AnglingAddict

Weather or wind?

A lot of guys are running larger diameter shallower pitch props for kickers. Those props are better at pushing heavy loads at slower speeds. Main advantage is better bite, more control, and less prop slip as compared to a prop that is designed to operate at higher speeds. Some specific kickers like the Yammy High Thrust or the Merc Bigfoots have a gearbox that has a lower gearing as well which helps. I swapped out a 3 blade OEM prop on my 9.9 merc 4 stroke that I use on my driftboat for a Solas Amita 4 blade in a 12" pitch versus the 16" pitch prop that came with the outboard - noticable difference in performance. Boat is limited to about 7mph because its a non-planing hull and either prop could get me there but the 4 blade solas definitely moves a lot of water and keeps the boat on track.

Back when I had a trailerable boat we fished the finger lakes a lot (I grew up fishing Canandaigua). Flasher/fly on 8" spindoc or echip with a fly is absolutely a great presentation for lake trout in the finger lakes. White double crush glow attractor with an Ultra White Glow A-Tom-Mik fly took an insane number of lakers for me deep and on overcast days. For me they were best fished off wire divers - June/July timeframe was best. Chrome/Green attractors with A-Tom-Mik Hypnotist flies were another great option on bright days. As far as fishing smaller lures - the fish in the finger lakes feed on alewives and while those alewives may be just a tad smaller than the big adults you find on Lake Ontario - I wouldn't hesitate to run regular size Dreamweaver spoons, superslims, regular size stingers or Stingrays by MIchigan Stinger......

I like fishweather - I use the paid version of it and I've found it to be the one I use the most. We are slipped so we are at the boat anyways usually so for us its a matter of getting up and looking at the lake but good to know what the wind will do in a couple hours as well.....might help you to decide if you are going to breakfast or going to leave the dock.

I always say you gotta go make your own reports! Nice job! Sounds like a decent day!

There are some good FaceBook pages for GoPro users - I would try there - lots of guys in the know....

bags don't get in the way - rig them to run off side and the end of the bag just forward of your transom.

Yeah - the knot wouldn't slide through the rear clip - probably not that - odd???

my guess is your board is sliding on the release - instead of your middle board sliding 'up' my guess is your inside board is sliding down the line enough that the two end up with close to the same "line out" from rod tip to front release on the inline - what are you running for boards and releases?

Watch the weather with a smaller boat - things can kick up fast. PFDs this time of year as well.

I get it but if you make it hard enough where they have to put extra effort in they usually move along to the next guy....scammers don't really seem to put much work in - at least for something thats a few hundred dollars it seems....content usually to find another easy target...