would not be the fishery we truly are today.

IMO the importance of these meetings is over-looked, this by so many, these meetings should be packed, what is at stake in irreplaceable  

Tom 

Agree on the embarrassing showing at all these meetings, I honestly feel it should be somewhat mandatory on a certain level. Everyone is so full of excuses, if they were giving away $100 bills bet you you'd have to park a mile away and get there an hour early for standing room only, SAD, the excuses would dry up then.

To all who have your excuses ready: YOU ARE WELCOME FOR OUR WORK AND INTEREST AND THE TIME WE GIVE UP FOR THE FISHERY

Jerry, thank you for all the time in listing the key facts

Tom

(: All Good, take lots of lakers, take em and take em and take me

New user lookin' for Lakers cause Kings are slow

sounds fishy.........

Tom

another vote for the evo, I have a 200, 200 trips so far in 2 years, flawless

I'm sure there is some rebuttal type notions/statements directed at us fishermen as a whole coming from the DEC. Especially concerned with NR %'s, for any of you that frequent the "meeting scenes' sure does seem like most of the input during the Q/A periods comes off as shouting matches and accusatory towards them. So for them to "stress" a certain point or even over-pronounce it, to me is to be expected. Personally IMO I feel we do see a 25-40% NR rate from year to year, this is my opinion and from the area I fish Oswego. 

As far as the newly projected LT cuts I feel this is a direct response from input from us at meetings, does anybody really feel this would have come to fruition if not for our input? The DEC sure did have their answers ready and in place when many of us first squawked about it !!

What I'm getting at is the importance of our participation at all meetings, I get flack all the time for comments like this but its true: "Anglers will drive or re-work their schedule to fish no matter what, but when it comes time to help at a pen project or attend a meeting all of a sudden its too far or it doesn't fit a schedule"

Our importance is huge and our input is heard, and it must continue, and it must grow, but be smart at these meetings, say your piece but with appreciation in your tone. If I've said it once I've said it a hundred times, the DEC has "managed" to keep Kings "in the system" for a very very long time, this against the highest of obstacles, from weather to invasive's and we are still catching Kings today !!!

Tom