Sk8man

Yes Dre and there is a Seager's Tournament tomorrow 6AM No t sure of water conditions I'm going to be on the lookout for debris

For many years I have done exactly as JD describes without problems. mI wind up about 10 or so on a piece of foam noodle so if one get messed up I just use another fast off the foam so no trouble whatsoever..

Nice going Joe....those landlocks truly are exquisite looking fish and one of my very favorites to catch because of the usual acrobatics

Great report Mike......great bunch of guys down your way despite being "south enders" Looking forward to next year already and meeting up in person. Best of luck and tight lines...shaping up to be a great season already.

Pretty incredible WTG! If the Henchen sign wasn't there you'd think it was Erie for sure and that you were pulling our leg...Those things certainly aren't starving either On the downside....whoever takesthose kids out again will be under serious "pressure"

Yes but it needs to be capitalized Bob! It was worthwhile just seeing you guys get that excited this time pulling in those huge fish right under the nose of all those guys fishing around us

Good going Joe! Nice fish and report.

Congratulations on a great fish, wonderful account of catching it, and for being forthright with the details. It was an incredible derby with some of the largest fish I've seen in more than 40 years of fishing it. Your fish beat my buddy's laker by mere ounces and that also is the really unpredictable and exciting thing about the derby....you never know what is going to happen. I've been beat out by 1 one hundredth of a pound for first in the brown division in the past and other "close calls"....so I can't imagine the level of anticipation and excitement you were feeling before the end of things Your story is another example of the fact that it doesn't necessarily take the fanciest new equipment to catch winning fish and it isn't just the "luck" factor involved either...it is when luck, timing, and skill (e.g.. adapting to changing conditions) come together that it usually happens. Again Congrats on a great derby win!

I would think that if you were to have a piece of aluminum with an exact fit width wise (i.e. against the side wall edge wise and 1/4 to 3/8ths thick) and running a couple feet long it should distribute the weight of the downrigger and weight pretty good. I think the key to it may be leaving absolutely no "play" (an exact fit) width wise on the gunwale. If there is any "wiggle room" left between the edge of the reinforcer and the gunwale sides it wouldn't distribute the weight right to the sides of the boat lessening the strain on that spot....just my guess. Also you may consider some sort of "bracing" underneath the reinforcer against the side wall itself.....That 16 lb weight combined with the boom length (if you are using long booms) creates a lot of torque to overcome. I know the current trend is to use real heavy downrigger weights but I would try going to say a 12 lb weight and test it out to see whether it will do the job in that application.

Those fish say it all....you put together as good plan and got things together in a hurry and came up with good results - WTG. Funny how sometimes it pays to just "wing it" in terms of preparation.....some of my best times have come that way yet when I dot all the "i's" and cross all the "t's" (like this year ) things don't usually go as planned. I think next year I'll try flying by the seat of my pants rather than trying to cover all the bases....

I think one of the greatest things about the Seneca Lake Trout Derby is that is truly a family event where you can mix campsite memories with fishing adventures and those family bonds can (and do) last forever. It has been a tradition for my son and I for many years since he was very young and we had to quit early so he could play at the campground with his new found buddies while now we stay at a motel instead of enduring the rigors of the sleeping bags and wet tents.....and after 3 hard days of fishing having to break camp while totally burned out and the multiple trips back and forth to home with the one tow vehicle but the good memories are still alive for both of us and he now has his own kids. The main thing is that those previous years spent together doing stuff we love formed an inseparable bond between us and it is vitally important to us both at this point in our lives. Never too late to get kids into it....and best of all it gets them away from most of the video games and TV (make them turn in their phones until you leave camp)

WTG Dave.....you're off to a great start for king season !

Very nice....not always the easiest lake to pull up those good looking bows. WTG

Did you pass Joe? Just kidding....

I feel especially lucky this year despite not landing in the standings....despite a couple 10 pounder lakers and smaller fish as well. Two of my long term (more than 30 plus years) fishing buddies scored big time this year. Admiral Byrd (Bob Boerjan) and Gary Hoppy. To hear the excitement in both their voices (separately) while discussing things has been a plus for me as these results have been a long time coming for these two very competent fishermen. This derby was was exceptional in terms of the sizes of the fish for Seneca Lake or any of the Finger Lakes for that matter. Some of the fish that barely missed placing in the standings at all would have won some of the past derbies. Catching any trout over 12 pounds on Seneca or the other Finger Lakes is a major accomplishment and catching two 13 pound plus lakers and others over 11 pounds is exceptional and not something attributable to "luck". Gary Hoppy's 15 pound plus laker is the culmination of many years of paying his dues, putting in the time, attention to detail and proof to me that "Old School" (e.g. Seth Green rig fishing) is still very much alive and well in the Finger Lakes and that all the newest and fanciest equipment isn't always (if at all) the most relevant variable or absolutely necessary for success because with both of these guys cases it was very much "experience and knowledge" that separated them from the 'luck" variable. Apparently Bob was shy about posting a pic of himself or Liney with their fish so I'll do it (also his boat mentioned above) . For those of you who know Gary (from Ovid NY area) here is a pic his wife took of him at the awards ceremony and another with me ( I must have been desperate for attention ). By the way the separation of the overall winner (15 lb plus Brown Trout) and Gary's Laker was just ounces making a $3,000 difference in the prize money and it is another reminder of why it can be important to weigh fish immediately too. By the way, I had always thought that the Lie Detector (Polygraph) test that is mentioned on the entry form was just BS to scare potential wannabe cheaters but Gary confirmed that he was actually given a polygraph test and so was the overall winner and that very specific questions were asked regarding the integrity of the catch and the process of catching it.... I was kinda surprised because as many derbies as I have fished I have never actually known someone who was given the test. Certainly adds to the integrity of the derby regardless of one's perception of the validity of a polygraph.