Subaqua Adinterim

This ^ There was an upstate NY deer expert that tried to differentiate his expert advice (make a name for himself) by claiming that deer breeding behavior was tied in with a specific moon phase. He did speeches and wrote a book on this. He's a nice guy, however, actual data never really supported his theory. Deer breeding behavior happens at the same time every year in our area, give or take a few days, and is impacted by a number of seasonal factors - length of day, temperature, etc. For bass fishing, there is probably the same type of hoped for simple theory so that fisherman with limited time available can maximize their productivity. Again, as with deer hunting, if you're not out there your chances are zero; and some of the biggest deer are taken outside the non peak rut activity period. With all of the above being said, if you are fishing in waters that are affected by ocean tides - primarily saltwater fishing, then the timing of the moon's pull each day will come into play.

Went to Hemlock yesterday; fished about 5 hours from noon - 6, taking a break for lunch and to stretch out. Was a little windy with wind gusts, so stayed close to shore. Caught 7 small ones ranging from 1/2# to 1#. All LMB. Caught one somewhat larger one, approximately 2#. All were caught on shakey head rig using Gary Y mini craw. Had numerous hits on the weightless T rig worm but they must have been small because I couldn't get a hook set on them. First time out this year, so all was good even though I didn't catch too many. Picture of biggest one below.

As stated above, you can't mess with Mother Nature; especially in NY. A number of years ago, the cormorants were putting a real dent in the fish population near Galoo Island (on which they also killed every bit of trees and vegetation) on Lake Ontario. Some fishermen took matters into their own hands and killed a number of these cormorants. As hated as cormorants were/are, the NYS DEC still found those guys and prosecuted them. You can only imagine what would happen if you messed with otters, which people like. There are all sorts of other critters competing with us - mergansers, cormorants, loons, etc.; we just need to accept their presence.

I crimp the barb down on all my soft plastics as well. Better to have a fish come off (not very often) than to have to try to extricate a barbed EWG hook from deep in the throat. Gut hooking is never a good thing, however, barbless gives the fish a better chance at survival.

Where are you located? There should be a local tackle/bait shop nearby? The people that work in these places are generally really helpful and can explain tackle and techniques. You can even find helpful, knowledgeable folks in some of the bigger stores such as Bass Pro. This forum is a great place to get information, however, if you expand your scope a little and speak to people face to face, and see and touch the tackle by going into a store, you will get off the ground a little faster and have an easier time rigging up. Good luck.

Raven are good hooks. However, you may also take a look at the Eagle Claw 38 salmon egg hooks. They are similar to circle; you can straighten out what little offset there is with needle nose pliers. These are strong hooks, I can attest to that as I have caught numerous salmon using these. Hope this helps.

It's good that you are looking ahead. Go into a field that you have an aptitude for and that there are jobs available wherever you go. Law enforcement, engineering, accounting, health care, IT, etc. or home repair services such as electrician, plumbing, HVAC are examples of fields where there are needs wherever you may go. New York state is tough for job prospects in the rural areas, but you can still live in a rural area and commute to an area where you work. By the time you get done with your education and training you will hopefully have it figured out. A lot happens along the way in life and you will continue to figure it out as you go. Best of luck.

The first Not Cool post from Tuesday was bad enough, now there is a sequel LOL. Definitely not looking forward to Not Cool III

You're not alone, I have the same crazy thoughts. Right now, I'm just trying to buy less stuff - that's a start. You never want to be a slave to your possessions; but somehow if you accumulate too much stuff, it happens - you end up wasting time in various ways because you have too much stuff. Best of luck in your effort.

If it was turning over with the spark plugs out, it's possible that your valves need adjustment. Pressure is built up when plugs are in, therefore will not turn over. Had this happen on my lawnmower, same principle - different application. Adjusted valves to spec and bingo, started right up and ran great again. Before you start throwing parts at this, try adjusting the valves. Best of luck.

From your picture and the number of posts that you have, you've caught fish as big as the one in question and will probably catch more in the future. So in the overall scope of things this is so small as to be laughable. So your friend posted this on social media; he maybe has integrity issues or maybe just having fun with you. Social media is nonsense anyway, so take that part of it with a grain of salt. You know more about the overall relationship you have than what you have summarized in 3 sentences; so you already know the answer as to how to deal with this without broadcasting for advice on this site. Since you're asking, I would talk to this friend directly. On the positive side, he is nice enough to let you stay at his place a few times a year. How was the walleye fishing?

That's great news. Your employer got lucky that you selected them over the 5 others that also realized your ability and value. Hope everything works out and you get as much out of it as you will surely put in. It's nice to see good people have success.

Go to Walmart, fishing section - select a pair of polarized/ UV ray protected Berkley label or some other brand stuck on the side for $10 or less. Buy 2 pairs for less than $20 if you need a backup. Scratched up, lost, whatever happens - no worries. You can buy prescription polarized, safety sunglasses at Walmart as well for less than you are paying for some of these designer frame branded non prescription glasses. I believe Walmart calls the shots for what it sells and is not influenced by designer brand companies dictating to them. This is a good benefit for the non brand conscious (non snob factor seeking) consumer.

Thanks for all the replies. I got 5 packs of each size, so I should be set for a while. Hopefully these will work out, if not it's a $20 experiment. I primarily use spinning gear with lighter line so no concern with setting the hook too hard with these. Thanks again.

Our local Walmart (Webster,NY) is clearing out many of their hooks. The gamakatsu skip gaps in 1/0,2/0,3/0, and 4/0 are $1 per pack. I looked at the package and it had instructions for using these with tubes. Has anyone used these, and are they any good? Also, would these only be useful for tubes? Thanks in advance for any advice on these.

You may find it easier to fish from a kayak using spinning gear. Best of luck, you will have fun, hopefully you will get towed around a little.

There are so many possibilities. I think you and your wife will really enjoy your trip. There are so many things to see and do, you may end up fishing less than you planned. You have no doubt received some good guide recommendations from DVT for the Catskills. The Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), Niagra Falls are also fantastic as mentioned above. For sight seeing, I recommend the Uncle Sam boat tour in Alexandria Bay, in the Adirondacks there is a nice boat tour at Blue Mountain Lake as well as the Adirondack Museum which is located there. Really so much to see and do; one week would not be enough time. My wife and I traveled to Smokey Mountain National Park a few years ago. I was excited to fish, but once I got there I spent most of my time being a tourist and taking in all I could in this beautiful area. I didn't fish until the last day and just for a few hours. It was good that I had my stuff with me so I could do it, but overall the fishing was the least memorable part of the trip. Best of luck with your planning; hoping that you and your wife enjoy your stay in NY. PS You can get some nice rental rates for a few days on beautiful houses through the rental by owner web sites. We like to do this especially when we go to the ADKs.

Fishermen should give each other the courtesy of space, whether on a pond, river, stream or lake. I generally like to fish away from others. That being said, if I'm catching fish and my buddies are not, I will give them a similar lure to what is working for me so that they may enjoy catching something. Several years ago, I lent a college kid a watermelon colored rooster tail spinner similar to what I was having great luck with. He showed up at a creek after I did and was watching me and was clearly frustrated after fishing for a while and striking out. With the lure that I let him use, he caught some beautiful smallmouths. It was good to see the smile on his face when I took a picture with his cell phone so he could send it along to his friends. Most fisherman are good people.

I have found that the benefit of trolling from a kayak is that your speed is not at all constant. If you are like me, your paddling is sometimes erratic, i.e., from time to time you will pause for a second or two or three. This erratic motion of your lure may be the secret to triggering a strike. I have caught bass trolling tubes, rapalas, spinners; whatever I have tied on at the time. Definitely a good idea to maximize your time on the water by trolling from one spot to another while in your kayak.

First, in most cases when someone is succeeding where you are not; they are either using a technique that they have mastered, (rod, line, lure and presentation) and/or know the water and where to present their bait or lure. If you are lucky enough, this person will offer you some knowledge and help you out. I have learned so much over the years by watching and talking to those that are successful. A number of years ago when fishing on the Delaware River for trout, I was doing o.k., however, there was an old timer that was catching one on virtually every cast. I went over and talked to him and he was nice enough to show me what he was doing. My catch rate increased substantially the next time I went out and I make sure to thank him every time I see him. I admire and try to learn from those that are successful. Most of us here have benefited from the knowledge of others and have passed this knowledge along when we can. This site is also such a place where helpful knowledge is shared.

Not sure exactly what you are describing. If these are scupper holes you can get plugs for them. If they are just holes you want to fill, then you will need some plastic bonding material that will set up and seal. Depending on the size of the holes you may need to use some fiberglass mesh to help you build up layers of bonding material and span the void. You can get the mesh material at a Home Depot type store. The plastic bonding material probably at a boat repair place or West Marine. Not sure about getting that stuff shipped to you direct as it is flammable. Others here are more expert on this and should give you more exact advice, as the plastic bonding material needs to have some flex to it. With regard to keeping your stuff dry, plastic sealed containers made specifically for cameras or phones are a good idea. For larger items like extra clothes, I find the most economical thing is a heavy duty plastic contractor garbage bag. Put everything inside that and twist tie the top securely and you should be good to go. Good luck in your efforts.

Crimp your barb down. Stuff does happen, however, you increase your odds of a good outcome (fish living) with no barb. Yes, you will have some fish jump and throw the hook; so what, you're just fishing for fun. I get it, for some having the fish stay on no matter what is the ultimate for them. I don't see it that way, and it appears you don't either by the concern you displayed in your post. Best of Luck to you.

No experience with the 2 that you initially mentioned. Comfort is important to me as well as stability. I'm considering a more open design, something like a Nucanoe Frontier 12. The storage areas behind the seat on many kayaks such as the one pictured above are a little too much for me. I like a little area behind the seat to hold something as long and as wide as a crate, any more than that is excess. I would rather have room to have my rods next to me. I presently have a hybrid, sit inside canoe (Hornbeck) that is 12' long and weighs 18#s. Not the most comfortable, however, wide open and easily transported. The idea of a sit on top, stable kayak, such as what you mentioned in your original post should work well for you. Best of luck in your research and selection.

Lots of great advice. I am more on the grasshopper end of the learning curve than some of the more experienced people here that are more masterful. I tried it for the first time last year and it was a blast. I also used the Lake Fork Frog "Tail Hook" which I think helped me get more hook ups. I am not affiliated with the Lake Fork company in any way, which is evidenced by the fact that I am still waiting (over 2 months)for this part of my order to arrive from Cabelas. This company must be pretty small, or they can't keep up with the demand. I have some of these left over from last year, so no big deal. Just waiting for some backups, because these worked for me. Good luck in your frogging efforts; I think you will really enjoy it.

Wow - was hoping SirSnookalot was back, always enjoyed his posts; then I see 2009