Sk8man

:drink: :drink: Happy New Year folks! I hope this season brings you all you hope for....fish included

Man.....the ice fishing isn't looking quite as attractive to me now for some reason Nice results Rick!

Let's hope the cold temps change the picture this year!

I left my speakers turned up from listening to some Jimi Hendrix music the other night and then went into the LOU site forgetting about it and my wife was doing something in the kitchen.....I hit the bulbs by accident and it almost took my head off and she came running into my office and said "What the hell was that....(or something like that) ?"

I've been using Mustad SINGLE stainless steel (3x or 5x strength) Siwash salmon hooks for well over 40 years or so and they are hard to beat. Over time I've replaced them on well over at least a thousand spoons and never had one bend or break on a fish and I've never lost any fish to "hook failure" with them (mainly just impatience and incompetence ) I don't replace the trebles on many of my stickbaits because of the balance issue.

mfz :smile:

Hey Sneaky I have a Pro Model 2 person Clam and one big thing I DON'T like about it is the integrated "buttons" that you have to press inward in the frame to release the sections when raising or lowering it when starting or quitting. They are VERY hard to deal with in the cold and sometimes stick...very poorly designed. My son''s Frabill was less expensive and doesn't have any problems and he loves it.

Just keep in mind that the two man pop over versions are in large part enough for a big guy and that is about it without a whole bunch of extra room to move around. Another major consideration since you will be the only one pulling it on the ice is weight. Get the largest and lightest one you can for your purposes because when there is snow and lumpy ice with snow on top it can be brutal pulling a heavy one ;especially by yourself. A lot of folks buy or make "runners" to go under their setups that get them up off the ice so they cut through the snow. With a child inside I'd opt for a Buddy heater probably the smaller one (Little Buddy) to save on propane because they have more safety features than the catalytics which can be dangerous (burns) for kids because they are open.

My son and I checked out the launch ramp area at the south end of Honeoye this afternoon. The ice measured at 2 1/2 inches total with 1 1/2 hard ice and1 inch of"milky" ice. Some flexing was noted under our feet so we didn't venture any further out than at the ramp area. Looks as though it will be a couple days yet before it is safely navigable.

Its been accurately answered so to add to it....you can get a whole lot more if just the heads

Hey Nick....I can see why you are doing the engine rebuild now while ya have the money (only joking)

Troy, There are hundreds of wineries in this region and the Riesling wine is some of the best out there. Check here for some ideas: http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/ There are many bed and breakfasts in the area that far surpass staying in a motel. http://www.flbba.org/ Here is a real nice winery you may want to visit http://www.drfrankwines.com/visit-our-finger-lakes-winery and here is another nearby that one that is my favorite: http://www.heronhill.com/ There are so many good ones in the FL region to check out and it would take days to visit them all. Also locally here where I live in Canandaigua is my favorite eating place (informal dress too) and they have wine tasting as well The Bistro http://nywcc.com/upstairs-bistro at the NYS Wine and Culinary Center http://nywcc.com/ Good luck!

I know it I went down to the launch ramp here on Canandaigua and the ramp is still frozen but the channel is open water and everything is gone from the lake itself (at the north end at least). I'm anxious to hear how the guys make out at the south end of Seneca today.Still a few geese around here too. If you see Bobby tell him I said "hi" will you Mike?

If you have the choice of two I'd do one of each as they each have their strengths and weaknesses. If only one probably the copper considering the "fleas" on both Seneca and Ontario and greater depth fishing. Les

It is true that if you run the copper conventionally (e.g. dedicated section (s) with spliced in segments) you don't need a linecounter. But if you should use one for a "Seneca rig" (for bottom fishing) however where you have 600 ft of copper without the segments and use only portions of copper(depending on depth) and fish mainly the bottom using a roller tipped rod it can come in handy and it doesn't really matter how accurate it is depth wise because you only use it to return to the same "relative" number. I also have sections marked at 50 ft intervals with small ties of red yarn glued on to mark them for reference and they go through the eyes and roller fine.