LOC Derby

Jeremy Sage and his 27 lb 0 oz Lake trout that is leading the first day of the LOC. We got a LOT of fish in today. I was at the weigh in station when he brought in the fish.

Yes, before 7am the day you fish but it won't be available as an online sign up. It would make sense to register BEFORE the event starts on June 19th but you will be able to register after that date. If you want to use a credit card you MUST call the office. Please do not go to a weigh in station or registration outlet and try to use a credit card. Take a check and make it out to the LOC Derby. The best way is to just mail it in with your application so it arrives in time so that we can send out your card to you before the event.

Yes, I have received enough email and verbal commitments along with actual checks and registrations for a go. For those who need an applicaiton there is one in the LOC newspaper and on the web site. Also when the Pro Am flyer comes out there is an application in there also. After the spring LOC we will have sign ups at the weigh stations. We will be listing the winners on the web site under the "Daily winners" heading on the leaderboard which in past years was not used during the Summer LOC. For those of you that have paid already, you will be receiving a card in the mail after the Spring LOC. Thanks and lets have a fun and SAFE Spring event.

For those of you who have a data plan on your phone, you can access the loc leaderboard at loc.org and check the current standings. The board is updated as soon as fish are submitted and as up to date as possible.

By the time you got to where the fish were, my arms were getting a little shaky from filming all the fish Randy was catching. I will pull up the footage and see if it was not too shaky. If it's not too bad I will post it. Oh and nice job motoring by us and setting up in front. Sweet! After the derby lets get together and do a "Fishing with Capt Bruce" segment. I have to do 7 or 8 more, so when is the big sheepshead run?

The previous winners were lost on the present web site, but I do have them in hard copy and they will be updated on the new LOC web site sometime after the derby. I will sell them for $250 cash plus Ray Koziatek's cell phone number. This sounds simple but it's true. The most fish are entered from the area with the most fishermen and fisherwomen. Last Summer, Sodus had no salmon on the leaderboard. Zilch, nada none. During the pro-am, Sodus took over the leaderboard in the Salmon division. Previously Oswego held the lead and ironically that was during the Pro-Am also. When you have that many boats fishing that hard they produce the fish. Either that or the fish have been trained to follow the pro-am circuit. If someone were looking at the leaderboard the previous week, Sodus would have been the dead last place to fish. The next week, the best. If you get three times as many anglers fishing you will get three times as many fish entered from an area.

The "trend" for brown trout over the last three years have been that it takes almost the full derby to fill the board (Spring, Summer and Fall) Steelhead take a little less time, but averages 6-12 days for the board to fill. Lake trout fill pretty quick with the minimum going to 14-16 lbs. Salmon take 5-7 days to fill. As soon as weigh in sheets are faxed in, we place them on the board. Next to the name of the entrant is the date, so you can see if a fish has made the board that day to help check for the dialy winners. Sometimes we don't get fish sheets in a timely fashion and all goes out the window. With daily winners we must pay attention because you could win the daily prize with a fish that doesn't make the board, throwing another wrench into the mix.

This is one of the reasons that everyone on the boat must be entered and is question that comes up often. Many times, numerous people handle the rod in the process of getting the fish to the boat, especially on a charter and this is all within the rules. One person may pull the rod from the rod holder and set the hook, then hand it off to another for their "turn". That person may get tired and hand it off to someone else and then a third of fourth person will net the fish. Who by the way is actually the person that "brings the fish into possesion" or loses it and brings down the wrath of all aboard. This is one of those areas where the integrity of those on the boat come into play because when we are fishing, if we are honest with ourselves, we KNOW who caught the fish. Trying to maintian IGFA type rod handling regulations is way out of the scope of a Derby. Where problems arise with me, and the main reason the youth division was dropped, is when fish are for entered in a way to manipulate the standings. Let's say you caught a fish that made the board. When it's your turn at the rod you happen to land another fish that would make the board. Well you know if this fish is smaller than your previous one, it's no good. And, if it's larger you will knock your previous one out but if you let your buddy register it........Heck, you're out in the middle of the lake, who will know? Or, it won't place very high in the division but if I say my son/daughter caught the fish, maybe they can win an award. Can I stop this from happening? No, not all the time but I do catch a few every year so I am aware of it happening. What everyone needs to think about is not only are you cheating the derby, you are cheating another contestant, youth or adult out of an honestly placed fish. How we conduct ourselves in public is one thing, what standards of conduct we practice when we are alone in a boat with clients, family or friends is a choice each of us has to make.

For the Spring and Summer Derby, agrees that all trout must weigh a minimum of ten (10) pounds, salmon must weigh a minimum of twenty (20) pounds for entry. In the Spring derby minimum for Walleye is 10 lbs. For the Fall Derby, agrees that all trout must weigh a minimum of ten (10) pounds, salmon must weigh a minimum of twenty five (25) pounds for entry in the Derby. Rules on the web page have been updated. Thanks for the heads up and the web site is updated.

Here's a link to a video on catching spring browns done yesterday with Randy Calus. Some great tips! http://vimeo.com/11210307

As far as the LOC is concerned, YOU would need to have the fish if it ends up as Grand Prize, first or second place division winner for the awards ceremony, the weigh station does not keep the fish. As long as the fish is weighed the day caught between 9 am and 8pm, all is good with the LOC. Not sure about the Scotty. Good luck!

I was out taping the Oak Orchard pen rearing project and did a 20 minute interview with Bob Songin. Everyone always wants to see the bloopers so I put together a two minute short. Bob was a good sport and the final cut should be out in a week or so.

Yes it rolls over.

The USCG regulations listed above apply to the boat. Here is the NYS change in reference to wearing pfd's. Beginning November 1, 2009, Section 40, Subdivision 1 of the Navigation Law shall be amended by adding new paragraph (e), which reads as follows: No owner or operator of a pleasure vessel less than twenty-one feet, including rowboats, canoes, and kayaks shall permit its operation, between November first and May first, unless each person on board such vessel is wearing a securely fastened United States Coast Guard approved wearable personal flotation device of an appropriate size when such vessel is underway. Failure to wear a lifejacket on such vessels will be considered a violation under Section 73-c if the Navigation Law and is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $250, applicable to either the operator and/or the owner of the vessel.

Here are the USCG requirements: Item 1 - Display of Numbers: The boat’s registration number must be permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the boat They must be plain, vertical, block characters, not less than three (3) inches high, and in a color contrasting with the background. A space or hyphen must separate the letters from the numbers. Place State tax sticker according to State policy. (e.g. FL 1234 AB or FL-1234-AB) Item 2 - Registration / Documentation: Registration or Documentation papers must be on board and available. Documentation numbers must be permanently marked on a visible part of the interior structure. The documented boat’s name and hailing port must be displayed on the exterior hull in letters not less than 4 inches in height. To be documented a boat must be 5 net tons or greater. Item 3 - Personal Flotation Devices (PFD): Acceptable PFDs (also known as Life Jackets) must be U.S. Coast Guard approved, in good serviceable condition, and of suitable size for the each person on the boat. Children must have properly fitted PFDs designed for children. Wearable PFDs shall be "readily accessible." Throwable devices shall be "immediately available." PFDs shall NOT be stored in unopened plastic packaging. For Personal Watercraft riders, the PFD must be worn and indicate an impact rating. Boats 16 Feet or longer, must also have one Type IV. Item 4 - Visual Distress Signals (VDS): Recreational boats 16 feet and over used on coastal waters or the Great Lakes are required to carry a minimum of either 1) three day and three night pyrotechnic devices, 2) one day non-pyrotechnic device (flag) and one night non-pyrotechnic device (auto SOS light) or 3) a combination of 1) and 2). Recreational boats less than 16 feet on coastal waters or the Great Lakes need only carry night visual distress signals when operating from sunset to sunrise. It is recommended, but not required, that boats operating on inland waters should have some means of making a suitable day and night distress signal. The number and type of signals is best judged by considering conditions under which the boat will be operating. Alternatives to pyrotechnic devices (flares) include: Night Day Strobe light Signal mirror Flashlight Red or orange flags Lantern Hand signals Item 5 - Fire Extinguishers: Fire extinguishers are required if one of the following conditions exists: (1) Inboard engine(s); (2) Closed compartments that store portable fuel tanks; (3) Double bottom hulls not completely sealed or not completely filled with flotation materials (4) Closed living space (5) Closed stowage compartments that contain flammable materials or (6) Permanently installed fuel tanks NOTE: Fire extinguishers must be readily accessible and verified as serviceable. Minimum number of extinguishers required Boat Length No Fixed System With Fixed System Less than 26’ one B-1 none 26’ to less than 40’ two B-1 or one B-2 one B-1 40’ to 65’ three B-1 or one B-1 & one B-2 two B-1 or one B-2 Item 6 - Ventilation: Boats with gasoline engines in closed compartments, built after 1 August 1980 must have a powered ventilation system. Those built prior to that date must have natural or powered ventilation. Boats with closed fuel tank compartments built after 1 August 1978 must meet requirements by displaying a "certificate of compliance." Boats built before that date must have either natural or powered ventilation in the fuel tank compartment. Item 7 - Backfire Flame Control: All gasoline powered inboard/outboard or inboard motor boats must be equipped with an approved backfire flame control device. Item 8 - Sound Producing Devices / Bell: To comply with Navigation Rules and for distress signaling purposes all boats must carry a sound producing device (whistle, horn, siren, etc.) capable of a 4-second blast audible for ½ mile. *Boats larger than 39.4 ft. are also required to have a bell (see Navigation Rules.) *Under a recent change, a vessel 12 meters (39.4 ft) to less than 20 meters (65 ft) is no longer required to carry a bell on board. The Coast Guard said: "The bottom-line, a bell is no longer required on a vessel less than 20 meters in length. That of course means a bell is not required for those same vessels for successful completion of a VSC." Item 9 - Navigation Lights: All boats must be able to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and in conditions of reduced visibility. Boats 16 feet or more in length must have properly installed, working navigation lights and an all-around anchor light capable of being lit independently from the red/green/white "running" lights. Item 10 - Pollution Placard: Boats 26 feet and over with a machinery compartment must display an oily waste "pollution" placard. Item 11 - MARPOL Trash Placard: Boats 26 feet and over in length must display a "MARPOL" trash placard. Boats 40 feet and over must also display a written trash disposal plan. Item 12 - Marine Sanitation Devices: Any installed toilet must be a Coast Guard approved device. Overboard discharge outlets must be capable of being sealed. Item 13 - Navigation Rules: Boats 39.4 feet and over must have on board a current copy of the Navigation Rules.

Putting the pens in went well today. Many hands make light work. I showed up early so I could shoot a time lapse of the event. I'm not mentioning any names but someone moved the camera about an hour into the work so I had to start over. I have attached a link to the video. This is about 1 1/2 hours into about 20 seconds. Also I shot quite a bit of regular footage. Thanks to all who participated!

Just a reminder, when you receive your envelope your registration card is in a pocket in the front. If it was delivered the card IS THERE because it is your mailing address on the card showing through a window in the envelope. Additionally there is a letter describing this process enclosed in the envelope so if you forget, please read the letter PRIOR to firing off a email or phone call. I know it should be self evident but after each mailing I get 5-10 calls/emails wondering how I could forget to enclose the registration card. And invariably they have thrown the envelope along with their registration card away requiring me to reissue cards. Thanks for your cooperation.

LadyBlugill, You are right, you would think after so many years of sending out 1099's I would have gotten that right. I'm officially old. I am required by law to report $600 or more to the IRS, thank you and I have changed the name to the LOC $1150 Per Day Boat Derby. $575 for Salmon, $575 for Trout. Right now I have about 40 boats committed so it's looking good. Does anyone know how to change 25,000 papers that are all over the country?

Rob, Tim and Shade are correct, the boat is registered and anyone on the boat can catch the fish. Whomever registered the boat will weigh the fish in and if that fish wins, the check will be issued to that person. The boat name will show up on the Winner's Board on the web site. Thanks

Here is a link to a study trying to judge salmon size from sonar. They actually tethered some fish for readings. It was pretty good down to about 38 feet. (12 meters) Deeper than that not so good. Just pretend any time you see any arches they are 35 lb salmon and scream hysterically to friends/family/clients when they show up on the sonar. Unless of course you go by 10 or 20 such arches without catching anything then declare they are bait. http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FedAidPDFs/fds07-44.pdf

For the past two falls I filmed youth hunts that were sponsored by the Wayne County Federation of Sportsmen, the DEC and yes, the Audubon Society. Two years ago it was a pheasant hunt and this past fall they hunted pheasants and ducks. I have on video a Audubon representative talking about the importance of hunters being to the conservation of game and non-game species. After I get permission I will make a short cut of the film and post a link. It was a great experience for all involved and I do think the Audubon Society is coming around. (even though I filmed over twenty shots at pheasants, I can honestly say no pheasants were injured during the filming, but there were a lot of close misses...A lot of kids did shoot pheasants it was just the group I was with didn't.)

I have received numerous calls and emails such as this one: Dave,A lot of us LOTSA members that live in metro Buffalo area have problem with Olcott being nearest weigh station to Niagara bar. (name removed) Not sure where or how this got started but let me set the record straight. Petroy Marine in Youngstown will be manned by a LOC representative for the spring LOC. I have a meeting next week and we are working on the Summer and Fall contests and will keep you all posted about the Petroy statis for the summer and fall events. Wilson Boatyard (between Youngstown and Olcott) is a weigh in station for all three LOC derbies and the LOC Boat tournament and I just reconfirmed that on the phone. Thanks

Shade is hired. The boat is registered and you will be required to enter fish from that registered boat. Hence the name "LOC Boat Derby. For instance if Jerry Felluca can't catch any fish on his boat and really wants to add to his long list of ESLO/LOC wins he CANNOT go to Gary Begy and beg him to take him out and enter them under the Rebel boat name. A: Gary would have to be registered and B: No way would Gary put "Rebel Charters" on anything. This is a hypothetical situation because it's been a while since I have seen Gary on the leaderboard. All kidding aside, your "Team" needs to make a decision on what boat will be used and register that vessel.

Somebody give me some duct tape before my head explodes. These proposed launch ramp and park closures cater to fishermen that were planning on using these facilities less than 60 days from now. Never mind the businesses and tourism departments that depend on these facilities and are currently promoting them in their advertising in an attempts to draw tourism dollars to the state and the south shore of Lake Ontario in particular. Now they could be closed?!! As I write this Bill Hilts from Niagara County and Mike Waterhouse from Orleans County are in London England promoting the exact same areas slated for closure. These proposed closures are going to take more meetings and unknown amounts of letters, calls etc to local and state representatives to stave off. The insanity of this proposal could only be dreamt up an ignorant state politician or employee. You have tourism and promotions trying to bring people into the area while another part of the government has proposed to close them. Vince is right about actually running this like a business, I think he has been suggesting it since Bruce Shupp was in charge but it’s never going to happen. Understand that politicians think you are stupid and they will do what they want because they know better than you. They only listen to people and organizations with real money and/or members and currently we have no organization that meets these criteria dedicated to the Lake Ontario Fishery. I initially heard about budget cuts last month but they were included with a write up with the sale of Canadice and Hemlock lakes. No details were given as to what the actual cuts were would be... The DEC is buying Canadice and Hemlock lakes from the City of Rochester, for a price they won't disclose with money from the Environmental Protection Fund. Anybody here go to any public meeting about this sale or purchase? How do we know the city residents got a fair price? Does anyone know the amount that will be paid to the five or six communities from the PILOT fund? When I inquired as to the “closed negotiations†I learned this is how it’s usually done. The fiduciary responsibility of the Mayor of Rochester is to do what’s best for the city. Was that accomplished? What happened to the governor’s moratorium on land purchases because of the budget? Now I find out this purchase is exempt. An additional 1,100-acre parcel owned by the Nature Conservancy adjoining Rochester’s watershed lands is to be offered to the state, eventually creating an 8,200-acre wilderness area. But that parcel may take longer to negotiate because it doesn't fall into the previously mentioned exemption. I’m fully aware of the difference between the different funding sources, but this is lunacy. We are being told we can’t afford important assets to the fishery and other public parks yet we somehow can make additional acquisitions? Cutting services that actually benefit the community, tourism and tax revenues was stated by Governor Paterson as “only fair†if cuts had to be made to social services. I disagree. Just because Paterson doesn’t realize that some expenditures have a “return on investment†lumping them with expenditures that are just a drain on the economy is poor thinking. And like Vince said, poor business. Dave Chilson

Here's a little timeline history on the start of the fishery and ESLO, Vince was a lot youger then and I wasn't even born. OK, maybe I was... 1968 - Pacific salmon stocking initiated in the Salmon River. 22,000 Coho are stocked. 1970 - Pacific salmon stocking continues with the addition of 22,000 Chinook and 22,000 Coho. Success very limited due to sea lamprey predation. 1972 - Successful sea lamprey control initiated in Lake Ontario tributaries. 1974 - Large runs of Pacific salmon established in the Salmon River. Steelhead stocking initiated in Salmon River adding diversity and a extended sport fishing season. 1975 -First ESLO derby 1976 - Chemical contamination (mirex and PCB) of Lake Ontario fish discovered. Stocking of Pacific salmon in Lake Ontario discontinued. Ban imposed on lake and tributaries for possession of salmonids. Continued stocking of 40,000 Pacific salmon in Salmon River to monitor contaminant levels. No ESLO in 1976 1977- ESLO Resumes 1979 - Pacific salmon stocking resumed. 1980 - Salmon River Hatchery built to raise Chinook, Coho, Brown trout, and Steelhead for the Lake Ontario fishery. 1981 - Resident Brown trout stocking of the mainstem of the Salmon River for a put and take fishery is suspended. Emphasis is totally put on migratory salmonids. 1982 - 1994 - Pacific salmon sport fishery in the Salmon River highly successful. Steelhead become increasingly important as they provide a late fall, winter, and spring fishery. Tremendous economic growth in the Salmon River Corridor as a result of the salmonid fishery. Legal snagging of Pacific salmon is resulting in a growing social problem associated with the fishery. Skamania summer run steelhead are stocked in the Salmon River to add a summer component to the fishery and extend the season.