chinook35

I used sardines from the fish market . First I filleted them and then made the cut bait strips from the fillets . I then brined them in kosher salt over night in the fridge . It caught fish with them , but they tend to be soft and not very durable I tried frozen smelt , but its hard to find them big enough to make the strips . I have found a source for herring and plan to try my hand ay brining these .

check the south shore fishing reports . I tried to post all the info about homemade cut bait on this thread , buy it ended up over there . These post are from 2008 when Rhys Davis got out of the cut bait business in the US

I was very concerned about the legality of making my own cut bait. This answer from the DEC seems to be iron clad. The bait after brining is considered "preserved" , which puts it in a different catagory.

If anyone has any questions, the person that contacted me with this info is:

Lt. Mike O'hara

NYS Dept. of Environmental Cons.

Div. of Law Enforcement 8th Floor

625 Broadway Albany NY 12233

Email [email protected]

Here is the original post with all the information  Let me know if you have any luck with your homemade bait .

I have experimented with grocery store fish . Sardines and smelt mostly . If you use fish from the store you must brine them before using for bait. i have a  a letter from the DEC law enforcement unit stating that store bought fish can be used if you certify that they have been brined .. If you look back on my very early posts . all the information is available there . I had limited success with the experiment . The sardines are very soft and don't last .Store bought herring strips are still number 1 in my experience . It's too early for bait . You don't need it for the fish that are available now . It would be a waste of money to use bait to target oil cans {lake trout }  Start using bait in late July and beyond .

salmon nebula

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/04/how_has_the_invasion_of_round_gobies_affected_upstate_ny_fishing_1.html#incart_river_home   

Here is an article concerning the round goby .They have reached Onieda Lake , so there is no stopping their spread . I don't buy his opinion on the effect they are having on sport fishing . The perch fishing on Lake O has been almost nonexistent for the last two years .

I always remove all the parts of trout and salmon that {according to the DEC) contain the most toxins . The belly meat ,lateral line of fat and the skin . Most of my salmon get smoked , which gets most of the fat and oil out of the fish during the smoking process. Been eating fish out of Lake O since the 50's and trout and salmon since the 70's .

I give them a big "YUCK"

What he said 6 - 20 fow.

Rock Star

Go to any place that services co2 fire extinguishers . The make it on demand . You will probably have to order it in advance

I guess nobody but us old timers will remember the "Big Weenie " bait strips . Here is a pic of the package and a few of the colors . I still have a least 10 packages of them in all the colors . I never had much luck with them . I think I will take a wait and see posture with these "Rockets"  . I have fished with cut bait for many years and I find the natural strips are the best .Just wish Rhys-Davis would get back in the cut bait business .

This one still works www.weather.gov//buf/   I have found that the best way to see conditions on the lake is to be there . Many mornings ,when NOAA predicts 1-3 ft. waves ,I get to the lake and find solid 3-5 's . Time for breakfast and hope it calms down .

There are several seals in a Mercruiser sterndrive that could be at fault . Do a pressure test to find the faulty seal . An old bicycle pump can be modified to do the test . A shop manual is a must ,as some of the seals require special tools to replace . A prop seal is also a frequent cause of water in gear oil .

If you get a kink its history The braid seems to be easier to care for. I've used wire for many years. Time to try something different.

Why is wire a pain? I find it pretty easy to use.

Switched from wire to braid last year and am happy so far . Wire is a pain and the braid is much more user friendly .

 I just ordered A Lowrance Hook 7X sonar . Any one have any input positive or negative on this unit ? I am upgrading ( I hope) from a Lowrance X136 DF which I love and plan on keeping for backup . Thanks in advance .

I agree 100 % on the cannon swivel bases. I rigged up safety lines using parachute cord. Just in case one fails Lot of money gone if a base lets go

been trolling for over ten years with an Alpha I Gen II with no issues. 15 1/2 X19 pitch prop.I use bags occasionally but usually can regulate speed with the throttle . I can bring rpm's down to 750 with no problems . I use Delo 40 weight oil in the summer and oil pressure is fine at all speeds . I would not even consider a trolling plate . Too many horror stories . 

That is crazy stuff, and the saint lawerance is boarded by the US so it will affect us. 

Not unless it can flow Upstream   lol

Looks like the battle is still joined . Her's a link to a story in the Watertown Daily Times . I can imagine 30 turbines to get the camel's nose under the tent . Then what , another 300 or 400 ? and a little more info concerning the 30 mile long underwater cable to carry the power to Oswego would be nice . 

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/henderson-residents-to-galloo-island-wind-developer-tall-turbines-all-pain-no-gain-20151105

Ten years ago, Ibay was a perch paradise. The Greece ponds the past couple springs were way slower than normal for spawning run. Sodus has been really slow compared to ten years ago lately too. Yes there are plenty of perch to catch but it's not as easy as it used to be. I'm not saying they are gone, just not the levels they were at a while ago.

You can add Henderson harbor and Sackets Harbor to that list . The perch fishing has been almost non existent for the past two years .

The cod on Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine were decimated by the factory shops from other nations. I fished for a lot of years with the Yankee Fleet out of Glouster MA The captain of the boat told us that each of these huge factory ships carried several trawlers which they would deploy when on the fishing grounds these ships depleted the Atlantic cod and now there is no cod to catch And as for LT the charter captains are welcome to my share any time I would rather catch a 10 inch perch

Better fight and much better table fare

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Every time the charters went out and could not find kings, they went after the lakers. Of course this influences the laker numbers.

The massachussetts fisher men always said that there are plenty of cod and that their DEC was just plain wrong and/or stupid for trying to protect cod. Now the Gulf of Maine is closed because there are no cod left. Denying facts does not change them no matter how convenient that might be.

So he did not say what you wanted to hear. Does that mean that it is not true?

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