Nalod

Ray: Great point...seeing your friend Ron win the 50/50 and then donate the money back to the baitfish fund was a really great gesture to see. We are all there to have a good time and to help out the baitfish fund. He really set a great example for all of us! LungeLumberLures -- I am currently down in Chautauqua for the week. If I see Larry, I will be sure to ask him what he knows about the winning fish to share with everyone on the forum. --Joe

Zach, My deepest sympathies go out to you, lexie, and your family. --Joe

I really had a great time on the water this past weekend fishing the tournament! I could not contribute to the amazing day the boat had, but I was really happy I could share in such great numbers. Mike (Ronix) and Jenelle (she needs a LOU name) were a lot of fun to fish with and I hope to get on the water again with them soon...Chad was himself -- throwing black lures and getting hits) Nitro was able to make the trip, and I attribute his showing to our poll! Good job everyone that voted for him to fish the tournament Zach: Where were you? I did not see you on the lake nor at the awards ceremony. Were you not able to make it? Larry: The tournament really was great. Thank you for all of the time you put in to make it a success. --Joe

How about this then... You will let the voters decide as long as they vote you to go to the tournament! If the tournament is not victorious, then you can choose your path --Joe

I was shocked to see Nitro's post about possibly not going to Chautauqua, so I figured I would start a quick poll to see your thoughts on what he should be doing this weekend...

Congrats on the rod win Bob!!! Joe

Mike, You are nicer than I am...if I didn't have a pair of hook cutters, I would have gotten the fish off the hook, removed the hook from the lure, and then went back to fishing. Sounds like you guys had a great time out there -- Good fishing! --joe

Hey Everyone, Thanks for the birthday wishes. Ray: I can always count on you for a laugh...thanks for starting the thread --joe

Not sure who reads the Sunday Buffalo News, but there was a good article re: Musky Fishing with Veterans. The article was written around Dave Palo and Captain Larry Jones (two great guys if you have not met them yet). During the article, the author discussed the 2 types of lures Dave runs for his trolling pattern...Wiley and Baker! Not only did it mention Baker lures, but it gave a phone number to get in touch with Zach. Zach: Great marketing plug for you! I have saved the article in case you would like a copy. I would be happy to mail it to you..let me know. --Joe

Yup. The boat looks great, just I am looking for a walk thru windshield. Joe

Have any pics of the boat?

Mike, I have no clue what they are doing, but I saw this exact thing when we were in Chautauqua. We were trolling over the deep holes on the east side of the lake and came a few feet away from a musky that had his head out of the water with his mouth wide open. He ended up going back under before we could get the boat turned around. Chad also mentioned that he just saw a northern doing the same thing up in Ontario. I would love to hear the reasoning behind this! --Joe

I believe the bay just south of pendergrast point is Whitney Bay. --Joe

Hey Mike, I am really glad to hear that you got your first pure musky. The entire weekend was really tough and caused a lot of people to blank for there time on the lake. With you and your buddy (I think his name was Jeremy) catching one, I know that the rush is still going through you and thoughts of the next trip to Chautauqua is in your mind! Again, congrats on your first pures! --Joe

BlueEye and I decided to take another stab at casting Sunday morning. It was extremely slow fishing, but we we were able to manage 2 fish raised. I kept noticing a bunch of perch following our baits in all morning, so I decided to switch over to my spinning rod and start trying to catch them for a little break. I was casting a spinner that was about 1" long on 12lb. test when I saw a flash in the water going right after my lure. I set the hook and started a great fight. At first I thought it was a walleye coming up from the weedline, but soon realized this aggressive fighting could only be a musky! I ended up getting the net on it and could not be more excited! This is the first musky I have ever caught on non-musky gear. We took a picture and then released it. Even though it was a low 30s, I am still excited about the fight! Oh, does this tell us that they were looking for the small meal this weekend? Was it a fluke? I have no clue, but I really had a lot of fun the entire time I was there. I have to give big thanks to Capt. Larry for all that he does with the tournament and the lake. It is greatly appreciated! --Joe

I would absolutely love to see one of those names at the top of the leader board this year. I believe that last year Solgrande was close with a nice mid-40 incher, but was not able to cash. It seems that every year he is able to get one good sized fish for the tournament day, so this should give him the odds of the group! My money would have to be on Nitro this year, though. He had a good trolling day for the opener, and I am sure he will find fish this weekend! I am excited to see how the weather plays on the fishing. We had a pretty rough storm last night and the weather looks to be rainy for most of the weekend. And for my favorite part of the tournaments...seeing everyone and meeting new faces. See everyone on the lake! -Joe

I was not able to make it out for opening day/opening weekend, but was hoping I could live vicariously through anyone that did get to fish...Any good stories or pictures to share? --Joe

Anyone ever catch a Paddlefish out of Chautauqua or is that just getting introduced to the lake? --Joe

Hey Guys, Tomorrow is the NMA yearly pig-out. I had a good time last year and will be going again this year. Anyone thinking of going? Here is some detail about it...

Good luck to all of the guys heading down to Saltfork. Make sure you get some pictures to help feed our spring fishing itch! --Joe

Even more exciting news is the amount of people signed up for the tournament! I believe Larry said that there are currently 57 people signed up for the tournament already! --Joe

A few wileys, wooly bullys, bakers, leos, and a custom lipped legend in $9 bass color. --Joe

congrats zach! --Joe

The auction is for 8 lures total? --Joe

Speaking of the NMA... I was fortunate to meet a few of the NMA members last year at their BBQ fundraiser. Can you guys tell me a little bit more about the association? Are the meetings closed to members only? If so, can you pay your dues at the door, or do they have to be paid in advance of meetings? I feel like the NMA is in my back yard, so I am second guessing myself why I have not joined before. Thanks guys, --Joe