Sk8man

Nice going Bill  - all the way around

Nice going John and Stan

That's great thx for the report

Years ago I switched out basically all my spoons to Mustad SINGLE XXX stainless hooks. The only trebles I use are on my homemade flies. and I use various (beaked extra strength trebles on them as well as triple strength red Eagle Claw trebles) I use 1/0 for small spoons, 2/0 for mediums and 3/0 (and some 2/0) for magnum spoons. The advice above from others is on the mark too.

There are substantial differences in the quality and strength of trebles. Replace the "iffy" ones with hardened trebles which appear thicker and are often designated as "extra strength" or "triple x" etc. OR change trebles to hardened stainless singles again the "triple xx" designation. The beauty  of the singles is they don't get caught in the net as often and are easier to get out of the fishes mouth without damage to either.

Just place the braid as far back in the church release as you can get it and have the release tightened down (carefully) and bring the boards in prior to netting the fish or wrap the braid around the church release. Yes it will often sink the board when a good one hots.... but it works.

x2

Although the SeaFlee line works ok on riggers it also has a lot of stretch so it isn't great for dipseys. When the fleas are really thick even the Sea flee gets some on it. Sometimes when the fleas are distributed intermittently in different concentrations throughout the water column folks think that whatever they are using is avoiding gathering fleas but it may be that they just aren't going through real heavy concentrations in the areas they are fishing. When the fleas are heavily concentrated in condensed areas of the column they gather on just about anything including 200 lb downrigger wire. The spiny fleas are not usually all that bad to clean off usually just shaking wire line for example....it is the fishhook variety that are the really bad ones that adhere like smelly grey cottonwood. I'd say stick with wire and take your lumps Andy

WTG John

He makes great weights and Seth Green sinkers and his prices are reasonable......and he is a good guy

Good going John and Happy Father's Day bud.

Plating is an art as well as a science. Yes, there are changes in government regulations requiring "adjustments" and some folks are more skillful than others in making those adjustments. Whoever does the plating for Hinckley is masterful at it.....that is all I can say. This is not to disparage Sutton (or anyone else for that matter) but it is a fact, and the proof is in a side by side comparison of the finishes which I'm not going to do on here... but give it a try for yourself! I am still a Sutton fan as well by the way

The Suttons are good spoons and I have used them for over 50 years and my grandfather used them just after they came out around 1900. I have hundreds of them in various sizes and weights and finishes. A problem with them is that there have been plating problems with them for the past few years and the finish on them doesn't hold up like the older versions. That is why I suggested you try the Elmer Hinckleys gold and silver finishes as they are superb.

If you like plated spoons try the Elmer Hinckleys https://elmerhinckley.com/the-spoon-drawer/

Exquisite plating on them.

Pretty cool... young Long Nosed Gar

Nice going Anthony and nice report video as well. Those Elmer Hinckely spoons are great aren't they? I haven't even bothered using my Suttons anymore I'll bet you're in seventh heaven with the bigger boat now too

Good news lets hope the weather conditions are right.

The mounting plate is definitely the way to go two holes and sealed with the above mentioned calk and never look back. Twenty two years on mine and still great. An upside to it is also the option to either move the transducer for better positioning, or to add other transducers etc. in the future.

They are quite deadly for lake trout on Seneca and Cayuga and Keuka. The double spoon gives them a clicking sound in the water.

Yes and our LOU member Frogger almost won it but his 12.02 laker got nosed out by a 12.36 pounder but he still pulled off winning the lake trout division. Some decent fish caught this year. My hats off to Mike

Thanks Mike best to you as well. Pete mentioned the ones you've been having success with. I'm sure you will do well out there bud.

Best of luck to all fishing the Seneca Derby  tomorrow. I received my new Elmer Hinckley spoons in today's mail and they are incredible. The finish blows away my former favorite spoons. I'm hoping for a good result this weekend. Hope the weather holds and the wind is right.

Great report John Good to see that you hung on to the boat for more of those family times.  Life is short and it pays to make the most of those family outings.

Just as a reference point I was told that the 29 lb laker that won the Canandaigua derby a few years ago was evaluated by the DEC (scale sample was mentioned) and it was 24 years old. Nothing official though as it was another fisherman that told me that as it beat out my previous record fish.