Sk8man

If it is true it is probably connected with the current Federal and State effort to combat HYDRILLA which is the most aggressive invasive vegetation imaginable. It has been found in the southern Ithaca area of Cayuga Lake and there is much concern about trying to eradicate it before it becomes established there (otherwisw it will take MILLIONS of dollars to control ...if at all). If it isn't controlled at this point it will completely take over all the Finger Lakes and more (e.g. Great Lakes as well). It reportedly can grow FEET in just one day and literally takes over the lakes and all native vegetation. If they can control it at this point it will be worth some fish dying....or at some point in the future the fishing in these lakes will be a thing of the past.

Thanks guys....quite a bit to think over much appreciated....Best regards and best of luck to you folks in upcoming season.

Thanks. The reason I am considering the 40 vs. 30 is that the 40 has a 47inch retrieve rate vs. 35 inch on the 30 and if I decide that it isn't what I want for the wire rig I could then use it for one of my Seth Green (thermocline rigs) on which I use 80 lb. stainless wire for the main lines (reason for such heavy wire is to avoid the wire getting caught in the roller guides and roller tips of the rods ....which happens with narrower diameter wire. I will be using the reel with a salt water all roller/tip rod so on the bigger rod the size of the reel isn't as important as if it were to be used on a standard downrigger rod for example. It sounds as though these reels have a great DRAG system that is highly adjustable and sensitive. I have 9 older Daiwa 47h's and 2 47 H line counters which have served me very well over the years.

I'm looking at the Saltist LC (STTLW40LCA) for a wire rig and before laying out the $200 for it I thought I'd solicit any opinions from anyone out there who has used (or is using) them. I've already explored the Ocumas, other Daiwas, and Cabelas brands and have ended up here... Thanks in advance for any information based on actual experience.

Thanks to an alert Guff I was one of them :>)

Might want to keep in mind that the actual weight of the cannonball and related drag in the water affect the strain on the MOTOR of a downrigger. The heavier the weight the more stress on the motor over time. I have used 8 lb weights on my Cannon Mag10's very successfully which I have had since 1985 (never any problem with them) and they still run perfectly and some of this may be the fact that they have only had half the capacity weight to bear over these years.

NOTE: There is a quirk to the website where you transact the payment for the Pass. Make sure at the bottom of the page you indicate QUANTITY and the address you want it to go to. If you don't catch that it will keep failing to complete the transaction....a minor pain but to know in advance you can avoid it :>)

I stand corrected....MOST of the parks. Treman is listed first in the list of those that the pass is good for ....here is the URL of those parks accepting it. http://www.nysparks.com/parks/park-resu ... ao=0&src=3

I believe that it allows entry into ALL of the NY STATE Parks although they mention on their site that some of those damaged by Hurricaane Sandy are not open on Long Island...and may not be for awhile. For those of us that use the launch ramps for fishing it is quite a bargain!

Guff, Thanks much for that tip....the best one of the day! :>) Les

Bob, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well and good luck with the motor....on the upside they really made the motors to LAST back then :>) Les

Bob, I couldn't tell from the description of your trolling motor whether is was an older one with carb or newer with injectors. MY older 9.9 did the same thing and I added some carburator cleaner and Stabil to the gas and ran it awhile and it has run fine since. I have used regular gas with triple strength marine Stabil (with the 10 percent ethanol gas despite everyones precautionary advice) for years. Les

Good report....kinda wish I hadn't put the boat away so soon this year but the winterization folks at the marina are closing up in a week or so and I didn't want to get caught short. It sure sounds as though the landlocks are really coming on strong in Seneca as there seems to be an abundance at this point of small ones....lets hope they make it into maturity and provide us with some great action...

That is pretty spectacular video. On the downside it sure gives a clear indication of the magnitude of the lamprey problem! I think that given the fish were chasing the SpinDoctor/fly I wonder if shortening up the lead from the doctor to the fly might help by making it more "active" and maybe it even would suggest that slowing and quickening trolling speed routinely might generate some actual hits....very interesting stuff...just some thoughts...that camera is the "nuts" :>)

Jack you have a PM

Earl Holdren's book was my "bible" starting out way back when and another good one was written by my (now departed) good buddy Scott Sampson an accomplished outdoors writer and one of my close fishing pals. If you can find it it is worth the reading. It is entitled: "GOOD FISHING in the Finger Lakes Region and Western New York" published in 2003 by Sanders Fishing Guides.

No quick or easy answer to that question....depends on the particular LAKE and the WEATHER for that particular year. The main Finger Lakes may or may NOT freeze up on a given winter. Seneca for example has only totally frozen a couple times in over a hundred years. I used to fish it all year long including Jan and Feb sometimes crunching through the ice in the canal with my little 13 ft. Whaler (not highly recommended) :>) The past couple years and last year in particular were warmer than others and the ice didn't form real well on many places. Honeoye usually freezes faster than Canadice and Hemlock because it is very shallow (approx. 30 ft max depth) and if the others are frozen too it may warm faster too in a given year. If it is a "normal year (whatever that means) ice out usually is sometime in mid to late March into April on Hemlock and Canadice.

You'll get there.....patience is a virtue :>) On the plus side of things is that the folks here are saving you YEARS and YEARS of time (and I'm not exaggerating) by providing valuable info which was not available to many of us before this site and the age of computers. Additionally, the "old timers" usually did not share any "secrets" in the old days with the exceptions of lvery close fishing pals or family. I even knew of a father/son whose rivalry was such that they didn't even tell each other what they werr achieving success with :>). Have fun and enjoy yourself. Les

I'm already planning my next years derby strategies while I'm preparing for (potential) ice fishing :>0 We had a good year too and I'm already psyched for next year and just putting the boat away so what will "fishing fever" be like in February? pretty scary :>)

I've used 12 pound mono on all my downriggers for over 40 years including on lake Ontario (until the fleas last few years) and I use a 10 pound fluro leader about 6 or 7 ft long (any longer and you have trouble with the swivel at the tip of the rod when reeling in a good fish in netting the fish. I use a small black barrel swivel at one end of the fluro leader and a good quality small single ring (welded) ball bearing swivel at the other end. Don't use split ring swivels as the line can get caught in the depression in them and sever your line with a good fish. The distance you run from the downrigger ball is a "trial and error" process at best. Much depends on what particular lure you are using (e.g. flutter spoon (sizes/weight matter) or stick baits (jointed rapalas are less sensitive to higher speed and work better on turns and closer to the boat). Lakers will USUALLY tolerate lures closer to the ball than rainbows,browns or landlocks. Browns are also reputed to be more sensitive to lure size (smaller the better most of the season) and smaller line diameters too maybe because lighter lines offer less resisteance in the water and may increase action of the lures but they also often like slower speeds. General rule: start out with 20 ft. and increase in ten ft. intervals as you change lures if not successful. For rainbows, landlocks and browns 40-150 or 200ft back especially in shallower water. Deeper the water generally the closer you can run your lures especially for lakers.....I have had success oon lakers and large salmon 4 ft from the ball (they may see it as a "connected" relationship) Hope this helps. Les

Thanks Flyrod2.

Well Kev.....how did ya do? I cleaned up the boat today to put it away early this year because I lost my inside storage for the first time in ten years becaue the place was sold....really sucks because I love to fish at this time of the year when everyone else is hunting :>) Les

Another option for running leadcores and dipseys is off outriggers using shower curtain hook releases as well as Blacks at the ends. I've run three off each side in the past along with the regular downriggers and copper or stainless wire down the middle and deep.

We were out on Sunday Bruce (Perch fishing though:>) and we launched at the north end and it was "doable" in my buddy's 19 ft. Penn Yan with outdrive but still low compared with most years so you have to be a bit more careful than usual. There seems to be either a shallow point or an obstruction of some sort on the southeast end of the ramp so I'd stay in the middle all the way from the ramp through the channel. I haven't been to the Woodville launch in a couple weeks but when I was last there it was not doable for my 18 ft Whaler (with outboard) and I would imagine it is not much improved at this point. Les

Iron Duke - Thanks for the pic and the info. Les