HB2

I remember way back when fleas first showed up . We were getting this stuff on the line I thought was cottonwood . Fished Mid Aug every day for a week as my buddy was up , it was a real problem the first few days . Captain's were on the radio ( this was before cell phone ) complaining about it . You would see mates on the back off the boat slapping the rods hard down on the water . Couldn't reel fish in , you know the drill . I noticed I wasn't getting it on my cables. Figured it was the wire or diameter . So that night I took 2 rods ,stripped off some line and spliced 150 section of the 40# line I used for squid leaders . Next day , no fleas ! Did 2 more that night and problem was over . After listening to captain's on the radio , I got on and shared it .They blew me off . Told a mate that morning in the parking lot and he procedded to tell me how it wouldn't work . My buddy laughed and I shook my head and walked away . Shortly after that Cortland came out with Flea flicker . I used $2 49 spool of Mason mono ,which did 4 rods . Got on a website that was the predecessor to this one and told them and said remember you heard it from me first . Took a lot of crap about it not being sporting ,it would not work , etc. Guys were saying pink Ande ,spraying line with WD 40 etc for solutions . Now heavy line is standard procedure . It's satisfying to know I was the first to figure it out . No thank yous are necessary I was first,Me and a guy named Frank from the east end who I contacted . He told me he was using 40# because he did not want to loose his expense flasher And found out it wasn't getting the fleas .

I know all that . Which is reason for the pens . But the jury is still out and studies say that the pens don't have the returns hoped for . The fish are still imprinted to the hatchery water . Would love to see them raise some Calidonia kings again .

I don't see a problem But we will see in 3.5 years . And most of you lake guys don't fish pier heads and trib kings .

I really don't see the need for concern about this . If the kings get caught lake wide from where they are released , what difference does it make where they are penned? Also in the past they have been released early because of high temps , or so I'm told . And the released fish stay around the creek for a while and the flying rats feast on them as I have watched this happen . Would rather they drag them out in the lake and release them or from a helicopter or at dusk . My only worry is I hope in 3 years we have a good return of trib run fish as I like to fish them then . Before pen rearing , they just dumped them in and the fishing was great back then and kings were in every trib . I guess we will see .

Any chance they change their minds ?

I'm done ? Leverage ? The DEC made us done . And we have no leverage . And never really did. I hate to loose the kings but I hope Nat reproduction will make up the gap . I guess we will see . I honestly don't think it will make much difference anyway . The kings will be pen reared at other sights and just keep the steelhead at the hatchery another month and power feed them . Will be interesting to see the blowback with the reg change .

And after thinking about it , I'm not surprised by this Maybe they are sending a message ....

Talking Heads " Take me to the River " Or Jay Ferguson "Shake down cruise"

Well that ain't good news .

Don't give some of these guys any ideas.

Also there is a,shortage of hockey sticks .

Apparently our Gov has allotted a buttload of money for dredging. Sandy creek and Johnson Creek are two of many . With all the high water is anyone having trouble with getting in or out of port ? Is there some other reason for this I am missing ? Seems like a waste of funds .

Last few years I park my probe at 48 to 50 deg . , with a flasher usually . On my other rigger I put a spoon , when i Run them , 10 ft below, and 10 ft above . So 20 ft.

I'm am going to start making my own . Stay tuned

Which is why I stopped watching a lot of the fishing shows In Fisherman and some others are good but most are a waste of my time .

I went to Spinelli in Rochester when I bought my hardtop back in 1987 to get a spare . Sat down with the old guy there and explained my boat . It came with a 15 x 17 . 15 diameter 17 pitch. His recommendation was to go to more of a power prop than the speed prop it came with because of the extra weight of equipment etc. So I bought a 15 1/2 15. He was right . Boat comes out of the water better with load and is better in rough seas as it does not lunge forward when on plane . Trolls better also . I lost a little top end but it's a fishing boat so I really don't care . And I can't over rev it . Probably what should have come with it .

Word on the street is the money is going to be used to pen all the extra steelhead that the state wants to stock .

My son lives in Cary NC . So that is good info .