Gator

Seriously, guys, they're free...there's got to be somebody out there who can use these. They're acting as a coffee holder in my truck right now. Shoot me a pm.

Ah, to be young again... I have e-mail

Brand new, but our 24" tracks, 1) don't need backers, 2) have different hole pattern than the 18" backers. So, my stupid is your gain. They don't cost much (~13$) so if you can use them, they're free. Shoot me a pm or e-mail me [email protected] Gator

Frank Campbell has a great reputation.

We keep the drag loose, but add a downrigger release clip attached to the hook holder on the rod and clamped onto the line as it comes off the reel. Other people use a simple rubber band to keep the reel from clicking out. This prevents quick breakoffs on the hit, as wire's got no stretch at all. Like Ray said, keep the Dipsey just short of releasing...otherwise, it's the same as setting the drag too tight and the fish can shake off fighting the Dispey. As for snubbers, we use the clear braided snubbers and haven't noticed an issue. I can't imaging not using a snubber, with the force of some of the rips we take... Gator

Ouch. Isn't that what you say when the fish beat you up? And if it isn't the fish, it's the lake...it was like being in a washing machine on Sunday. We pulled one small king and one small steelhead last nite fishing between 80-235 fow East of the Creek. Ran some J-Plugs with no success; spoon bite. Same as on Sunday, except on Sunday we actually had five minutes of mayhem as we doubled on teenage kings with two in the boat and the net in the cabin. We should change our name from "Nothin' but Net" to "Net for Nothin'". It'd be nice to have the fishing we did a couple weeks ago. Can't complain, though; we stayed on top. Nice evening when the lake calmed down, too. BTW, the temp's down 80-90 and still compressed on the inside. Very little bait, but still decent hooks, just couldn't get them to go. Next time! Gator

We have several flies in the boat now that have a treble with only two hook points and have lost the stinger hook as well. I'm guessing that means that the hook itself is breaking off where the stinger is tied on. I don't know the brand off-hand. I love the idea of the stinger, but in practicalities in just seems to result in broken trebles. Gator

I grew up in Bath, and if this is the same Rob Hayes that I used to hunt ducks with, he's definately a stand-up guy. I'll have to remember this post when it comes time to redo the canvas on the Nothin' but Net. Thanks! Gator

Hey Brian, I'll take them. The Shimano rods should work well with the Daiwa Saltist reels I'm expecting any day now. Let's hook up at the Marina. Gator

Alright Rob! Sandy's doing okay this round...at least the first place brown and salmon, right? Keep it up! Gator

Beautiful night out there. We found the fish in 95'-115', with the temperature compressed into a tight band @ 95' down on the riggers (14 lb ball, ~2.2 mph). Small changes in speed had us anywhere from 47 to 68F water. Surprisingly (or maybe not given the past few years), the fish were high...210-230' of wire on a 2 setting. All spin docs, and not once did the riggers fire. We were 2/5 on the wires, with the 2 fish being majors ~26 lbs and 22 lbs and the other three ripping line like big kings. Lots of marks in bait, but nothing we marked was going. May have to try Brian's trick of 400' coppers off the planer boards. May be out again tonight. And tomorrow night. ad nauseum... Gator

I like the sound of all these recipes! Might need to keep a few cohos next weekend. Our variation on the theme: we use orange juice rather than apple juice, but we cut down the amount; a one-to-one ratio with soy sauce is about right. The brown sugar and various spices are a must, as is peppering the fish right before smoking. We don't add any extra salt beyond the soy sauce (I've had it come out inedible, too), but if you like it salty, I hear it's important to use non-iodinized salt, like coarse or Kosher salt. Sometimes we put some Naples Valley or dijon mustard in the mix instead of maple syrup to get a more spicy, less sweet taste. My mouth is starting to water... The key is to experiment until you find what you like, varying one or two things at a time. I do know that there's a temperature where fish pasteurizes (~170??). Above that and you'll have hard smoked salmon, below that and you'll get lox. Since I hate the slimy stuff, I always smoke it hard. No jokes, please. Gator

I'll just chime in "ditto" to Rob's report. We were inside for two hours without moving a rod, then pulled and ran to 450' where we popped a mature within 5 minutes. Ended with a dozen rips out there in ~3 hours, four matures, one skipper and the rest steelies. The riggers were parked at 68', wires at 200', and the temp band was much wider than inside (~1 degree per foot at the thermocline), so there's lots of fishable water. Strong North-South current, too! Everything was either green or white Spin Docs. Gator

Wet wipes are great to have in your pack for that unforeseen (or maybe par-for-the-course?) call of nature that happens while deer hunting (we call it "putting out a stander"). Some guy I know forgot that they freeze . But I've heard it told that if you hold them between your cheeks for a few minutes they'll thaw...and then the job's half done. Gator

I'm assuming these are these brand new swivel bases...do they include the tab lock, as well? Gator

T'wasn't a big deal. We all had a great time. Of course, just cause Jerry did the right thing by the customers doesn't mean we can't rip on him for it. Or anything, for that matter Seriously, though, I'm glad everyone could get out and spank some fish. Except for Ray...the fish that is...I think there may still have been some spanking involved... We'll be out there Wed. nite, got to be sure to check out the "Great Leaning Boat of Sandy". Hopefully nobody's looked at our rig. I think we'd take second place in the leaning division (what does that pay out?). Good thing one of my legs is shorter than the other. Gator

Hey Scott, I was out with Tank on Sunday on Jason and Trish 's boat Trout-N-About (nice rig, great company, and much appreciated!). We fished to the East and picked at them all morning. There were lots of smallish fish, steelies and one brown, but we managed three kings in the 20s and two in the teens (3/5 getting them to the boat). Mostly Spin Doctors parked from 180-280' on Jason's four wire set, or riggers 80-100 down. The fish are scattered all over the water column...in fact, we watched clear as day as one of the kings DOVE from 45' to 65' to hit a rigger. Sweet! After that rain passed through, the fishing shut down for about an hour, then started to pick up a little bit toward noon, but that's when we picked up, too. Fishing any evenings this week? Gator

My experience is that most of the guys I know don't keep fish. We tend to practice "catch and float" instead...an unfortunate byproduct of bringing fish up from the depths into warm water, combined with the damage to their slime coat and the sometimes inelegant "nose flop" release technique, whereby the fish, conquered and still, suddenly comes alive during attempts to gently return him to the water, initiating the "salmonid launch". Generally we find that belly up fish have a tough time swimming... Seriously, though, I think most of the guys who are at it every weekend would have a tough time getting rid of all the fish they catch (obviously, we ourselves don't have that particular problem, but I've heard about it from others). That, plus the stinky fish guts that somehow end up polluting a dumpster at the local 7-eleven, which makes for good friends and neighbors, especially in the 85F heat. We do try to release our fish as best possible, maybe keep half a dozen coho for the smoker once a year (apologies to the guys at 7-eleven), but I'm sure that the mortality rate is high on released fish. Gambler tells me that the guys on Spoonpullers are doing a tagging study and that lots of released salmon have been recaught already; I'll be interesting to see what the final numbers are. Bottom line is: Thank God they're a renewable resource! Gator

Yeah, I was just amazed at how dark some of the fish are that we're catching out there. Gator

Done til next weekend? That hurts! Cause it's not bad fishing out there...and it's always nice to be able to turn kings at the top of the water column. We had one yesterday that nearly tore the Scotty rod holder off the boat, it hit so hard-100' copper. Nice aerial show, too. After we left the pack we headed East and had a pick the whole way down. I can't say that there was any one honeyhole or particular presentation that stood out; definately a spoon bite, though. The riggers, coppers and dipseys all took hits, anywhere from 50' down to the surface. The fish must have been on the move, as the few times we tried to circle marks they were nowhere to be found. We'll be out this morning and, weather permitting, tomorrow as well. Gator

Mike, I'm not sure that it's a good idea to leave all your gear on the boat, no matter where you are. And I for one would never tell you on a public forum that my boat in particular is ripe for theft...I don't think anyone would want to advertise "free fishing gear" to every Joe Yahoo who stupids upon this board (no offense to our "regulars") That having been said, I've not heard of massive problems at Sandy with stuff disappearing. Bruce does a good job with security. But there's always the exception. Hell, I just had a bottle of Fix-a-Flat, insect repellent, and a pack of smokes stolen out of my truck while kayaking the Genessee up near Scottsville. Go figure. Even if you have to grab your rods and a few boxes of tackle, having the boat in the water makes it alot easier to get out, especially evenings as we get towards the Derby(s). Good luck. Gator

Wow! I leave for two weeks and look what gets stirred up! Bottom line is that anybody can hold and run a tournament anyway they want...might not make fiscal or common sense (ie only boats with blue bottom paint can enter), but it's still true. We're all just working toward bettering the fishery; let's save the antagonism for the unbelievers (the antis). I'm all over a Sandy tournament...I know I'm throwing away money, given my limited skill set, but I'm in! Gator

Yup, I'm in Ireland. At the airport waiting for my flight back right now, dead tired, too many pints of Guiness last nite, and wasting time cruising the net. Hope you guys find them this weekend. The forecast looks dire for tomorrow; we've got to tow the Lund up to Canada for holiday, so fingers crossed the weather cooperates. Tight lines! Gator

Scott, I'm gone for the next two weekends, but Keith will be around and probably fishing. Hopefully things light up while I'm gone and it'll be happening when I get back! Gator

Scott, Do you know whether anyone has gotten those deep marks to go? We found them from ~150 and in and tried it for an hour at the end of the day yesterday, but couldn't move a rod. The marks are far enough off the bottom that I'm wondering if they're not kings hunkered down and inactive. Of course, with the temps yesterday, "far enough" meant only 110 down I saw that Jason did a great fish; we were right next to him. If they're all kings, then the fireworks should start soon! Gator