Tigerhunter

My buddies and I had a wedding yesterday so we were only able to get out for a few hours (unfortunately). In 4 hours we hit 6 tigers (10 total for the week) and about the same for bass, top tiger being my buddy's 34" and I picked up a 21" largemouth on a homemade lure I have been working on since last fall. (Good luck with it Chad- it's almost there!) Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

That's great- I recognize most of those fish from river monsters! Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

My little piece of advice if you plan on musky fishing: hang over the edge for 10 minutes and pretend you are releasing a very tired fish.... I say this because I had gone from a 13' aluminum boat to a 16' deep v. I had wanted a 18' but budget, tow vehicle and storage didn't allow it. My buddy got a Great Lakes special or something like that 18' deep v. The sides come up to my hips and I am 6'1". I was bent over the side with a fish for 5 minutes cutting hooks and 10 minutes trying to release it, then I tagged out for a buddy to finish the release. From the bow I couldn't reach the water and the back left me with bruises for a week. I'm glad I got the 16' for that reason personally (and it works for my situation now family-wise). My next boat (many years down the road) will be a glass boat. One of my buddies has a nitro and it's very nice being low to the water for handling fish and do figure-8's. I think the ranger 600 series are more of a deep v fiberglass. I also like the fish n ski nitros. I guess the biggest thing is to have fun shopping and make sure you test it out on the water. (I got burned on an outboard that ran in a barrel in a garage but once in gear it would die) Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Nice! I am working on a jointed swimbait at the moment too. It is very expensive but if you get one you like it is well worth the cost. Alumilite is expensive, you can find cheaper products online. Even with the 40% off coupon at hobby lobby, alumilite is still more than comporable resins and rtv. What did you use to paint and clear coat it?

Nice, I have a wedding that afternoon but I should be able to fish most of it.

Is there going to be a tourney on Otisco again this year? I should be able to make this one and really look forward to it.

I like the colors on that bucktail!

Keeper!

Don't worry, we kept the smaller ones.... Heard those big ones taste like the water they come from.

Here is our catch on closing day, only took a picture of the biggest one- we caught quite a few. To my surprise, top water was working the best!!!

Haha- nice Joe! Hey Chad, you wanna go with us? Lol.

Go pros are definitely awesome! I will eventually get one. As for cameras, I will stick with the DSLR, I feel there are so many benifits over a point and shoot, the only downfall is the price. The quality and capabilities are more important to me than startup cost, which makes it worth it to me. Luckily I only cast lures so the only real way to ruin mine would be to drop it in the lake, which I won't do and if someone else does then they are buying me a replacement......haha. I feel like I take a lot of pictures, more than the average person and I've maybe done 20,000 tops in the 4 years I've had it. If mine does crap out on me I'll just have to replace the body which I wouldn't mind doing since these things are like computers now. I can get a new body that has twice the capability as mine for half what I paid for mine originally. For some, a picture is a picture but for me it's a "hobby". Pair that with the fact that I only fish for musky and am looking for that 50"+ fish of a lifetime, I really want the best pictures I can have of it. Sk8man- you do have a very good point but I personally feel the value of risking my DSLR for the fish....(although as I type this your post seems more logical than mine- haha!)

The tripod is a must when fishing alone. The remote works pretty good but can be a pain if handling a fish that doesn't want it's picture taken. I've used this method and have gotten some nice shots. My latest method works much easier and can make for a quicker release and more shots. I have a Digital SLR, I'm not sure if regular point and shoots have this option but it is pretty nice. In the settings I can change the timer from 2 seconds to 10 seconds and it can take up to 10 pictures in a row at a time interval you choose. With the fish in the net "resting" you can turn the camera on and either manually start the process or use a remote. Then I have 10 seconds to safely grab/handle the fish and unless something crazy happens I can have anywhere from 1-10 good shots of the fish. If I feel I have a good shot after 1 or 2 then I can make an immediate release and maybe even get some release shots. Important thing is to have it set up and have a couple if test shots so you know they are good and you aren't fumbling around while you have the fish hanging out by the boat. If you don't have a D-SLR you may not be able to adjust the timer and whatnot- I haven't used a point and shoot in 3-4 years now. If you don't have one I would suggest in saving up for one, they take ridiculous pictures and will last forever if you take care of it. Plus the battery pack lasts so much longer so you never have to deal with dead batteries like point and shoots. You can find really good deals on them now, especially during the holiday season. I've probably made this sound more complicated than it is but it really is simple and results in great pictures and a safe release so you can catch that same fish after it's doubled it weight!!!

Me too- nice fish gentlemen!!!

Awesome! I've been wanting to try it out there but haven't had the chance.

Here are my thoughts- they may be totally wrong so.... When the water is muddy, water clarity is poor resulting in limited sight distance regardless of light conditions. I think that no matter what, your eyes cannot adjust (I know nothing about fish eyes so this may be totally off). At night, water clarity is the same as in the day (assuming moderate-good clarity for this). The sight distance is fine but light is the limiting factor. I think their eyes adjust similar to ours that after some time, their eyes adapt and they can see "ok". Add clear skies and some moonlight to the mix and it makes it better. Base on those assumptions, I think that besides vibration, light reflecting/flashing off the bait will also get the attention of the fish. When the water is muddy, any light that does penetrate through the water and hits the lure, which I think is probably minimal, would then be lost due to the poor clarity. In short, I feel it is a clarity -vs- available light situation.

I think that may be referring to pures in some inland lakes. I'm pretty sure otisco will be 36" for a while since it just changed. Disregard this if I am incorrect or not on the same page as you guys....haha!