muskymaniac

If it was a local fisherman he will be using it if he isn't a crackhead who pawns them. I would call as many pawn shops in Buffalo/Jamestown area and tell them about theft and your reward. Those are very distinctive rods.... Not that many guys have customs/legend tournaments. Have all your musky and fishing friends pay attention at the boat ramp and eyeball others equipment when launching etc. I know I would have no problem showing my rods to someone that was questioning me about a theft. I have a few custom legends with my name on them. If someone acts squirrly or evasive when asked, write their vehicle and plate number down. It sounds like this person recognized you and followed you knowing what you had in your boat. I work in law enforcement. This is just a guess but usually most crack heads / drug addicts steal electronics , gps / stereos / credit cards etc. If you had long 8ft or longer rods, that is tough to fit in a car. That person likely had a pickup and perhaps a boat behind it. Most non-fisherman don't have a clue what a rod/reel combo would cost. This person has at least some fishing knowledge and likely knows you. If insurance doesn't cover the equipment I think people entering the next Chautaugua Tourneys would gladly pay an extra 10 bucks or so to raise some funds for you to help replace the items this scumbag took. Perhaps a raffle etc. You have done so much to help the fishery that I know others would be glad to help you. I absolutely would donate and I haven't ever met you. But hopefully this dirtbag that stole your equipment will get caught and soon.

Forgot too add...joining a muskie club or getting into Tournies like Captain Larry runs would shorten the curve more than anything.They would answer all your questions...show you their equipment and help you with locations, trolling speed, depth and seasonal patterns.

you can shorten the learning curve by hiring a reputable guide and asking him questions all day. It will actually save you money in the long run by not buying the wrong tackle and spending hours guessing about fish location. Most of all you will see first hand how to handle these fish. Your release tools must include a very large net designed for muskies, a pair or two of high quality hook cutters , several pairs of pliers, some of them extremely long nose, fish gloves like Lindy makes will cut down on chance of burying a hook in your flesh, gloves for picking up a musky also are handy (musky armour makes a nice pair) . Fishing with someone who has experience will lessen the chances of inadvertantly killing fish. Online you can go to Muskies First and Musky Hunter forums as well as Captain Larry Jones' forum for Muskies and learn a lot. But most of all try to hook up with someone experienced to show you the ropes. They can save you a bunch of time, money and frustration by using the right equipment right from the beginning. If you are out there with a spinning combo and 10lb test you may catch a musky....but you'll probably kill it from fighting it too long. Terminal Tackle like stealth leaders and stringease snaps, bucher or wolverine split rings are specifically designed for musky fishing. A 50 inch fish will test all your equipment to the max. I had a Ram Rod holder ripped off my boat by a musky hit while trolling. Twisted the ball right off. Now I have downeast holders bolted through and welded. It's a lot of fun and not as difficult as it seems once you have the right equipment and mindset. Good Luck,

I just bought a Furuno 585 and after a month with it am delighted. Had a Lowrance lcx25color unit before which was fine, but the Furuno is in a different league. Better tranducer.... Airmar p66 is much bigger and better than Lowrance tranducer that I had. Your picture is only as good as your tranducer. Most manufacturers use lousy tranducers which in turn limit the unit you are using. More powerful tranducer equals better signal and being able to hold bottom at high speeds and search for fish faster. If you do choose a Lowrance try and get an Airmar tranducer for it and you'll be glad you did. The Furuno 585 and the smaller 620 are stand alone fishfinders....not combo gps. I went with a Lowrance hds 5 GPS and the Furuno 585 fishfinder and like the 2 units much better. I use split screen with 45degree and 11 degree cone angles and am impressed with how the target seperation and clarity both shallow and deep. There is a reason that Furuno dominates the field in Ocean fishing....they just don't advertise like Hummingbird or Lowrance who dominate the freshwater market. But if you can find someone who has a Furuno on their boat...chances are they will say similar things. Also have had a very good reliability and customer service record. Good luck with whatever you choose...but I would definitely upgrade tranducer if you can.

Heard that he may just retire undefeated.

Al Lindner would tell you Gulp! outfishes live bait. However, my experience is that the fish will tell you something else. Maybe they haven't seen the commercial yet.

It's long overdue. Like to see 45 or so ....but it's a good start.

Rolmops....I also live on Owasco Lake, last 20yrs or so.....The lake is already crowded with jet ski's and pleasure boats every weekend all summer. As much as I don't like the traffic....they have a right to be there too, same as fisherman. Owasco hasn't lost the party barge crowd or jet ski enthusiasts...they have lost fisherman and fishing revenue due to poor management of the lake over the last decade. The State Park in Owasco is around $80 yearly for season launch pass....South end $72 last time I checked. Far from free. Ensenore launch is very difficult in low water conditions or for larger boats and parking limited. I remember how good this lake was. It needs to be a priority to return it to what it was. Unfortunately I don't think the local government sees it that way. Many of their projects like restoring downtown and trying to attract businesses or industry have had pretty feeble results. But here you have one of the most beautiful natural tourist attractions in your back yard and it's neglected to the point where beaches close down due to water quality and on and on. Just seems like other counties care for, manage and utilize the other Finger Lakes a whole lot better.

I think a lot of guys who kept diaries felt that the DEC wasn't really addressing their concerns about Owasco when the Browns and Rainbows started disappearing. Another words why keep a diary if the people who interperet the info tell you there wasn't a problem? A number of long time diary keepers were basically ignored when they told the DEC and others numerous times that there were several things impacting fishing negatively on Owasco ten years ago. I had a local guide/self-proclaimed expert tell myself and a bunch of other people how good the trout fishing was even after several sub-par years for Browns and Rainbows. I think he suggested we learn new techniques or some other B.S. Most guys who have fished this lake for 30 yrs or more for all species (not just lakers) knew the quality was declining. So if people who go to the trouble of keeping Diaries aren't taken seriously they tend to find better fishing on another lake. Which they have. Compared to virtually all the other Finger Lakes, Owasco has been way behind the times in terms of tourism, protecting the watershed, providing services, etc. Last time I checked we had 1 bait shop at the south end of the lake. Free DEC state launches on most other lakes. Not Owasco, 7 bucks or whatever it is now for the priviledge of subpar fishing. Local politicians have somehow failed to realize that Owasco Lake is Cayuga County's most valuable resource. I hope someday the fishing will return to what it was, but it seems like most people are ok with the status quo.

You deserve a great deal of credit for raising such a great kid and spending countless hours teaching him. Most kids his age won't leave the video game or xbox for 10 minutes. He's lucky to have a dad who passes on his love of the outdoors and cares more about his son catching fish than himself. Congrats.

What a shame. Waneta and Lamoka have the potential of growing some very big muskies, if catch and release is practiced. In the late 80's or early 90's a trio of 40lb plus fish were caught in one year. I'm not taking what the DEC supposedly said about raising the minimum size limit as gospel. I've seen them ignore or mismanage some other waters and species and I would hope they would attempt to prosecute this guy. Waneta and Lamoka are unique for their size because they have historically had a very good forage base including alewives which I presume escaped somehow through Keuka Lake. Add that to an excellent perch and crappie population...and the potential for these fish to grow is better than in similar sized lakes. If any of you have the old Sanders Fishing Guide, there are excellent articles about both lakes. Years ago a 10lb plus largemouth was electroshocked as was 50+ inch musky. So fish can and will grow large if managed correctly. Captain Larry Jones suggested that Otisco's size limit for Tigers be raised so it could be managed for it's trophy potential. I'm with him. These fish are even more vulnerable in ice season, which seems to hold true of Otisco. I would like to see a very high minimum length instituted for muskies in most waters, unless the DEC has info that proves that change would be detrimental to the fishery. But I have yet to see a case of that. Lake of the Woods, Eagle Lake and Large Bodies of water, that have been managed to institute 50+ inch minimums on fish have seen fishing improve and thrive. Seems to me that the smaller the water, the more delicate it is and can't afford to have fish removed like this clown just killed. That's just one guy who just happened to get exposed. Just think how many muskies like these have been killed needlessly that we don't know about.

Thanks Gustofson for the Welcome. I'm from Auburn....used to fish Waneta but haven't fished it in probably 5 or 6 years. I do fish Chautaugua 2 weeks a year every fall. I hope to get back to Waneta and Lamoka...nice little lakes. I ice fished them quite a bit years back too. I don't often get to fish weekdays so weekends on Waneta can be a pain in the summer with jets skis and recreational boats. I fish for everything but once muskies get in your blood it's addicting. Once you think you have them figured out...they will humiliate you. You can PM me if you want any info....I'm pretty careful about posting too much info on boards, especially about musky. I've seen some irresponsible people take info and hurt some small lakes. Anotherwards, they are given spots and techniques and go out and tell everyone of there buddies and your peaceful lake becomes overpressured. Worst yet some will kill them for ego shots and bring em home to show all their friends. Some of those guys will be out fishing for them without a proper net, hook cutters and proper release tools. In hot weather especially, extra time out of the water spells dead musky. They are too precious of a resource to kill. Most musky guys are great guys and care about all this stuff. Unfortunately there are also some people who just don't care. I was fortunate to have an older guy show me Chautaugua personally and teach me the right way. He knows his stuff...grew up on the lake and has caught hundreds of them. He water releases fish that are 50 inches...won't even put them in the net unless absolutely neccessary. I have purchased a hat cam so I can do the same thing. Larry Jones is a good guy and he'll steer you right...he does a lot of good things with his tournament and his board. Take care.

The Curado in 300 size is my pick for light duty baits, lightweight but extra large gears that hold up well. Best overall reel for me is the Shimano Calcutta 400TE. If your on a budget, the Pete Mania reels and Okuma make very reliable reels for around 100 bucks. But if I had it to do over, I would stick with the Curado 300 and Shimano Calcutta 400TE. I have a Daiwa Luna 300 and St. Croix AC250 and they are also excellent high end reels, but I like the Shimanos for musky. For bass I tend to like daiwa over shimano. But it's personal preference. I think a high end rod like a Thorne Bros Custom on St. Croix legend blank is more important than the very best reel.

Hey Sliderbite.... I'll make that Eskimo Joe a musky fisherman someday It's a sickness you know! Rumor has it that Santa got you a few lures from Happy Hooker ...call me. I also want my hat back from the Eskimo.