Gill-T

Correct, and this team did play by the rules regarding their cooler/observer. My point was there are ample ways to cheat without an observer present.

A well known charter captain in Canada was busted just this year putting lead weights in a fish. Unfortunately, money makes people do stupid things. My suggestion for pre-checking boats before leaving the dock has holes in it. Last year at Sodus, some out of state guys a few slips down from us were pre-fishing and keeping their fish in a garbage bag in their car because they said they eat all the fish they catch. Since you could drive your catch to weigh-in there is room for cheating without an observer watching the cooler. I am not sure what the answer is. Getting an observer sucks, but may be the only legit way to conduct the tournament.

We are all conservationists in various degrees. So to have money in these events go towards pen-rearing projects, then we turn around and have to keep 18.5" salmon does not make sense. The Niagara event effects the future King fishery more than any other event because the Niagara Bar is like a rearing ground for a huge percentage of immature salmon (my home port). Culling makes sense.

The observer thing does suck. With today's gas prices, adding $60-$100 of gas money reimbursement that we pay our observers added to the entry fee, slip fee, ice, food, travel costs etc. I am not for increasing the entry fee to what you are proposing Rod. If you want more entrants.....lower it to $200. Maybe, instead of an observer, arrangements can be made by random draw that a representative of team #1 pre-checks team #2's boat and cooler before leaving the dock? You would have to do away with the six-rod rule (ok by me) because you could not inforce it. I would also like to see a "masters" side event or separate tournament (Rochester?) where competitors have to fish for all the major species and weigh the biggest representative of their catch (cooler culling). So the team that puts the biggest combined score for salmon, steelhead, brown, and.....yes lakers. A true testament to overall fishing skill. You would maybe push back weigh-in to 3:30 because of the extra traveling involved to target all species.

I like the current format. Things I would like to see changed is the "no-cull rule" for the Niagara and Orleans Co. legs. The water is cold enough to allow release of fish....period! If you were trying to garner more teams, I would think allowing same day sign-up at the captain's meeting. I know distributing observers in short notice is difficult.....but possible. Charge teams more for the late entrance, less for early entrance.

Got a good tip some kings were in at the dam. With the rain helping the cause I hit the dam with skein and sacks under a bobber. Good numbers of stout kings on the spill-way side of the dam, and also under the tressel bridge hole. Still need some more rain to hide the rocks more, had plenty of kings snap my #20 test around boulders :x . Fun doing battle again. I had not fished the dam in years. Some nice stream bank improvements have happened.

Didn't Lake trout season end today? Rainbow, Brown tournament?

What...no November dates? It is going to be a LONG winter.

Dipsys, At least a #10 weight, and try some dodger or flasher/fly combos

Blue glow Optidodger with an A-Tom-mik hammer fly. Find the 48-55 degree water. Don't be afraid to troll right down the middle of the lake later in the day.

Both teams are legit. Don't count the raiders out...they are an up and coming team with a lot of talent on paper. Bills will go 10-6 was my projection at the start of the season. They may do better based on the Patriots crapping the bed. Bills are a little light in the pants at defensive end, and the running game is a work in progress (Butler was getting blown up all game), but the team has talent at all positions and depth with experience from all the injuries last year. Bills fans are not stupid, they know what a good team looks like. when most pundits picked the Bills to be out of the playoffs, Bills fans dug into their pockets and bought more season tickets than ever before. The heart is back in the team. Thank god.....it took us long enough!!!!!!

This is where Ray will chime in with a lost shower plug blast.

Simple chemistry. Ions flow from an area of greater concentration to an area of less. All freshwater organisms fight to keep their "stuff" in and water out. I don't know how the ion flux would effect weight of a fish over time, but our top Sodus pro/am steelhead weighed over 14 lbs in the boat, only to drop to 13.88 lbs at weigh-in approx. four hours later.

The fingerlakes are calm except during south or north winds.

Red balls of fire salmon eggs on fly hooks.

Create a new fly. How about white over silver with glow beads.

WWW.Ineedafriend.com

Yep, I have been watching for the last three years that 40 degree bubble of deep water strata disappear. Two years of drought and record temps in the previous two summers are to blame. The bad news is we will be fishing deeper. The good news is the algae bloom from the warmer temps and all the run-off from the rain we have been getting will feed the baitfish big time (check out Modis Lake Ontario images of lake-wide algae bloom). Even the blue zone is green. My non-scientific prediction for the next two years will be fewer fish, but BIGGER.

Ouch.

Yes tim, but it sounds like his team catches big fish.

I thought it was caught on one of the Marlboro lights.....that is why the fish was so black. Figures the spoon is a custom job eh skeiner?

Considering all of the out of town people and money the derby brings in, would it not be prudent to nix the "have to show up" clause. I never did understand that one!

It is a work of art to see Jerry work six riggers without tangling. Did he do any "freak-outs" today?

I hear you! I just completed another go'round of suck-ass at Olcott. Tons of bait in tight. There should be staging salmon. Seems everyone is having to resort to Steelhead out deep.

Wow, it looks real funky now. Like a lava lamp.