Raaven

1, 2 3 4 5 7 and 10 color... as well as 100's, 150's 200's 250' 300' 350's 400 450's 500 and 600 coppers! It's all about controlled depth . You can catch one fish on anything...Fine tuning your spread will some days fill a box!

When you were in 600 fow, you should have just spent your efforts trolling WEST... Instead of trolling in. The Charters are working the skinny water and concentrating on browns, to give their clients the best chance at the most hook ups. Yesterday was tough, but the last few days a quick near limit of quality browns has been taken, with time to slide out to the deeper inside water and more than a few kings are being taken with this approach. Yesterday afternoon a few of the Charters stayed in 200 fow, and caught 2-3 big kings for their efforts, while a bunch of us went out over 600 fow , and had more , with steelhead in the catch as well. West has been best, in the offshore waters. There are limitations when operating a business in how far you are going to travel in a six hour trip, and how much profit you are going to burn in gas. Friday afternoon I ran out of Fairhaven, fished 600 fow in front of the silos, and boxed a limit of big kings in 4 hours . I was 18 miles from the Oswego Lighthouse, and wouldn't/couldn't run my Oswego charters that far yesterday...This morning , however, I am out of Fairhaven, and plan on returning to the same area! Good luck, keep searching, and remember it is called fishing, NOT CATCHING.

Don't do it....Tie the wire directly on the spool, and fill the reel right up to the top with the wire.

Wow! I just had Dave, Matt, and Al out on the Waterwolf last fall fishing for musky in Clayton. Sure glad it worked out for them. Going to have to give them a call. What an experience I hope the rest of us never have to go through.

I think if it's NOT BROKE, don't "Fix" it.... If I remember correctly, stripers were an option in the beginning...The DEC chose salmon.

Which scent? I see eucalyptus, citrus, cucumber/melon, and lavender offered....

Buy the tickets..enjoy the show! But make sure you spend EVERY WEEKEND from August- second week of Sept. out on the lake! You just might do really well on the kings this weekend also....They are biting like crazy out there the last few days!

Not a bad day!

Good choice! 42nd was hot for us last weekend... We concentrated our efforts from the red can - 4 mile point...there's bait and targets there. or was?

yup...wet towel works...until you get a new cable.

yup...wet towel works...until you get a new cable.

Great news!

I would make sure when you pull the boat to trailer home, you check/change your lower unit oil..... Any water or milky oil in there and it would be wise to change your seal. Good luck. Wish I was out there this week...But I'm running charters in OZ..I will be back out this weekend though. Keep up the reports ! Lots of people like to follow you and your success via this thread! Where are the pictures of the dog? Make sure you throw that tennis ball twice as much as YOU want to. Pup had too much play time hes down below sleeping! You think that lure could cause water to get in? Now im worried, I think theresa is goin swimmin when we get back to the marina... [ Post made via Android ] There's always a possibility of fishing line getting wrapped in your prop, and causing damage to your lower unit seal..I wouldn't let it worry you to death...just check the oil in the lower unit when you are done. Really simple to check. Buy lower unit oil in squeeze bottle, open top vent, open lower fill hole, push new oil in from bottom up. until old oil comes out top..clean up mess. Just remember that any water or milky oil will be in the bottom and last to come out the top....If the old oil comes out clean, water free..you have no problem with your seal. Any water or milky oil, and it is time to change your seal. If you are "mechanically challenged", have the wife do it!

I would make sure when you pull the boat to trailer home, you check/change your lower unit oil..... Any water or milky oil in there and it would be wise to change your seal. Good luck. Wish I was out there this week...But I'm running charters in OZ..I will be back out this weekend though. Keep up the reports ! Lots of people like to follow you and your success via this thread! Where are the pictures of the dog? Make sure you throw that tennis ball twice as much as YOU want to.

They are messy.

Welcome back!

x2

Michigan stingers, normal size...riggers down 15-25 , 4 and 5 color leadcores off boards....anything green, with the green NITRO and the F/N spoons maybe doing the best early...NBK and gator later...Loraines tan line caught the biggest brown though. Our salmon came on green dolphin and NBK stingray size. Good luck.

We did plenty of browns this morning in 20-35 f.o.w. from Cemetery Hill all the way down past 4 mile point....got sick of them and went out to 70-160 trolled back to harbor mouth in that zone and found a few kings....might reverse it tomorrow? Just cuz... Good luck.

I will be there! Stop over to the Waterwolf and say Hi ! Our slip is right in front of the Tiki bar.

Most boats already have a mate.. BUT ALL BOATS NEED A RELIEF MATE. (things happen) Here is the problem. First off, no one wants a stranger on the boat....So start pounding the docks when the Captains are around and get to know them! Secondly, you NEED a Maritime Consortium Card. In order to get one you have to find a boat that will put you on their random drug testing program, (Costs the Captain about $65 per year) You have to PASS the drug test and any randoms that come up. Once you have the card, any Captain and the Coast Guard will accept it on any boat you are working on. It needs to be updated annually, offer to pay for it. Third...you need some training. It's basic, a monkey can do it...but every boat has there own procedure to follow and expectations to meet. Most Captains HATE to train, but some will allow their Full Time Mate to train their own replacement guy. Don't expect to get paid for training. Now you have the qualifications to do the job. The more networking you do and contacts you make, the more you will work. Every Mate has conflicts of scheduling due to Doctors appointments, weddings , funerals, personal days, and sick days. (life goes on) As well as scheduled charters, be prepared to answer your phone for last minute emergencies. usually 3 am-4am. calls ! The more Captains and Full Time Mates that KNOW you, and have your number, the more work you will find...until a point you might get lucky and find a Full Time position on a boat! And then you will need to find a qualified relief Mate yourself..... Good luck, there is a lack of people doing this in the industry. But tons of "strangers" that just want to be handed a full time job on a Charter boat running 100 trips a year!

Only pitfall I know of is distance from side of boat? I've used Aftco roller releases, but prefer a fresh #16 rubberband. Sure beats down the shoot, but fiesty fish still get over there and in it sometimes!

You have the internet.... 3 minute search and I did YOUR HOMEWORK for you.... Newfane Marina (716) 778-5462 McDonough Marine (716) 778-7665 Wilson Boatyard (716) 751-9202 Sunset Bay Marina (716) 751-6466 Harbor Resort (716) 778-5190 Lighthouse Motel (716) 778-7270 Lake Ontario Motel 1-800-446-5767 Lakeview Motel (716) 791-8668 That should get you started? or should I call and make reservations for you also? Once there and fishing, go 17 miles west and fish BIG DROPOFF , use green spoons, some days purple, put them down 50-80 feet, troll 2.1-3.0 mph.... Best of luck to you in the Pro-am.

You are correct, John. After you figure out what it's going to COST YOU to run this business, you can come up with a "Break Even" analysis... How many trips does it take to break even yearly? Everybody's situation being a little different, but I would bet most Charter Boat Operations break even between 30-40 charters. If your rates are low thinking you will get more business...it might be up to 50 charters? Blown off today..... No pay for me....But it cost me $40 to go to work and back.

The biggest complaint I have heard over the years about "new guys" and" Part Timers" and "Pension Pilots" has been the attitude that they are going to fill their books by cutting prices of the established businesses . This never bothered me. If you want the "cheap guy" that goes away from me, to fish with you over a hundred bucks or better..YOU CAN HAVE HIM! You are going to be out of business in no time anyway, and that cheap guy will always be looking for the next better deal. He is not the clientele I want. This business has less to do with CATCHING FISH and more to do with catching KEEPER clientele. Include in your cost analysis... Dockage, storage, maintenance, upgrades in equipment, Travel expenses, (you have to get to work somehow?) savings (you better have a few grand tucked away for the bad day you hit a log, or blow an engine) plus a bunch of small stuff like licencing, twic cards, maritime consortium, IRS (they want theirs) accounting costs, and expect everything to go up in price yearly, except your rates.... Oh, and throw in the four weekends in a row you are doubled up in charters and THE WIND BLOWS, and you have to return DEPOSITS that you already spent six months ago when you received them!