muskiedreams

Members interested in a position will have to be nominated by a current member and seconded by another current member. This can be done on the group email and/or contact a chapter officer to throw your hat in the ring. All positions are open. We will be sending out a group email in the near future with more information including a list of positions. Any questions regarding the responsibilities of the positions can be directed to the executive committee. Nomination will occour between now and the next meeting. Any positions that require a vote will be voted on at the January, 16th meeting. There will also be an opportunity to vote for those who live too far away to come to the meeting, probably through email. This should not be done on this public forum.

The tournament is on. If someone has an opening on their boat, let me know.

Lousy, 1 fish for every 5.7 anglers.

It looks like it will seem more like summer than fall. Shorts may be in order. May be some rain in AM but temps may be in the 80s in the afternoon. I remember one year there was heavy frost on the docks in the morning. Hopefully, the morning fog won't be as bad as it was this past Sunday.

I have been going online for several years for my NY license and I have never received a vinyl one in the mail.

I don't know about any bass tournament. Jim told me that Mike F. reserved the cottage on the west side that we had last year which will sleep 8 comfortably. It is reserved for Fri and Sat nights and I believe there is a few spots left. Check with Jim if you are interested in staying there. You wouldn't have to worry about the launch that way. The tournament hours are 7 am to 4pm and registration will start at about 6am. Awards ceremony and cookout will be at the cottage after the tournament.

I'm sure going out with Dr. Dave didn't hurt. Congrats. Nice catch!!!

It is always the first Sat in Oct. This year it will be on Oct 7th.

Try to avoid slack in the line. Stop line from going out just before or just as the lure hits the water. Keep the slack out of the line as it is sinking to avoid having the bait helicopter on the way down. If you want it to stay just below the surface, you need to start cranking just as it hits the water. Many spinnerbaits are designed to be retrieved just below the surface or just above the weeds. Some heavier ones are designed to work deeper but you have to keep the slack out of the line as it is sinking. Sometimes you may even need to reel very slowly as it is sinking to keep it from tangling and then speed up when it is at the desirable depth. You can even give them a yo-yo action by varying retrieval speed (stop or slow way down to let it sink and then speed back up but keep slack out of line as it is sinking). Casting into the wind can cause more tangling, especially because of using a leader. Some leaders may cause more problems than others. I generally like to use them just above weeds that are 6" to 3 or 4 feet below the surface or through patchy weed and along weed edges. With the single hooks pointing up, they can go through some weeds without snagging on them and sometimes bumping weeds will trigger a strike. A heavier head will be able to go deeper and/or can be retrieved faster. The type and size of the blade will also affect how deep it will go. Colorado blades will generally go deeper and give more vibration. Willow blades will stay higher for working just under the surface and provide more flash. What the hook(s) is dressed with can also affect the depth and ability to cast in wind. And then there are trailer hooks and various plastic trailers such as grubs. You can play around with all these things to get the attributes you want for the water you are fishing.

I have a painted (white/blue) aluminum boat that I trailer. Captain John's Boat Brite works good for me. It takes just a little rubbing and it removes the scum line and other stains. Makes the white look white again. Then I give it a coat of wax. It is not cheep ($35/bottle but good for about 5 uses) but works well for me. I don't know how it would work for thick scum from seasonal docking. It is made in Rochester and West Marine has it.

Try some Viagra in the fluid reservoir. Just couldn't resist but hope you are able to get it taken care of.

The minimum legal size is 54" in the Niagara River. That is because it is a natural fishery, and it is important to protect the fish in the system to maintain the future of the fishery. A few dead adult females can actually have an impact. Even with the quick strike rig, there is a better chance of injuring or killing a musky than with artificial musky baits, especially if you don't pay close attention to the rig at all times. Therefore, using live bait rigs are generally considered to be dangerous to the fish and not recommended for the Niagara River since almost all muskies caught there must be released. Beyond that, the majority of muskies anglers are opposed to using live bait for muskies anywhere. Even with artificial baits, it is important to use the right tackle, tools and catch and release practices to minimize the possibility of causing mortality after the catch.

There was a strong attendance at the Chautauqua County Legislature meeting last night of people in opposition to herbicide treatment on the lake. There were some key speakers who sited compelling reasons not to allow herbicide treatment on the lake. The legislature voted unanimously to not allow public money to be used for any herbicide treatment on the lake. More work still needs to be done. An effort is now being organized to get the County Legislature to consider passing a bill to prohibit herbicide usage in the lake or possibly any lake in the county until a comprehensive scientific study can be completed, including Federal, State and local scientists and affected groups ans associations. There has also been a meeting planed on Thursday, Aug 10th at 6:30pm at the Chautauqua Lake Fisherman’s Association headquarters in Celoron, NY. Below is an exert from an email from Jane Conroe who has been instrumental in this effort. Our work now begins. We were given the task by Legislator George Borello tonight to be ready to continue educating and spreading the correct scientific word about healthy ecosystems. The agenda for this meeting in August will be mainly to divide up some tasks with you choosing the one or two you would like. Much of our message will be educational but I think there will be minimally science research, artwork, and displays needed. But mainly, think about the message, or messages. A public relations firm (gratis for now) from Buffalo has been helping us and will see if they feel the need to be at this meeting. I even asked a song writer if he could inspire a message through music.

Yes it does seem like overkill. I have no idea how much, beyond postage, that it costs to send out those notices. It seems like it is SOP for most yearly subscriptions, memberships and other services. How many people do their renewals 90, 60, or even 30 days early? Seems like a 30 day notice should be good enough. Maybe another notice 5 days before exp. for email noticing. And maybe an exp. notice 10 days after exp. date. Some send notices by US mail and for others it is email or other online messaging options. Some give the customer a notification method choice. Maybe there is just too many communication options these days causing message overload and confusion. Then there are the ones who want you to authorize auto renew through your checking acct. or credit card.

In the first sentence I wrote I am asking people in the area to show up at the meeting. Or I guess if they want to drive there it is up to them. I don't expect anyone to drive a long distance to go there for a 1/2 to 1 hr public portion of the meeting. Here are names and addresses of county officials and DEC officials people can write to to let them know their opinions on the issue. Actual snail mail letters will have the most impact. Especially letters from groups, even fishing clubs or individuals from out of state who frequent the lake. If you go there or write, please do so with respect. Chautauqua County Executive: County Executive Vince Horrigan Gerace Office Building 3 North Erie Street Mayville, NY 14757 Chautauqua County Legislator: Mr. Pierre Chagnon Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance 201 West Third Street, Suite 115 Jamestown, NY 14701 NYSDEC Region 9 Office 270 Michigan Avenue Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 851-7200 Regional Director Abby Snyder Buffalo address above Phone: (716) 851-7201 Fax: (716) 851-7211 Regional Permits Administrator David Denk Buffalo address above Phone: (716) 851-7165 Fax: (716) 851-7168 Regional Natural Resources Supervisor Paul McKeown 182 East Union Street, Suite 3 Allegany, NY 14706 (716) 372-0645 Fax: (716) 372-2113