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Sk8man

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Everything posted by Sk8man

  1. Chas I think that the distribution of the bait may have been screwed up because many folks including me saw hoards of bait out there this season and a lot of it without fish appearing to be nearby.
  2. Keith's question is a great one. I think no matter how you slice it the accurate answer will be complicated and complex and should take into consideration the Canadian side of the pond also to get a good handle on it. The data numbers from the Salmon river and egg collection effort would be important information for the equation too. It did seem to be a rather unusual year from the standpoint of the apparent migration pattern and the expected numbers at various points along the way but many variables affect that anyway (bait locations, currents, water temps, weather/wind. If there was a true shortage I should think that the Salmon River results should be a pretty good general index of things. It seemed that there were a lot of smaller fish this year trolling in the lake at least with a weak display of fish in the high 20's through 30 lb range from the reports here anyway. I can't help but think something affected the upper year class somewhere along the line.
  3. It is a very useful tool once the thermocline sets up and through the summer into early Fall but it is only one tool in the box. Sometimes fish operate outside their temp ranges and folks can get stuck in gear fishing desired temp ranges and over reliance on temp meters. It is useful but not necessary in my view. I think learning to use your depth finder competently combined with knowledge gained from repeated experience and learning to watch the angle of your lines and your boat speed offer much better data than any ONE item of electronics. By the way look carefully if you decide to buy a Fish Hawk because you can get them cheaper than $700. I will say that the company is second to none and Trevor Sumption stands behind his products....great folks with a great product.
  4. Yeah Ray just graduated from the two tin cans and a string recently. He got the flip phone from Fred Flintstone (it is just like mine)
  5. The only difference in the oceans would be the transducer....there you'd want the 50khz for deep water and most of those depth finders have a salt water setting in the menu
  6. Four strokes are the way to go.....great on gas and much quieter than two strokes....I can barely hear someone talking above my 9.9 2 stroke. If money isn't tight I'd say get a 9.8 or 9.9 or even a 15 if you can do it as they offer a little "insurance" if you go dead in the water with your main motor and although a 9.8 is great for trolling and semi rough water the 15 could get you in to shore faster in rough water on Lake O. When that stuff happens you always wish you had a bigger motor no matter what you have The 4 strokes are much more economical.
  7. With both my Church 44's and Walleye boards I set the line as far back in the release as possible and I have the jaws tightened as much as possible (have to be careful not to tighten too much though or they could break). They are usually run on braid or 30 lb mono and I've only had it release once with a fish and huge gob of grass combined.
  8. Most of the "big boys" on the ocean are running Furuno's and it is for a reason...they are very reliable. Although I have had Lowrance's lately and I have had other brands as well over the years since 1975 including a graph recorder and flasher that were kits where every diode had to be soldered onto the board and the entire units hand assembled (Heath Kits). Thankfully my dad was a radio and TV repair guy If $$$ isn't the main factor Furuno is the way to go. I've seen Admiral Byrd's units in action firsthand many times too over the years and in my opinion they are superior units.
  9. Nice pike Joe.....and I'll bet it felt good to be out there. Even though my boat was just put away a few weeks ago it seems like years... at least somebody's getting out there and giving the fish a headache Your trip sure points up the beauty of having an 18 ft outboard for versatile fishing too. Great boat for winter fishing as well as the usual stuff. I'm sure it will be grabbed up at that price. I saw it Joe cool....it will be a long wait for me to try out my new Xmas present Thanks.
  10. Nice going Kevin....looks like you're getting back on your game (pun intended)
  11. Just a long shot but you might try to find listings for nearby sporting goods store, bait and tackle shops or marinas that might have "local" map of the lake and give them a call.
  12. Looking in from outside of the issue (I no longer hunt but still have an interest in it) it looks as though BSMaster's original well intentioned question is turning into a "pissing contest" between two knowledgeable and capable hunters hunting the same largely private area where most others have little to no access. Wouldn't it be more beneficial or productive to both of you to maybe meet for coffee someplace and try to improve each others info and insight regarding that specific area so that you both could benefit from it? Just a thought....
  13. Even if you run into a king 12 lb test works fine if you use your boat and have the drag set properly. The primary reason for using the 30 lb "rope" is because of the fleas anf they are not usually a problem real early in the season.
  14. If it has been checked out and holds a charge I 'd just carefully look it over for cracks or anything that looks suspicious and if nothing noted make a decision about whether you feel comfortable with it. I wouldn't leave it (or any other one) on a charger for long periods (like over the winter) though. Just charge it fully and place it in a dry area for the winter and then in the Spring check it for charge and it should be still well above 3/4 or even full or so...if not I'd get a new one. The trickle charge is fine for charging a battery over say a few days because the battery will hold the charge longer than if charged at say 5 amps or 12 amps quickly and even though many folks use trickle chargers for long extended periods it can also be a danger if done in unventilated (or poorly ventilated) places or places where there might be any open flame (e.g. cellar or other internal room).
  15. I would carefully check out the batteries and the charger itself. On the one hand it could be gas escaping (which can be toxic as well as flamable/explosive under certain conditions so don't have it near any open flames such as a pilot light on a furnace or hot water heater when charging). The screeching can also come from a warning alarm on some chargers when something is wrong. In any case it is something that shouldn't be happening. As far as the deep cycle vs. starting battery goes. Many outboard motors have a very high instantaneous amperage draw when the key is turned on in the ignition and the starter turns over and that is what the starter battery is designed to deal with...the deep cycle is designed to deal with an extended draw down over time but NOT the instantaneous high draw and continued use of it that way frequently shortens the life of the battery. A deep cycle battery is designed to be taken down nearly all the way and then recharged or at least past half way. They aren't meant to be recharged after each use (when only slightly used) again it can shorten the life of the battery. I've had my boat (new) since 2002 and I'm on my second set of batteries right now after replacement 3 years ago. Get good quality marine batteries and use them in their intended way and they will last (if not defective). Regarding the interference issue - it is often related to poor shielding somewhere along the power lines, running the wires of sensitive electronics too near (or along with) other power wires, sometimes when hooked up through a power block and not directly with a fused line to the battery itself, or an external source such as another depth finder or electronic operating at similar frequency too nearby corrupting the signal. Sometimes resistor spark plugs can help with the interference encountered with internal sources.
  16. snedden....just a suggestion but you may have more success if you list specifics of the items ((brand/model rods and reels, condition etc). although some folks may be able to ascertain this from looking at the pics not everyone will and the details can help with the sale. Good luck.
  17. We all enjoy Kevin's posts. He is a supreme sportsman and I'm sure we'll have a lot more interesting posts from him once he recuperates. I'm looking forward to it.
  18. Sk8man

    Bears

    Mark's accurate observation of Ray I think the father had just about as much hair on his back as Ray too...
  19. http://www.weather.com/series/crazimals/video/double-catch-breaks-records
  20. Nice looking rig Joe and good bargain for someone....hey maybe you can talk Nick into buying it to ferry customers to his new "cruise ship" Best of luck with it.
  21. I had also sent a note to the contact us but after the 8th try I succeeded in getting the transaction to process. Knowing how NYS is about money I wouldn't count on getting any "rain check"
  22. (Finger Lakes and region) http://www.fingerlakes1.com/webcams.php
  23. Accessing the website is a test of patience and endurance....it is grossly overloaded. I had to fill out the information in my account at least 7 times before it finally "took" The server is so busy it just kept dumping the info each time before that and I had to switch browsers to Internet Explorer from Firefox also.
  24. Tim I hope you aren't counting on ice fishing on Seneca because Seneca seldom freezes enough for ice fishing, and open water stuff is also very questionable at the north end of the lake depending on weather related freeze-ups of the launches (in terms of public access). Have you also checked with either Barrett Marine or Stivers Marine? I think Fran and Deb Barrett go to Florida frequently so that may be out too... and are you talking about driving to a weigh in or boating? These two will likely be out because the Seneca Canal freezes over for boats at least as does the State Park and usually Sampson State Park and Lodi State Park launches. Often the only boat access is Roy's at the north end and (Severne Point launch) on the west side 2/3 of the way to Watkins Glen . Clute Park in Watkins Glen at the south end is often open for winter fishing depending on the specific weather conditions for a particular year but it is off and on with conditions.
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