Squid

Check out at the Oak fishing reports. That is very close to there and will give up to date info on depths, places, and lures. Very informative and you can trust the information is true. It is a tremendous resource.

I second what jolly said. Back in the 80's there were so many boats at the oak they had to park at the parkway bridge to launch at the north and the fishing was good all year. Boat traffic may affect the bite on given day but with the amount of fish in the lake I do not believe it has any impact over the course of a season.

As someone who used to fish the lake very regularly but now have to pick my spots due to life events I appreciate very much being able to get info on the net that helps me get on the fish quicker allowing me to optimize my time on the water.

As for when the hot fishing will stop, nobody knows. It probably will remain good all year as those kings that are in the east end now will remain however there is almost always a "June swoon" as the lake transitions. Some years it can still be okay fishing at this time and sometimes it can be downright awful.

I have fiished on this boat many times and it is nothing short of an awesome fishing rig. Mark has it outfitted with great electronics and is very fisherman friendly and boy does it catch fish.

She doesn't need a licnese if she is not fishing but you must be aware of what constitutes fishing. I was told many years ago by a DEC officer that when trolling you need a license if you, touch a rod, net a fish, or steer the boat, they are all acts of fishing. It would be easiest to buy her a license.

For the doubters, this is real and was in the Syracuse Post Standard this past Sunday. Whether this gets ironed out for this individual who would want to risk having to go through this? Imagine if he didn't have a credit card to make the payment. It sounds like extortion to me. Give me $1,000 or will take your boat and arrest you.

I have a lifetime license and have had one for many years. I also purchased them for my children when they were born so license increase fees do not affect me however I am still very concerned about them. Currently a sportsman license is $88 a year. I strongly feel we are pricing out the occasional anglers and hunters and are especailly pricing newbies out of the deal. Obvioulsy the guys on this forum invest a lot of money into their sport so the high cost of the license is just an irrantant to them. It is the others indivdiuals that we are loosing in our sport that is concerning. If you don't belive it has an effect just look at how many hunters are in the woods on opening day or the number of boaters on the lakes. When I first started hunting there would be convoys of hunters heading down the road at 4am and the woods were a sea of orange. During derbies at the Oak you had to park past the parkway bridge to launch at the point. There is no arguing particiaption is down and that is not good for the rest of us. As our numbers dwindle our significance with politicians and the public wanes until we become irrelevant.

Thanks for the kind thoughts.

Jerry we sure did run a lot of rods back then. I have to chuckle now when I have someone on the boat and I have 8 rods out and they wonder how we can keep them from getting tangled.

Yesterday Capt. Marv Cappon a pioneer of Lake Ontario trout and Salmon fishing passed away at the age of 81. As Marv had been away from the industry for many years most of you on this forum probably do not know him but there are still some of the old guard that I am sure remember him as he was an unforgettable figure.

Standing 6'8" and 300lbs he was an giant of a person with an even greater personality. He was one of the old guard finger lake charter captains who plied the waters of Seneca Lake for Lake Trout and other Salmonoids with the customary Seth Green Rigs and copper line tactics. He orginally piloted Penn Yann's monikered MATSU 1-4 and later had the Well Craft Cap & Lambie.

When the Salmon fishing exploded on the Great Lake's scene he was among the first, along with a hard core crew of finger lake captains, that moved their game to Lake O. When he first started docking at 4 C's Marine (then Norm's) at the Oak it was primarily a sail boaters marina. His trademark of blasting John Philip Sousa marches on the way out of the harbor on early morning charters did not endear him to the sailboat crowd. Blow off days would find him holding court in a corner of the 4-c's coffee shop with jokes and grand stories.

Rest In Peace Uncle Marv.

Are there some special rules in your county that allow a person to kill more than one buck with a bow?

Years ago at Hatch & Elam (at the Oak) there used to be a mounted salmon that was suppose to be in the 46# range that if I recall correctly was caught trolling in the river.

So I guess there is now two set of rules. The first is what the tournament comittee deems to be right and wrong and the second being what Shade and other indivuals deem to be right and wrong. Where are the second set of rules published so we can all be sure to follow them?

Shade, I don't know why you would be appauled that anyone would use open communication when that is a rule allowed by the tournament. It is no diffeent than any other competion such as football, baseball, or racing. You understand the rules and you work with in them to give your self the best chance to win. Having said that open communication is a two edge sword, you have to know who you are working with and be able to trust what they tell you.

Another side of this is some of the captains have paying charters in these tournaments and have to catch a few fish to save face. I participated in a tournament earlier this year and a captain friend of ours called us because we were doing well and he had a skunk and needed some fish for his clients. We had not intended to share info with anyone but sometimes friendship comes first.

Too bad you had a rough trip, but I would not give up yet. I would suggest trying the oak next year, the fishing tends to be very consitent down there. The Niagara area is good but is a better bet for a May trip. One suggest I would have for you is next time you go for a few days book an evening charter with a reputable captain. It will give you a great oppurtunity to learn where the fish are and what they are biting. You might also pick up some tactics if you pay attention. When I used to work charters we had several people who would do this when they came up for trips and it helped them tremendously. We became friends with several and would help them catch fish there entire trips.

The number is reffering the second number of longitude so if the are at the 25 line it would be 78 25 00.

I have been on both sides of this issues as I worked on large charter boats for years and now own my own small boat and I think there are a few things everyone should keep in mind when out on the lake.

In the past charter boats always had mates but it is now not as common a practice and the charters are often on auto pilot. If they are setting lines or working a fish they may come up on you with out realizing it.

The charter captains are out there trying to earn money and provide a fun experience for their clients, they are not out there looking for problems or to create a fight.

In choppy waters it is often difficult for a smaller boat to manuever or hold a course. Sometimes these smallers boats have to work a NE or SW course due to wave condtions when the larger boats are trolling E and W or N and S.

Like in stock car racing the person who gets in the "wreck" is not the one at fault. You have to be aware of what the other boats are doing not just the one you feel is coming at you. We have all been there where we have to manuever around one boat for some reason and it puts in another boats course.

Waypoints are not posted property. If you can't get to your waypoint because another boat is in the way then make a plan, use a turn to put you on it after the area has cleared or set yourself up for a run across it.

Try to be respectful of everyone else. We are all out there for the same reason. To Have Fun!

Have to agree, lose the Vanish. I used the 20lb as leader matarial on my divers and all it did was break off on kings. All my captain buddies told me after that it was junk!

I just saw on the Oak website that Captain Bob Songin of Reel Excitement Charters will be taking over the fishing report postings. For those of you who don’t know Capt. Bob he was a close friend of Joe's and a consistent source of information for him. He spends a lot of time on the water and has a good network of captains to garner information from. I am sure his post will be accurate and helpful. Thanks Bob for continuing this great resource and finding a fitting way to honor Joe's legacy.

I belive the Gov't extended the period to mail a 1099 until Feb 15 this year due to the economic crisis (not sure what this has to do with mailing a 1099).

Wow, this is an awesome boat for the price or even a much higher price. Sorry to see your family letting it go. I wish I was in the market for one right now because this would be the boat.

I didn't realize bass season was open on Lake Ontario?

I am afraid they already are.

How could they get any worse?

How do you run 3 downriggers off a 12 foooter?

Whenever I need replacement parts for my Big Jon's I have gotten them right from the company. Below is their website. When I have had a problem with my motors I have shipped them directly to Big Jon and twice they repaired at no cost. The other time I had to purchase a new motor from them.

http://www.bigjon.com/store/parts.asp

Did it all for the nookie. Limp Bizkit