Gator

I spitballed the 60K figure based on the cost of pensions divided by the number of retirees. It could be more or less, but I do know that there was only a single pensioner taking home >$300K (and he'd worked forever) and only 7 folks taking home more than $200K. Nobody is getting rich, for sure. Since I'm not in the public sector, in truth I know jack about how it works. I see Brian chimed in; I wonder if maybe our resident officers might?

Based on the pension numbers that I saw reported for NYS policemen, the average works out to ~$60K a year. That's average - so there must be a significant portion who make less than that. IMHO it would be tight living on a pension of that size, particularly if it's taxed and you have a family with kids getting toward college age. And I don't know how it adjusts for inflation...if you retire at 42, you hopefully have lots of living left. No wonder so many cops retire to second careers. 

All in all, and doubly-so given the current climate, I bet they earn every penny of that pension. 

4 minutes ago, Crestliner said:

keep voting libtard !!!!!

 Why does somebody always have to go there? Sigh.

I was talking to a young recruit this morning who seemed to know a bit about the subject, and my impression was that the 25 year retirement pension in effect now, as has been true for years, has retirement income pegged to the final three years of service, so there's good incentive to stay on.. Nevertheless, Gov. Hochul has continuously opposed a reduction to 20 years, which would make ecos equitable with other law enforcement, and the optics of this aren't great. It sounds like the cost to the state would be minimal, if 8 million dollars is minimal lol. But in the words of the person I was talking to, "I'm in at 22, out at 47, and I'm doing what I love". You have to respect that. 

Any chance there's some way to corroborate? I can't find anything supportive online, and while I obviously appreciate what you're saying, it's tough to go in guns-a-blazing without solid premise. Thanks!

I use Pline on my spinning rods for crappie and walleye, but agree that the higher tensile strength material doesn't seem to perform as effectively as Seaguar.

Yup, that's a good 'un. Not that I'm an expert, but my top pike(s) have been 17 lb, and that looks bigger to me. Scotty had something on upstream a few days ago that ripped him a new one but didn't fight like a silver. I wonder if it could have been a similar or even the same fish. 

On 4/5/2024 at 11:49 AM, Silver Fox said:

Many times out of Sandy, my friends have seen the “eclipse” while I’m out there fishing. It’s a free show about 3 times a summer……

You had to go there. Not untrue though.

As a hard core scientist, I can tell you that God did a great job when he planned this whole existence thing out lol. It all makes sense, if you ask the right questions. Crazy cool.

There's a lot of pooh-poohing about this, but I think it's cool as $hit. I mean, just the history of eclipses and the mythology surrounding them is enough for me to want to see one. IMHO, it compares favorably to looking at a bunch of rocks in Mexico that some Mayans once used as a temple or sitting on your couch Sunday afternoon watching some guy try to knock a small white ball into a hole (both of which I've done and enjoyed lol).

And the whole four minute thing makes it better. You don't have to waste a day driving somewhere, dealing with bad food and dudes hawking selfie sticks, you just need to go outside and look up.

IMHO, the value you place on experience isn't inherent, it's subjective and reflects what it means to you. Even if you don't personally care much, there are folks who are just out of their minds about this eclipse. And good for them! Heck, most folks don't see the value in freezing your a$$ off to catch a three pound brown in March...

The big difference here is that you only need to look up to see the eclipse. I'm skeptical that it's going to be as bad as they say. But what do I know? I'm a Yankee, but I'm not from Connecticut and I've never been in King Author's court. 

And maybe don't take a picture of the eclipse with your phone. I'm told that you should use a solar filter or risk damage. This is secondhand intel.

FYI, I'm on the Scheels website and it looks like the Primos Double Bull Roughneck - not the see through fabric, but the regular super tough - is marked down from $399 to $199 with free shipping. That's a heck of a deal, and if you purchase with Active Junkie, you get 8% cash back too. Or sign up for a Scheels Card (which I will never use) and you'll get $75 to spend on your first purchase. Anyway, send you a pm too. 

https://www.scheels.com/p/primos-double-bull-roughneck-ground-blind-combo/01013500985.html?cgid=hunting#start=7

I love my Double Bull, it's a beast, but I don't have any experience with their newer "surroundview" one way see through walls. The hubs are one real strength - it appears that they have a model with traditional fabric and the good hub system that's more reasonably priced. Of all the blinds I have, the Double Bull is the one I don't worry about when it snows.

We looked at the Millennium Buck Hut at the Niagara show. It doesn't appear to be portable, but looks sturdy.

That sucks. At least you know you likely killed him clean since he was so close in that thicket. We found a deadhead from a buck one of our guys lost last year during bow, and it was similarly very close to where the meager blood trail ran out, but we thoroughly covered the area where it was eventually found...and so I think it expired later. How much later? Not too long, I hope.

The best you can do is try to take as ethical a shot as possible and do everything to retrieve the animal. But just like in life, sometimes **** happens.

You got it. I can get them to you at the Marina whenever you want. I will take down the posts on other forums. If you want to see how we set up external power so that you don't need to screw around with AA batteries, let me know.

ttt

I have four cameras: (1) Edge Pro *unopened; (2) Edge *used one year; (3) Delta (x2) *used three years. All are in perfect working order, The Edge and Edge Pro have internal memory and do not require SD cards. The Edge Pro has some unique features such as being able to block out areas in the field of view that may cause false triggers, such as a branch waving around or weeds low to the ground. For the cost of the Edge Pro alone, you'd be getting the other three. 

I'd like to get $150, firm and fair, and I'm not interested in separating. Pick up in Rush or Hamlin, or shipping on the buyer's dime.

Reason for selling is that we are consolidating the units we run to one brand for ease of access, and we had more Tactacams than Moultrie.

The first rods I built many years ago were downrigger rods. I agree 100% that of all the rod types out there, you're not going to save any $ building custom. In fact, likely the opposite. Because of the need to hold up under constant stress, the blanks incorporate glass, which is fairly cheap. And they don't need to be "sensitive". Hence, large scale manufacturers have many inexpensive options that are acceptable for most applications. Custom trolling blanks are the cat's meow, but they are not going to help pay for the kid's college! Nevertheless, as a luxury item, I can't think of much better swag to have on the boat.

There's something magic about catching fish on a rod you built yourself. Last night, I christened a new walleye rod by sticking a ten lber out of the kayak. The thing crushed my jig right at the side of the boat, and I gave myself a black eye trying to get enough torque to set the hook! Now that's how you put a new rod through it's paces!

I build about a dozen rods a year. Everything is expensive, particularly if you want a truly custom look. But there are a variety of wonderful blanks to be had in the $50-100 range that meet or exceed most anything in big box stores, and if you aren't looking for titanium silicon carbide guides, then the price to build an everyday stick is more reasonable. In general, I think I spend about $150 for materials to build a quality freshwater rod. 

I am a big fan of North Fork Composites blanks, This is Gary Loomis's "new" company...they are a bit slow in delivery, but the quality is outstanding. Here's an example: they have a Fresh Water FW702-2 (IM) blank (7', 2 power, 2 piece, intermediate modulus) that's my go-to walleye rod priced at $47. Lightweight guide kits can be had for 10-15 bucks. Cork is expensive, but carbon tubes are a great low cost option and feel great in hand. Fuji standard reel seats are under $10. So for less than $100, you can have a really nice custom rod.

Whatever you do, don't spend a fortune on components for your first build. There's a learning curve, as with anything. If you were closer, I'd have you stop over to check out my setup - the passion for building is addictive. Now, if only I didn't give away everything I make - my wife kids me about taking out a storage unit for rods lol. I figure that if somebody is fishing them, then they're serving their intended purpose.

Inches, not feet. Like Scotty, I have to laugh at the comparisons to historical averages. The lake was kept artificially high for many years in the modern era, and that's where folks who built near the lake shore expect it to be, except when it get TOO high, then it's a problem. It seem like a constant battle every year. And much like my wife's preferred temperature range of 72-73 degrees, there's a narrow comfort range.

Fish whenever you can. Folks will often talk about a mid-morning lull, but we've seen strong bites in the late morning / early afternoon hours that have produced some great kicker fish during tournaments for us and (mainly) folks we know well lol...and it seems like our evenings generally start with a bang, getting right on fish at 4 or 5 pm. Full moons will often be accompanied by a killer mid-day bite. But don't overthink it; just fish.

I'd tell you that we put Magnum Metalz on last year and love them, but you asked about Scotty vs. Cannon.

Ford vs. Chevy. Our Cannons lasted decades and are still running on somebody else's boat. But we lost a few probes over the years due to how fast they are and how quickly they stop. Upgrading to a Fishhawk X4D was our main motivation for going with Magnum Metalz. The clutch system and spring brings the weight to a silky smooth stop. But the small spool demands that you keep the cable tight. Every rigger has it's own personality. I'd bum a ride with folks who run different models to see if you like them or not.

It's always worth revisiting this information. Two common types of insidious approaches that I've seen used recently, which may apply to items purchased here indirectly in one case, but just an FYI in the other.

You may receive an "invoice" or notice of payment in your messages thanking you for your purchase, but you didn't purchase anything. And so you try to follow up to figure out what's going on, and that's where they get you. Never click any links provided or provide any information to these clowns. Delete, ignore, move on. 

You may get a phone call from somebody who sounds like one of your loved ones - common themes are relatives who've been arrested or in an accident and need money for lawyers, hospital, etc...grandparents are perfect victims here.

Taking two seconds for due diligence is the smart play. We recently had some friends nearly fall prey to this scam, and even as bright, educated individuals, their emotions got the best of them. The scammers, who were supposedly municipal employees for the police department, said they accept payment in Bitcoin, and that's a red flag lol. They simply picked up the phone and called their son, who was fine and oblivious, as college students are on Saturdays...

And gone! 

Free to a good home. This XL vintage jacket was my Dad's...it's used, but clean. There are no tears, the buttons are intact, and the inside looks perfect. Given that it's been in my basement for twenty years, it may need to have some wax applied. Pick up in Rush or I can probably get it somewhere up by the lake like Sandy Creek. Pm me, and I'll post once it's gone.