Gill-T

I went to the symposium and heard Frank's presentation. Frank had not reviewed the current LOLA lower food web assessment so his presentation was more of "what could happen" not what actually is happening. Phosphorus levels this decade on Erie have been too high for water quality. Last year they passed a bill in Ohio that is meant to decrease farm runoff by mandating that fertilizer is not spread prior to a rain event and manure spreading when the ground is frozen. Since there are no manure police out there I think this will amount to a whole lotta nothing. Lake Erie turns over completely every 3.5 years so we on Ontario get all her goodies in rapid turn over quickly nullifying the effects of bad winters. Frank's figures on phosphorus levels in the spring of 2014 are misleading. Because of the prolonged cold winter farmers in Ohio were not out spreading fertilizer so of course downstream values are going to be less. Summer phosphorus and more-so fall phosphorus levels are where they should be. Remember how warm we were trending prior to the 2013-2014 winters. We were growing too many alewives and gizzard shad numbers exploded. Sechi disk readings were trending towards the lake getting MORE eutrophic. Remember the phytoplankton blooms we were having? Look we just came off two of the worst back to back winters in history....followed by one of the warmest on record. Everyone take a deep breath

Last research I saw was from 1995 Lake Michigan that showed spiny fleas made up 30% of alewife diet. Spiny fleas are not a godsend as they are zooplankton predators responsible for a huge decline in the upper water level zooplankton community.

Not worried

As long as its 20% different than it's patented competitor it will pass the sniff test. I would think it looks more like Bechhold's flashers.

They are there. We hooked one off Hopkins in 8' FOW Saturday that was the most awesome downrigger hit-scream-jump-scream sequence I have ever seen. Like hooking a Tarpon. Can't wait for next week

Ah that was you we saw. Saw you launch then race back in so figured you forgot to put the plug in or someone had to go to the bathroom. Saw you fighting a fish. Good for you taking the boys out

Very artistic. I would tell you if you are creating patterns to earn a living, you will have to pay attention to the bottom line. How much paint you use, how much time you spend doing the work. Certain crazy patterns get hot.. They come and they go. Day in an day out give me a realistic bait that matches what they are feeding on. IMO realistic patterns have staying power that will keep anglers coming back

Word of caution on the non-slip paints. White floors look great when finished but begin to pick up rubber from shoes and quickly looks crazy. My floor started white and I ended up going over it with a grey

I think the thread title has all the ingredients for the name brand of your product. Iron Duke's Lucky Trolling Flies. We could all use a little luck.

A buddy of mine sent me a picture out his back door of two bucks with antlers. I think these are the December rut- late conception fawns that are born a month later. Mild winter might have something to do with it as calcium for operating systems are taken from bone stores in time of stress. Not much stress this year.

1). When putting on wire on the reel.....have a helper with oven mits and the spool on a pen or other spindle. Have your partner apply tension to the sides of the spool with the oven mits so wire goes on tight. 2). Using a wire line knot tie on a quality swivel (like the size on your flashers). 3). Take your rig down to the local school, hook the swivel on a chain fence and under tension walk as much wire off the reel you can and then reel it back on tight. You are ready to go fishing. 4). As others have stated, let the dipsy out slowly either on a light trickle drag or thumbed out with clicker on. 5). When a fish hits.....DO NOT SET THE HOOK. The fish will hook itself if the hook is deep enough as there is no stretch in the line. 6). Lighten the drag (should be fairly loose already) and let the fish burn off the wire to tire itself out and center itself in the middle of the spread. 7). After the fish has tired a little you can start to make gains and tighten the drag a little if warranted. Don't make jerky up-down movements of pumping the fish in. Everything is done smoothly not to tear the hooks out of the fish (no stretch). . Wire will cut mono downrigger lines