Jump to content

ac holmes

Members
  • Posts

    241
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ac holmes

  1. shake down trip today...nice brown hit a peanut on copper down 100+ feet...browns are usually in the top water this time of year
  2. Interesting article on Lake Trout and what they eat... http://www.fishsniffer.com/wiza/050320lures.html
  3. I am happy with a Honda 9.9 4 stroke electric start as a kicker on my 27 Eastern inboard 5.7 v8 (7000 lbs.). It trolls down real well to 1.5 mph and will make 7 mph if necessary for back up power. It is very quiet at trolling speed, sips the gas and I like those features a lot. I am currently trying to figure out how to link the 9.9 into the autohelm so the 9.9 steers along with the rudder. It does not track very well on auto in the wind with just the rudder active. I have the 9.9 mounted amidships on the swim platform and have seperate controls with tilt trim so I can switch power from the helm. If I can link the 9.9 to the autohelm it would be a near perfect setup.
  4. Yes indeed, " DEC neglect" is the wrong word. I understand there are many, many factors involved, not the least of which is lack of state funds. Last fall we caught a lot of fish in Oct and Nov and saw very few eels and eel marks, so it was a big disappointment to see so many this year. 60 years ago, when we were little kids, we used to get a nickle apiece for eels delivered to Bill Newton's bait shop in Montour Falls. The spawning eels were huge in those days (I have never seen them that big in recent years) and we took most of them out of the Glen Creek in early summer with spears, ball bats, nets and by kicking them out of the creek. The kids in Montour would do the same thing in Catherine Creek. We would walk to Montour on the railroad tracks with the eels in burlap bags and old Bill would count them out and pay the bounty. I earned enough money for a new Bach Brown spinning reel which cost $20 dollars or so, and was my prized posession for many years. I think that program was funded locally by interested sportsmen without DEC involvement. I suspect it was an effective project because it went after the big "breeders" but probably not feasible in the modern world. It would be hard to find a bunch of kids willing to kill eels for a nickle each. And also would be considered a politically incorrect activity for kids. The eels always disgusted me and I went after them with gusto, as did my friends. The eels in those days would go upstream after the Lake Sucker run which is another story of days gone by. I cannot properly describe how many large suckers would run the Glen Creek, after the Rainbow run, but it was certainly many thousand, and hell was out for noon with all the kids clubbing and snatching them. People would come from out of town to buy bags of them. Someone said that they pickled them and they were very tasty done that way. I don't see the suckers anymore and wonder what become of them.
  5. Hi folks, I have had a couple of short trips in my little winter boat and have'nt caught much. Last November I had some of the best trips ever for LLs and could'nt keep them off the rigs. What happened? Where did they all go? Actually I saw hundreds of LLs of all sizes swimming by my boat lift in very shallow water (3-15 feet), chasing saw bellies, and sadly also saw quite a few lamprey eels hanging off the fish. The eels looked smallish (8-10 inches) so that evidence probably points to DEC neglect some measured number of years ago. I also saw several fly fishermen, with professional equipment casting from shore in their waders and they were catching the hell out of the salmon with streamer flys. These guys were not locals (I did not ask where they were from) but have been doing this kind of fishing on Seneca for a few years. They were quite carefully putting all of the fish back unharmed and were having a great time. In that regard, I have been enjoying fishing a lot more having switched to much lighter tackle and the folks that charter with me seem to enjoy the sport of lighter tackle as well. It is more fun and a lot easier to handle the lighter, shorter rods and reels especially if 4 or 5 folks are fishing at once. To tell the truth, I was getting bored with cranking 3-6 pound fish in on what is esentially salt water tackle. It is a problem when the fleas get active because of the need for flea flicker or 20+lb test line but I managed OK last year with the heavy line on light rods and reels. I cannot use the big dipsey's either but am able to fish the smaller ones on light wire or braid. Last year, I was having what I percieved as better catches with 8 lb floro and 2 inch spoons. It's not a recommendation to any ones's fishing technique, but I am enjoying it more. A 3 lb salmon becomes a bit of a thrill on lighter tackle. I am going to post all of my heavy stuff on the classified section as soon as I get it all sorted out. I have some real nice stuff for sale soon and very good for the big Lakes. If I fish Ontario I usually go with a charter anyway. I had a chance to talk to the owner of the ProTroll operation (nice guy and a very knowledgable fisherman) and he convinced me that the "e-chip" setup will catch more fish. They have discovered that the chip on the flasher/spinner may not be the best setup because the fish, especially lakers, actually go for the chip. I recently rigged a dozen spoons and flies with the chip mounted on the hooks with shrink wrap and well see how it works out this season. The lake is way too clear for easy fishing but maybe some rain is on the way. I am doing charters and do as many sightseeing tours as fishing, and that's OK because it is easier all around and if they pay for a boat ride they get what they paid for. If the fish are scarce the folks get a little grumpy and I don't blame them. Seneca is tough some days...lots of water and the fish have tails as my buddy says. I keep my boat (27 foot Eastern) in front of the new hotel in Watkins Glen, and can be reached at 800-597-0688. Best of luck to all the guys and gals on this thread, and I am sure to see you on the water. cheers, Andrew
  6. Here tis... https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail and another option... https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail
  7. This company has 1st rate stuff for sale...you might want to take a peek before custom fabricating a bracket. I am using the model #1000 for my 9.9 Honda off the swim platform and am very pleased with the quality. http://www.adventuremarine.net/
  8. Thanks for the info. The TR-1 looks like a good solution, but it means more wires and mechanicals and my boat is getting too complicated. One guy here on Seneca (who is a very good marine mechanic) has suggested going from the rudder control arm to the steering tube on the 9.9 with an additional cable much like the Teleflex package that goes from OB to OB. He claims he could put it together, but may need a custom bracket made. I am very pleased with the new "redesigned" Ray Marine X5 sport autohelm (the old version was junk) and am reluctent to invest in another auto helm when the one aboard works so well. I am going to keep thinking about it. I do wish I would have gone with the Honda 15HP as the 9.9HP is OK but can only push the 27 at 5.5 MPH, WOT. It would be nice to have a little more speed from the standpoint of a back-up engine, but it trolls very well with the 9.9. I am also pleased to discover that the 5.7 V8, now that it is fully broken in, will troll very well also...2.5 MPH at 600 RPM. My new boat is almost perfect for my needs, but I can't resist the idea of the 9.9 being on autohelm steering. That 9.9 is a sweet little motor...siops gas and is so quiet I don't know if is running sometimes. It is nice to know that the TR-1 is a solution if all else fails.
  9. Very useful discussion, but my challenge is a little different. My 27 foot Eastern is a full inboard (5.7 Merc) with a rudder. I have a 9.9 Honda with tilt/trim mounted on the swim platform amidships and locked dead ahead. The controls go to the helm and I can switch engines without leaving the helm. It is a very nice setup, but the autohelm (raymarine) works very well on the big engine but not as well on the 9.9 because the prop wash is behind the rudder with the 9.9 and in front on the big prop/engine. I have looked at the teleflex options, including the new hookup with a cable from big outboard to small which is the ideal setup. I am researching ways of making the outboard steer from the helm. Teleflex makes a dual cable hub for big outboards and I am thinking of installing this system with one cable to the rudder and one to the 9.9. Teleflex tech disadvises this use but I think it will work fine. What do you guys think?
  10. Thanks for the info...I am going to give it a whack in the AM. I found out what a slider is: a little rubber grub made by "GULP" and white or black are supposed to be best. They are fished as described with a sinker on the bottom and with two aberdeen hooks directly off the main line (no snell or leader), with a palomar knot to keep the hook erect (if you pardon the expression). This setup provides the best opportunity to react quickly to tiny taps...so they say. We will see tomorrow. Also, a perch guy told me to find a school first and be real quiet and slow, especially in an aluminum boat, because the school will spook easily. I know a person well who speaks truth about fishing and claims a friend of his caught 100 fish over last weekend.
  11. It is hard to find oak leaf grubs this year because of all the gully washers this summer and fall...fathead minnows I guess. Some folks told me to "drop shot with sliders" today, and I understood some of what they said but don't have a clear picture. Anybody who can explain this technique!
  12. Thanks guys for the advice...bobber, eyeballs and minnows. The perch won't have a chance! How do you rig? Fish the bottom? What size hooks?
  13. I have not fished for perch on Seneca in a long time. We used to catch them we we were kids (50 years ago) off docks with Oak leaf grubs quite easily, and some days we would get a lot of them...other days, nothing. I was doing a little snooping last weekend from a small boat near Watkins Glen with a good sonar unit and found some large schools of smaller fish that were probably Perch. I fished for an hour or so with nightwalkers in 30-40 feet of water and caught 2 big fat ones. Then nothing at all, but the schools were still there. It was too windy to fish very well (the anchor wouldn't hold), so I went back the next day and the fish were gone...nothing. I have some time on my hands for a month or so and have access to a nice 16 footer with an outboard. Any advice on how to catch some perch? I do not have much skill with perch and would appreciate some info. Generally, the perch guys are quite secretive and tend to keep their mouths shut, but I see them sneaking fish over the transoms and I hear rumors of good perch fishing currently, all over Seneca. Last spring, I caught 2 fish one day on the downriggers, a small LL and a huge perch (he hit a moose look spoon). I cooked both of those fish, side by side, on the grill that night and I remembered how delicious perch were to eat, compared to trout and salmon. Both are good but that perch was the best, in my opinion. Maybe the proliferation of weeds in recent years has helped the perch population. What do you think?
  14. The one I hooked wasn't that big because I was able to work the fish up little by little, but I sure would have liked a better look see. There is no reason why the Finger Lakes would not grow really big lakers, maybe 20 lbs. plus, but those kinds of fish probably do not do a lot of running after spoons and flys. I did pretty well today on Seneca...5 LLs and 2 Lakers between 3 and 5 lbs. for 6 of the fish and one dink LL. All spoon bite (small R&R hammered brass with green and yellow) on downrigger, 2.5 MPH at the probe, 60 feet down at the probe in 52-55 degree water. Surface temp 61-62 today. What a beautiful day to be on the water...perfect!
  15. Hi Folks, I got free of some responsibilities and have started fishing again the last couple of days. Things are looking better than a month ago and hardly any fleas and the weeds are greatly reduced. I much prefer cold weather fishing and caught a few fish yesterday and today, all fish healthy...fat and no eels or eel marks. Today I lost the biggest fish I have ever hooked on Seneca. It was almost for sure a Laker and I got a glimpse or two of a big fish straight down just before the hook pulled out. I don't know how big, but is was heavy and strong and it took me awhile to work him up toward the net. Surface water was 64-65 yesterday and 61-62 today, 52-58 degree water down 50-60 feet and lots of fish and bait. I also marked bigger fish in the 20-30 foot strata north of Salt Point. I should have put the boards out but I was alone and it was getting windy. All the fish I hooked yesterday and today were on R&R small spoons, hammered brass and yellow and green flash on the other side. I always put an eye on all my spoons and believe it makes a difference. On the third rod I ran a copper rig with a flasher fly at 70-90 feet with zero results. Tomorrow looks good for weather and I will give it another try.
  16. It is a fine unit, but now obsolete...no parts anymore. I would offer $500 if you really want it to disappear.
  17. Hi Folks, FYI: Glen Harbor has non-ethenol gas finally, for $4.75 per. Makes my 350 c.i. run like a raped ape, real smooth and strong and can idle down beautifully (2.2 MPH, no problem and don't need the kicker or bags). The Honda 9.9 kicker pops right off instantly also. Pricey, but worth it in my estimation. I have been out of the fishing loop for nearly 3 weeks (dental surgery) but am feeling good now and have two charters booked for tomorrow and Tuesday on Seneca Lake. I keep my boat at the Village Marina on the south end and was not doing very well, earlier this summer. I was running up to Lodi to get at some fish ($40 dollar trip up and back). Any suggestions for tommorow? I hate to get skunked when folks are paying big bucks for the trip. I usually keep pretty close tract of what is going on with Seneca fishing, but not recently. Any info would be warmly received. Thanks, Andrew Holmes, "Blue Sky Charters"
  18. Sorry... this is the one with level wind and line counter http://www.shopatron.com/products/produ ... 0.0?pp=20&
  19. This is the one I decided on...about 200 bucks at marinegeneral.com. http://www.daiwa.com/reel/detail.aspx?id=60
  20. Just my opinion: I guess the discussion is mostly about spooling the copper so that the real if as full as possible for retrieving speed. I just messed around until it was right with one set up and used that info on the rest. If you intend to run copper wire off otter boats, planer boards, etc., it is easier to let out 300 ft of wire, for example) attached to mono or braid backing, and use that backing to clip to the release rather than attempting to clip the cooper to the release (just like fishing lead core colors off the boards) I have recently set up 4 rods that way with 300ft on 2, and 500ft on another pair. The 300ft copper puts things down to the 60-70 ft depth range and the 500 ft to the 90-100 range. Of course, if you plan to run your wire down the chute only, it doesn't make much difference about backing. That is how I am fishing now and have put the otter boats away because of the weeds, but think this setup will do well when the weeds back down. I have 5:1 (3:1 is too much cranking) reels for the copper and it is about the same time on task as reeling in dipsy wire rigs that are out 250-350 feet on 3:1 and/or 4:1 reels. There are new 6:1 Diawa Saltist reels available, but I was told they are a bit stiff to crank because they are geared so high, so I went with 5:1 Diawa (beautiful piece of technology). ...it's OK...I like fishing the copper...it's easy, and, it does catch fish. However, I need to wait and see if they produce like dipsy rigs, which for me catch at least as many fish as the downriggers.
  21. The VHS symptoms were highly visible on the LL. I saw the red on the fish before I netted it and thought the fish was bleeding. The fish I caught was not listless and very lively, as those LLs usually are, but the LL was pretty much covered with the red blisters.
  22. That's it ERabbit. The good news is that I have caught 20+ fish lately and that was the only one infected.
  23. I caught a LL today, about 3 or 4#s that had a lot of little red pimple/blisters all over. Never saw anything like that before. Should have got a picture but put that guy back in the water quick. Anybody seen that before?
×
×
  • Create New...