Sk8man

Great job Jason That sure is what it is all about .... and also wonderful the good fishing coincided with their trip here. It has been pretty 'sketchy just about everyplace else so you sure took them to the right spot too. Another great day for Great lLkes Lures too. They are exceptional spoons and this is a prime example of their effectiveness.

Yep There have been a number of real good examples of that on here. Don't give up hope it could turn up. Good luck with it.

I feel for ya Gino. I have one of them and have had it for 20 plus years and they are great. Hope you find it.

Great points Mark thanks.

I think it is just the northenders that are superior at Seneca Kev....but I could be wrong

If you are referring to the Hammerhead cowbells it has been pointed out that they are made of light weight aluminum instead of plastic http://www.hammerheadchartersandtackle.com/page8.html

digitroll - good comeback with the automatic vs. manual transmission but I'd also ask if you are stuck in mud or a snowbank which would you be glad to have to get your butt out ? I can also do a lot of steering myself despite fishing solo for the two grand for an autopilot I too use whatever technological advancements I can afford and they certainly "help". The case I was making is that many folks (especially those just starting out) who may be viewing things here can get the idea that this stuff is "indispensable" and "essential" to catching any fish when that is not actually the case. There are many very successful fishermen on here that don't own either device that are still "whacking" them and I just thought someone should mention that in the midst of the discussion. I'm as interested in the info in this thread as anyone.

Back in the mid seventies we used flashers (depth finders) to locate fish and a manual fishawk thermometer on a reel to determine where the thermocline was located and tried to fish accordingly. We caught quite a few fish and also the same with manual downriggers etc. Prior to that we used markings at intervals on the anchor rope to find depth for stillfishing for trout (which is why my arms are still sore today ). When I managed to get my first Heathkit graph that had to be hand assembled by my dad in 1976 or so I remember a woman saying "That is very unfair....those fish don't have any chance at all now and that is poor sportsmanship" The point I am getting to is that we get increasingly dependent on the technological side of this sport and the newest and greatest "gizmo" and if you are chartering it may be very desirable to go this route but there are a lot of folks who frequent this website that may or may not be able to afford this stuff that is being presented as "necessary" to catching fish successfully. I would say to the newbies viewing these things learn the basics of trolling and fishing before getting all wrapped up in the technology. Learning the basic skills such as learning to troll in the most productive directions, looking for signs of currents, watching for changes in wind direction and speed, gauging the angle of your lines and position of rod tips, paying close attention to details in all that you do while out there and the results of your actions and watching other more experienced anglers closely etc. If you fail to learn these basics all the technology in the world isn't going to put you consistently on fish. The technological advancements can "fine tune" or supplement these skills......and....what do you do when the technology breaks down or doesn't function properly?

I just ordered a set today of the Firebelly jacket and Toadskin pants My more than 20 year old Goretex rain suit was losing some of its repellency but I guess i got my money's worth out of it

Can't put your nose too close to it mark