Pierless

Rusty Rat, Yeah, it was a very chintzy fuse holder. What blows my mind is that I had the exact same problem on my car radio recently. The tuner wouldn't "remember" the radio pre-sets, but it powered up and played just fine. I crawled around under the dashboard (never a pleasant proposition, but worse for someone who is 6'4",...) and found, you guessed it - a broken fuse holder. So, in the past 4 months I've had two in-line fuse holders spontaneously fall apart. Weird. Further blowing my mind was the fact that on the DR's power cable I had two critical failures - the fuse holder and the cable/connector itself! I second, third and fourth guessed my splicing in of the in-line fuse holder - it just couldn't be, y'know? I checked continuity between each splice and found it to be OK, but checking the last splice to the inner contact on the plug end of the power cable - zilch. Here is the good news: I called Depth Raider just now. They were initially saying that if it's a year old, it's out of warranty. However, they found my warranty information and said that they would send me a new power cable. So, it's good that they are helping out. In the mean time, I'll be splicing this "S_it Shack" power plug onto the cable so that I can maybe use the DR unit this weekend. I also like the unit very much, so I'm hoping that I can get it to work with the repair I'll make. If the repair does work (meaning the fault is in the molded connector, as I suspect) I'll probably keep the replacement cable on board, but already fitted with a new in-line fuse holder. Fishin' Time! Pierless (Neil)

I went to power up my Depth Raider last weekend and it didn't. I found a broken (cracked/fell apart) in-line fuse holder. I replaced it. Still no power up. I checked for voltage where I connected the supplied power cable to boat 12VDC and measured 12.5 VDC. I checked all my in-line fuse connections and they were OK. I ohmed-out out the power cable itself and had no continuity in the positive (red wire/center contact of the connector that attaches to the display) conductor. I flexed the cable while measuring the resistance, but never found the break. The break must be in the molded connector itself. Local Radio Shack had a very lame selection of DC power plugs, but managed to find a "Size M - coaxial" DC Power plug (P/N 274-1569). I'll try cutting/soldering that onto the supplied cable ~6" from the molded connector and see if I can get continuity. Anyone else had issues with this? I was surprised to find two issues with the simplest part of the instrument,.... Do you reckon Depth Raider/Kell Labs will send me a new one (unit is less than a year old)? Thanks all, Pierless (Neil)

Here's a good one. I put my boat in on Saturday and was tying it up at the dock after fiddling with this and that. Then, just as I'm tying up the last dock line a large, very dead, turkey buzzard floats up from under the boat. What does it mean when a dead turkey buzzard floats up from under your boat the first day you put it in the water for the season? I'm thinking it means that I'll have even more carp thrashing around my boat than usual soon, but I know you guys have other, deeper, understandings,... Let 'em rip! Thanks, Pierless (Neil)

Thank you all for the helpful information. It looks like I'll just go get it weighed and make the trip to the DMV,... yippee,... Regarding the advice from "Mstrchf1," I tried that. Apparently, the information on the Pa registration is incorrect. The guy may have given me the wrong/bogus registration. You are correct though, they tried hard to be helpful. There is a gravel yard not far from where the boat winters/trailer summers. I think I'll try them. I suppose if a good deal on a nice trailer came along, I'd still be interested. Like I said, on a good year I only use the trailer twice. So, to all of you who do the same, I hope your trailers enjoy the summer off. To all of you who haul your bots every chance you get, Happy Trailering! I put my trailer on "vacation" Saturday. If the fishing isn't better than last year, I'll have time to hunt down a certified scale and to loiter about in the DMV. Let's hope for good fishing! Best Regards to all, Pierless (Neil)

Thanks guys! A little more info would be helpful please,... I'm the bad guy who has never had a trailer inspected,.... ever. I only use the thing twice a year anyway, so it's not like I'm putting hundreds of miles on the it every year. Where do you go to get a trailer weighed and inspected please? I've heard a rumor that Alpco recycling (Wayne Cty. Macedon) can weigh and give some form of documentation to the effect that it is recycled/abandoned etc. like if you get a junk car without a registration and put it back on the road (a different process I hope, as that road is a long one). Have a Happy Easter, Regards, Pierless (Neil)

Looking for a trailer suitable to set a 26' Starcraft Islander on. The Issue w/my current trailer is a lack of valid registration (bought from PA resident, but their trailer regs/serial numbers aren't accepted/understood by NYS DMV,....). The serial/model numbers on the sticker in the trailer frame have faded away to nothing and no latent imprint is detectable (tried rubbing the sticker with pencil/paper to no avail) So, if you look at this and don't have a trailer, but have "spiritual advice" on how to get this thing properly registered in NYS, please let me know! Many thanks, Pierless (Neil)

Rusty, Thanks for responding! I'll mail you the $$ tomorrow. Best Regards, Pierless Neil

Hey Y'all, I'm looking to buy just the mounting bracket that goes on the OMC Cobra outdrive. EZ STEER Part #:22010. I have a MERC ALPHA bracket we could trade if you're in need of one,... or may have something else you might need, as I have had a few of these EZ STEER systems. Thanks! Pierless (Neil)

Billy, You Rock! Pierless

Just wondering when I should seriously start thinking about running J-Plugs out at Sodus. I heard on the radio this weekend that someone was pulling one along behind a Dipsy and was successful. Thanks in advance! Pierless (Neil)

Dang it's good to have the trolling gear on the boat again!!! Cruising season was over two weeks ago, but I was sidelined with back trouble so it wasn't until yesterday that I got out to thrash up the water. We went just a little west and started just inside the pack in about 140fow. The 2 - 4 footers made it a west troll in the beginning, as it'd have been too fast going east I think. Most the boats were going that way anyway,... The good news, as far as I am concerned anyway, is that the spiny fleas were nearly non-existent!!!! I even had a 17lb line waaaay down there for a while and there was less than an inch of fleas after a fairly long washing. Very Cool! Let 'em run! We managed a decent mid-day bite going 2 for 4. First fish was a really nice 'bow down 117' in the 'rigger with a 25' lead to a NK28 red fire tiger (yep, the danged fire tiger hooks up again). That was probably over 225fow. Hard to say exactly how much it weighed, but on the rockin' and rollin' deck it ranged from 9lbs 14 oz. to 11lbs 8oz, so I'm guessing it was about 10.5, or so. I didn’t bother weighing it in, as it was the first fish of the day and didn't want to go in. So, I was glad to see the big 'bow was 13lbs 12oz. yesterday,.... When we were about 2 miles east of Hughes we turned east. The wind had sort of dropped off a bit and we were able to manage ~2.5 MPH down speed. In about 165fow the wire with a Spin Doc trailing an "Abe's Tourney Special" A-TOM-MIK fly finally took a rip, but it got off after about a minute of shaking back there. The reel had walked out quite a bit of wire, but had been quiet up until that moment, so I put it back out 300' (2.5 setting), which was a good deal longer than I had originally set it back. Around 3:00, about 1/2 hour after the first rip, the wire went off again. I grabbed the rod and waited for it to calm down, but the rig went slack. I reeled it in happy to see all my gear still attached,... 'cept for the treble hook of the fly! Whatever it was broke off the 50lb fluorocarbon leader material in between the single hook and the treble. Hmmmm,.... Put another fly on let it run! 5 minutes after getting the wire set back 300' it ripped again. This time I told my brother to reel it in. I figured that maybe I could tell him how to fight in a wire fish better than I could do it myself. Seemed to work too. He fought it like a pro (it was his first "real" wire fish) and after about 15 minutes we landed a 23 - 25lb King. In the pic he took of it hanging on the scale on the bobbing boat the scale read 23.5lbs. The fish was getting pretty dark colored and had an older lamprey mark on it, but it was otherwise a very nice fish. Sorry, no pics yet,... My Depth Raider only reads down to ~70', or so (need to re-insulate), but the temps hardly moved at all. Down 70' I had 70.6 deg. almost all day with a 71.3 surface temp. Thanks to Bob's Boy for starting the thread. I'll try giving you a call out there soon dude! Good luck Derby Fishing! Pierless (Neil)

Mark, You are right about time and money, if you're into it from an efficiency standpoint. Nowadays, it's hard not to be! However, I reference what I wrote (I wrote too much,...) "Messing around on a boat is the real reason I like fishing so much and just catching alewives is high on the list of "messing around" on a boat!" Besides, I do this at night and there's not much going on with trolling for trout/salmon after sundown, unless you're doing the night fishing thing, but that's not trolling anyway. Still, I'm psyched to hear that your Familiar Bite rigs fired off three times last weekend and so I'm encouraged for my prospects. Regards, Pierless (Neil)

I had no idea that this topic would spawn such a number of responses,.... Kinda brings new meaning to, "Fish, or cut bait?" Pierless

Motoman, Is Little Jon's in Mexico? Salmonite, Thanks for the report. Messing around on a boat is the real reason I like fishing so much and just catching alewives is high on the list of "messing around" on a boat! So, I'll grab some alewives and even if they don't produce I'll still have accomplished a goal (remember, when setting goals, always make them attainable!). 15Point, It's pretty simple to catch alewives, really. Up 'til now I've been using a "speed net" which has a very long handle (about 9'). It has a small hoop on the end of it about 14" in diameter. The 14" diameter of the hoop is to comply with the Finger Lakes regulations for nets to take bait. From what I learned from Lt. Stoner, that rule doesn't apply to the big pond and so that is why I'm buying a new, bigger, net. The hoop is made of fairly small diameter wire and the net's mesh is made out of very fine wire. It was given to me by a guy that used to night fish Seneca Lake. He told me that an Amish or Mennonite woman made it. It's a real piece of work, I'll tell you. The mesh was hand woven and it's one, long, piece of fine wire that she tied up to make a cone shaped net. The "speed" comes into play with the use of small diameter wire in the hoop and the net's weave, but also in the handle, as it is airfoil shaped in cross-section and allows it to be ripped through the water very quickly. It is necessary to have speed with such a small net, those little alewives can really move! So, equipped with an appropriate net (I'll bring the trusty old speed net along, but will first try to use the larger, "umbrella" (scap) net), you venture out onto the lake preferably when there is no moon. The winds must be very light, or at least from the right direction, as you will need to drop a hook during this project. As I usually am going out night fishing, I anchor in water where the lakers will be at the bottom so that I can target them. This is usually in 100 - 140 feet of water and why you must have the proper water/wind conditions. Ages ago at a garage sale I bought a "Q-Beam," which was a Styrofoam "float" that housed a round car headlight. It has a pair of wires coming out the top of the float with clamps like for jump starting a car on the ends of them that you attach to a 12V battery. Then, you put the light over the side of the boat, tie the wires/cables and let it float near the side of the boat. Shortly after "ages ago" I was sitting down waiting for the light to attract the bait when I got up only to find darkness over the gunwale,... I thought the light had burned out at first, but further investigation showed that the wires connecting the float broke, or came apart and all I had left was a pair of clamps and a length of wire. That was the end of that night fishing outing! As I was on vacation in Fairhaven at the time and as I had nothing to do that evening because I didn’t have bait, I went into town to the little gas station/convenience store/hardware store bought three packages of disposable Styrofoam plates, a round, low-beam headlight and headed back to the cottage. Armed with a roll of duct tape and a pocket knife I cut round holes in plate after plate. Using this method I was able to "lay-up" a stratified model of the Q-Beam I'd lost. It works awesome! However, I think I probably spent more $$ than a Q-Beam costs new (but I don't know where to get them). I've used this contraption for over 10 years now and it's still functional. The most amazing thing about Lake Ontario is how many fish are in there. You may go out fishing and get skunked and start believing that there aren't any fish in there at all, but you hang that light over the side for 1/2 an hour or so and you will see alewives coming up from the depths and below them you will see larger flashes feeding off of them. It is amazing to look at the depth finder after you've got a good pod of bait attracted and then to see all the hooks slashing through, around and below the pod. It's best not to get too impatient. If you start to get bait to come to the surface it's best to just let them come and wait until there are a few million of them under your boat. I'm not joking here, if you find the right spot, you will literally have millions of baitfish under your boat! Once some fish are attracted they serve to attract more bait. So, it's best to wait. Here is where I've used the speed net. You lean over the side, you wait until a large swirl of bait gets near the surface and then you rip the speed net through the water trying to net them. It looks so easy,... The handle of the speed net needs to be as long as it is, as the fish are deceivingly deeper than you'd think. In most cases I'd say I swoop the net over the bait. Sometimes you can feel them bouncing off the handle and that's when you know you've got the depth of your net about right. If you're really on fire, you'll net several at a time. I think my "record" is 7 in one rip through the water. Sounds silly, but it's not as easy as it looks,.... My plan with the umbrella net (this is untested, so this is not "advice" at this point) is to tie it to a large pole of some sort. I'm thinking of the paddle that's on the boat ought to work, but it may need to be longer. The umbrella net should fold up like an umbrella when you put it in the water and open up, uh,... like an umbrella when you pull it up. So, my "stragedy" is to put it down maybe 10 feet below the surface, or so, let the bait swim to the light at the surface and when I see a bunch of them over the net, haul it up quickly, hopefully with a couple dozen of them in it (optimism is pretty thick here, isn't it?). These alewives are amazingly large, too. I have caught alewives easily over 8" long. You'll see several classes, or sizes of them, but most of the ones I've seen/caught are well over 5" anyway. People do eat them. They are a herring, but I wouldn't, nor would I recommend it. I think the salt-run alewives are probably better tasting,... Alewives are pretty fragile. I usually hook them right up to my rigs and send 'em back down with a minimum amount of time out of the lake. They stay lively for a good long time if hooked properly and gently. The thing that alewives need most is oxygenated water, so an aerator is critical to keeping them for any length of time at all in a bucket. There are several articles up on the web that give instructions on how to make bait tanks for alewives and how to salt the water and this and that to keep them alive for up to a week or so at a time. I've never had an alewife last more than a few hours in a 5 gal. bucket, so I'm not a good source of advice on any of that stuff. Besides, I'm just using it as bait for night fishing and if we're going to try to use them trolling as an alternative to cut bait, they'll be dead anyway. My "preservation" of alewives is lacking too, I'm sure. I usually just put a half dozen is a zip-lock sandwich bag and toss them in the freezer. Take a bag out, thaw them and then put 'em on your rigs. I'm sure you can salt them and that'd help preserve them and might help to keep their scales on, which is probably pretty important, as far as using their natural coloration as the thing that lures them in. There's probably a lot of things I missed, but you'll figure that out soon enough. Oh, one thing that may help you out a lot is that if you're only going out to get bait, you probably don't need to be in 100+ feet of water. However, I've had better success in deeper, as opposed to shallower water. The light penetrates a long way down, especially nowadays with the water clarity of Lake O and so deeper water allows for more bait to be attracted. All the bait needs to see is a speck of light and they swim to it. This is why a moonless night is an important part of this project, as the moon, though dull in comparison to a 55watt halogen peering into the water, is a powerful attractor and competes with your light to a large extent. I have attracted alewives on a moonlight night, but the numbers simply aren’t there. The DEC rules state that it is illegal to net bait in bays, or tributaries of Lake Ontario, so, you really shouldn't employ this technique anywhere other than out on the lake. 'Course, maybe there are fewer DEC officers out at night, but I wouldn't take that chance. There are alewives in Sodus Bay; I've seen them. They are a little smaller than the ones out on the lake and they aren't as chrome/shiny as the ones in the lake. They actually look kind of greenish and not nearly as pretty. This is a good reason to not bother with them in the bays, as they won't make as good a lake bait (?). Let's put it this way though, if you're fishing in a bay, trying to match the natural forage base is the way to go, but most bay fishermen don't think of an alewife, as a forage fish - not true. Whew! I'm tired of writing. You're probably tied of reading, but you asked 15Point! Later, Pierless (Neil)

Cheers! Well, there'll be no surprising you come Fall Derby Time,... I know I can grab some of these, I've done it before. However, the net, as I said above, is old and small. The Good Lieutenant set me straight and a 6' x 6' "umbrella" net (scap net) will hopefully put a lot more bait on hooks than the little speed net can. I was elsewhere on the site and saw rigs for whole alewives, not just cut bait. Sure, we could cut the heads off, but they might still be too big to cram into the bait holder and "peg" it w/a toothpick. That's what I remember the last time I tried that, anyway,... Cut bait is a fillet and only half as thick as a whole alewife. Oh yeah, the rig was called a "Familiar Bite." Know of these things? Look on the "Tackle & Techniques" section, there is a pic of the Familiar Bite rig. See if you can find some out your way/your travels and I'll see if I can't find some up at the 'Point. By the way, I still have some goodies for you from the last trip to the shop (yeah, the one I bought a red fire tiger on,..). Looking forward to having you out for the Fall Derby and maybe for a "test session" before that, if you're up for it! Salmonite, Hey! I "saw" you up on that "Familiar Bite" thread! So, have you run any alewives yet? Any luck? Spiritual advice? The only time I've ever run alewives and caught anything is on Seth Green rigs at the bottom for lakers with the alewives I caught that night (anchored). I'm hoping that these fresh alewives will do the trick in replacing standard cut bait that isn't available for VHS reasons. Later, Pierless (Neil)

OK. I got impatient and did the right thing and called the DEC Region 8 office in Avon. According to Lt. Tom Stoner, a scap net (seine net) no larger than 36 square feet (6x6 foot square) can be used to net alewives in Lake Ontario. Lt. Stoner went on to ensure that I was not going to be transporting the alewives and only was going to use them in Lake O. I'm getting a bigger net,.... Later all, Pierless (Neil)

Motoman, Yeah, that's what I'm talking about when I say it's a "sketchy" read. If you click the link I pasted (if it works, or copy paste into your browser) you'll see that there is no spacing between what looks to be the previous category of water(s) and then the Lake Ontario water where is says "any size net." It is hard to stay within the bounds when the boundaries are not clear. If anyone else has insight, I'd like to hear it! Thanks, Pierless (Neil)

Can anyone tell me in plain language what the rules/regs are for dip netting alewives for bait in Lake Ontario are please? The DEC site is kind of a sketchy read (for me) and the DEC officers don’t engage in regulations disputes,... Here is an excerpt from the site: "Waters where dip netting is allowed Waters Open Season Daily Hours and Limit Tributaries,..... (I deleted many listings of waters to get to this part and put in bold font that part I'm most interested in) .... Marine District Anytime Sunset to sunset 10 quarts All upstream to extent of tidal influences *Prevailing time **Exception: dipping in Seventh Lake and its tributaries is prohibited Smelt may be taken in any size dip net as follows: Great Lake Waters with restrictions for dip netting for smelt Waters Open Season Daily Limit Tributaries Lake Erie Lake Ontario Niagara River Anytime 8 quarts All from lake upstream to first barrier " The above is from: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31427.html I copied and pasted it here (above) and the spacing/wording/clarity of the regulations just isn't clear to me. According to the DEC site, it sounds like I can use as large a net as I like. I've caught alewives off and on for years and have used a "speed net" made in the Finger Lakes to catch the alewives. However, the speed net is getting a bit beaten up and it's pretty small too. So, while it's hard enough to net 'em in the first place, sometimes they manage to get out anyway. Catching bait when night fishing is half the fun, but improving my bait catch rate will get my rigs baited and down faster. My simplest question is: "How big a dip net can I use?" Thanks all! Pierless (Neil)

Iceman, Billy V won't steer you wrong there. Fairhaven is very relaxed. I think most of the LOU site members would encourage you to go somewhere on Lake Ontario (and the USA!). Port Bay also is a very relaxed, laid-back place. I used to go there years ago and it had everything I think you're looking for. Price is the only fly in the ointment if you're going by yourself and can't split costs though. There used to be a place on Little Sodus Bay (which is "Fairhaven"), I think it was called "Frost Haven." They rented "cottages," which were really pre-fab homes, or trailers, not necessarily cheap and with the short lead-time, I don't know if they have vacancies. I think they had a B&B as well though and that could be the key for you, as it may be a bit more affordable. B&B's may be a little less private, but B&B's are usually as social or reclusive as you want them to be. Perhaps the Anchor Resort has a B&B, or rooms for rent to be less expensive. Billy'd know. Ask him again! Pierless (Neil)

Toonfisher, I was making a play on words,... names, actually. Yeah, let me know what you'd like to know about where to dock up at Sodus, I'll do what I can. I get notices by e-mail of pm's so feel free to pm me if you like. Penn Yan 88, Thanks for your "handle" I'll give you a call next time I'm out. Hey, at least you were in the Pro-Am. I was too chicken! Bob's Boy, Hey! Nice of you to chime in too. I will give you a call also. I think I have heard "Bob's Boy" called over the radio, yes? If so, that's what I'll use to call you. If not, please correct me. I'm usually here and there; it depends on who I have on my boat. An orchestrated attack on locating the fish sounds like it makes a lot of sense to me! All, As I mentioned a few posts above, I'll be cruising the next two weekends and so I won't be thrashing the water up locally. After that it's "tune-up" time for the Fall LOC Derby. I'm glad I wrote something, as Sodus was sorely under represented on this site. Probably just a bunch of folks like me who reckon they have little to say of any import (which I have proven in this thread several times already,...). However, with a few handles to call and a "search and destroy" plan suggested by Bob's Boy I think it paid off! I'll be hailing you all in a couple of weeks. 'Till then, Tight Lines! Pierless (Neil)

FuzzyG, I'll have to go w/Ray's assessment. I tried lifting my monitor and it weighed a lot more than 12lbs, but probably less than 20 (<-Ha!). One thing I have found is that fish are quite deceiving in their weight until you start landing the big ones frequently. As I am not in that class of fishermen, I defer to Ray's judgment. It is a nice fish though! We were at Abe's yesterday afternoon and saw a 30+lb'er that was caught in Olcott (I think). That was a really big fish to look at in the cooler and now my girl is afraid to pick up the wire line again. She landed her 1st wire fish on Saturday, but it was only ~4lbs. She wheeled it in in about 5 minutes and said that she was sore and that the rod butt hurt her belly. The woman that caught the 30lb'er said she fought it for 45 minutes and at one time had over 600' of wire out. That made my girl say, "If that drag starts screaming, it's your fish!" I'm "cruising" for the next two weekends, so I won't be 'round the 'Point fishing much. However, I am thinking that I can bring that wire rod along and slow down the cruising speed for a bit out in that 800' water and see what happens! Stay Out of the Hot Sun! Pierless (Neil)

Toonfisher, There are places to stay that don't charge an arm/leg for dockage. Let me know if you need a pointer on where. I'd offer my place, but my dock is shorter than my boat! I suppose one way to go is to dock "in town" at the bars. There is no charge there, but it'd be a nice gesture to buy some food/drinks wherever you dock up. I see we're both cursed with a "command" for a name, eh? Turp (whatever that means,...), Well, you shoulda seen that king stand up and try to kiss him! Yeah, it still had the spoon in it's mouth and it looked like it was trying to KILL our buddy Cheers, but as he still can see through both eyes, it had to be more of a kiss. That king positively whacked that spoon, so I reckon if it wanted to do damage it'd have damaged Cheers. By the way, I got to see the pic of him from your trip Thursday evening holding the Brown. I didn't know who it was, he was smiling, no way! Nice job coercing him into smiling. So, what was the joke you told him? Pierless (Neil)

Thanks for the education Billy! Pierless

Billy V, As usual, an excellent post! Sorry you didn't cash in. There were some really big totals I saw on Day 1 on the Pro side. One question please, what do you mean by "Our riggers pulling clean spoons"? Thanks, Pierless (Neil)

Y'all, Thanks for chiming in! FuzzyG, Nope, no "real" picture of the fish. My crew took one on his phone and sent it to my girl who was in Chicago at the time, but when she got home and I asked her to see it she had deleted it. Apparently she was not impressed,... Penn Yan88, Thanks for the moral support. I have been putting my time in on the water this year and I sure think it should pay off sometime soon. I like to imagine that that ~25lb king was just a "rehearsal" for the Fall Derby winner (ka-Ching!). Do I call you on the radio out Sodus way as, "Penn Yan 88," or do you have another handle? I generally "surf" between 08 and 68, but don't talk unless spoken to (strict parents, which also explains some of my other habits), or if I recognize the "handle" of the folks chatting it up out there. Cheers, Oh, thanks for reminding me 'bout the Die-Hard. Now I've got at least a fabricated excuse when I'm in there for the 'Tiger; I'll just say, "Oh, gee, sorry, I didn't realize I had this red Fire Tiger in my hands - I musta moved it to get at this here Die-Hard,... Oh, I'll save you the work of putting it back on the shelf and just pay for it,..." I feel better already! Hmm, do you think they were out of temp? I'd say so too. Like you said though, they go out of temp to eat sometimes and he apparently was very hungry. Heck he was so hungry he even thought you looked scrumptious (which could become your new nick-name, by the way,... fish do seem to like you!) One of the very most satisfying things about catching that king was that it was well over the line test. I was fishing 17lb. Anytime time you drag one aboard on lighter line than the fish weighs I'm impressed (but then again I'm still easily impressed by the fish in that lake, unlike my girl,...). I'll be out there giving it heck again this weekend. See you out there! Pierless (Neil)