Kirtley Howe

A submarine......On Cayuga Lake, Cornell University works with the government on deep freshwater research. They often have a small (one or two person) submarine they use to dive down to over 300 feet (Cayuga Lake is over 400 feet deep in spots). They have "spotter"/support boat that sits above the area they are diving, and they put markers out to indicate the area the sub is working. One day a friend of mine and I were deep trolling for lake trout. We were about 1/4 mile away from where the sub was supposed to be working. But, it seems that the sub had some kind of navigation problem and were off course and away from the area they were supposed to be. Anyway, our lines got caught on the sub. The drags on the reels were screaming, and we had no idea what was going on. Then the sub came up about 100 feet away from us, and sat there bobbing on the surface waiting for their support boat to come get them. We carefully putted over near the sub, and could see out lines, complete with dodgers and lures, hanging off the sub. We thought we were in trouble, but when the support boat came over and hooked onto the sub, they hailed us to come over to them. They apologized to us for interfering with our fishing, and returned the tackle to us. That was the weirdest thing we ever "caught".

I think a lot has to do with what the fish are used to. In rivers I fish regularly there is a lot of boat traffic. I think the fish have become conditioned to the noise, so for the most part having a boat come through the area, or putt through with the trolling motor does not seem to bother them much, unless the boat is right on top of them...then they will disappear for a short while. but come back in 15 min to 1/2 hour. But...on smaller rivers or creeks where boat traffic is minimal, a boat going through can shut things down for hours. Just my observations....your results may vary.

I have been blessed to be totally immune to poison ivy....but my doctor says you cannot depend on that as the immunity can go away at any time, so I am very careful to avoid it when possible. So far I have never had a reaction to it, and I hope it stays that way.

Just finished. I liked it, but I think they need to improve the way the cover it. The editing and camera work was a bit choppy. I think that will get better as they do more of these.

I am watching it right now. Interesting.

What I find sad is that we are all surprised by this level of customer service. It used to be that this type of service was the norm, not the exception. But....good for Minn Kota. (and you)

Is the battery a sealed battery? If not, check the water level in it. As others suggested, clean the terminals and cable ends. Check the battery charger to make sure it is working correctly. A friend of mine had one bank of his 3 bank charger partially fail, so it was not charging his primary battery but still charged his trolling batteries just fine. Doesn't happen often, but is a possibility. If everything checks out ok, take the battery in and have it load tested. If it checks good, there must be a draw down somewhere in the boat wiring that is killing your battery. And I strongly suggest carrying a "jump box" (battery booster) with you on the boat. Jumping from your trolling motor batteries can cause a spark which can cause explosions, and/or fry sensitive electronics. The jump box will not cause sparks if used correctly. Better safe than sorry.

And it is often prescribed "off label" for restless leg syndrome. I take it for that, and it really helps.

I have used almost every brand, and every type of sharpening.....and I still find it difficult to resharpen then to a good point. But I keep trying. Funny thing though, the hooks I have that were the sharpest out of the package, and held that sharpness during use, came out of a "no-name" box of hooks I bought on ebay (made in China most likely, thought not marked as to country of origin). I have not had any luck getting more that way, and now do not buy hooks unless I know the brand. Owner and Tokar are my favorites these days. If you have problems with the Tokar hooks cutting up your plastics, try using the Z brand (elaztec?) plastics. They really hold up.

No one in my family had any interest in fishing or hunting. My dad liked target shooting with his 22 rifle, but that was about it. I think my first interest was sparked by Field and Stream magazine and later expanded by the Gadabout Gaddes fishing show on TV. My father never understood my passion for fishing (he hated it), but to his credit, he would drive me to places that were to far away for me to ride my bike to, and he would come pick me up at the end of the day. I started with a Zebco 33 spincast reel, but quickly moved to spinning gear. Problem was I am a lefty, and getting a left handed reel was very difficult and expensive, so I used cheap right hand spinning wheels for several years, which was awkward to say the least. I remember I actually broke down in tears on Christmas when my mother got me a HySpin left hand spinning reel....she wanted to get me an AbuGarcia 301, but there was no way we could afford that back then. In my childhood, everything I "knew" about fishing came from a magazine, or I figured it out on my own. I had no one to mentor me in any way. I never heard of anyone making a living from professional bass fishing....the first I heard of such a thing was after my first year of college in 1969. If I had had a clue earlier that earing a living fishing was even a possibility, it would have completely changed my approach to life.

I always say "it isn't wrong if it works".

I would avoid Lake George. Few public launch sites, and high launch fees. Plus extra parking fees. Plus "day use fees" if you are not a local. Plus most launches close early evening, so don't stay out late or you will have problems. At least that was my experience about 10 years ago when I was over there.

Sell??? That is a four letter word. Actually, I never sell any fishing equipment. Instead, I clean it up and donate it to local groups that help disadvantaged or handicapped kids. Seeing those kids reactions more than makes up for any monetary loss. If you check around your area, you will easily find several groups that would love that kind of donation. I also usually carry a couple of cheap spinning rod and reel combos in my vehicle when I go fishing. If I run into a kid that has really crappy tackle, or who has no tackle and is just watching others fish, I will give him/her the set up and maybe even a couple of cheap lures or hooks and sinkers so they can fish also. And spending a few minutes helping a kid learn to use the equipment is time well spent.

Welcome Ken.

Of course....just having the right does not make it right. Common courtesy still should come into play. Where did you find that info? I have not been able to find a single legal source for any info on this. Not that I am doubting you...I just would like to read up on it from an "authorized" source.

I have noticed that many marinas in my area of New York State post signs saying "No fishing in marina". I keep wondering if they have the legal right to do that. I understand that they have the right (and so they should) to prevent you from trespassing on their land and the physical pieces (docks, runs, etc) of their property. But can they "own" the water and prevent access to it? That seems wrong to me. I have tried to google this, and also have tried to get an answer from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. but have not gotten an answer on this. Anyone have the facts on this?

Looks great....but remember that ANY pizza you eat for breakfast is, by definition, a breakfast pizza.

You may be very surprised. Bass often hold near shore and in shallow water even in very cold water. Look for areas that have baitfish first. Failing that, look for areas with large rocks, or a dark colored bottom as those areas warm up quickly when exposed to sun....and if there is cover (lay downs, weeds), or structure (stumps, etc.) even better. Also remember that the fish may still not want to chase much....slow down your presentation, and start with more subtle baits like plastic worms, plastic crawfish style lures, or jig heads with grubs or creature baits moved slowly on the bottom, or weightless drifting in the water column. If that does not work, try rattle trap type lures with a yo-yo retrieve, or a slow steady retrieve. Still no luck? Try a fast retrieve with the rattle traps and try a jerk bait with long pauses between the jerks. After that, try spinnerbaits using both slow roll and faster retrieves. Good luck.

Yeah.....similar story for me. My buddy and I left out at 2am to drive to a lake we had been wanting to try, It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive. Since we left so early, we thought we would just grab a quick breakfast near where we planned to launch. Only problem was there was no place to eat anywhere near there. Only thing we could find was a gas station that had some "breakfast burritos" for sale. Ok, that would do. We each grabbed a couple and of we went. Got to the launch, got the boat loaded and launched no problem. Ran around for a while and found a likely looking spot to fish. By now, we were both starving....so we gobbled down the burritos. No luck at that spot, so we ran about another half hour to a new spot. Got set up, made a couple of casts, and all of a sudden my buddy was projectile vomiting over the side of the boat. Not good! Then it hit me...unfortunately for me, it hit at the other end. So picture this...one guy puking his guts out over the side, and the other guy desperately trying to get out of his pants before he s@@@ them solid full. I did manage to get them off, and hopped over the side of the boat into the water. Great....except the water temperature was about 45F. When the "festivities" finally stopped, and I managed to drag my frozen butt back into the boat and get my pants back on, I looked at my buddy. He was absolutely green. It was a long trip back to the launch, with a couple more instances of disrobing and hopping overboard, then trying to get back into the boat and getting dressed again.....Got back to the launch, got the boat loaded, and had a horrible drive home. We both swore we would never, ever, eat gas station food again. The only saving grace was that we seemed to be the only two people in that area of the lake, so at least I didn't get arrested for indecent exposure. I did end up with a really bad cold, and felt like crap for most of a week. My buddy made out better. He said that after he evacuated his tummy completely (several times), and finally managed to keep water down, he felt a lot better.

Years ago there was a small drug store chain called Fays' Drugs. They had several (maybe a total of 20 or so?) drug stores spread around New York State. The store in Ithaca NY (where Cayuga Lake is located) had the absolutely BEST fishing tackle selection, and great prices. I should point out that it was the ONLY store in the chain that sold any sporting goods. The whole store chain sold out to Eckard Drugs, which in turn sold out to JC Penny, then was sold off to another drug chain. And then was shut down. Unfortunately, after the sale to Eckard Drugs, the company gutted the fishing department, as they said it did not fit with their business plan. To quote the company spokesman "Who goes to a drug store to buy fishing tackle?". Of course, when they did away with the fishing tackle, they lost over half of their customer base.....and I don't think the store ever turned a profit again through all the different owners. I sure miss that store.

I saw this mentioned in only one response to this subject, so I will say it again here..... Always check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. Checking the tire pressure after you run down the road at 60mph is not going to tell you anything useful. And just waiting a few minutes after you pull off the highway to check your tire pressure is also pretty much useless. Your tires and rims will hold a higher temperature for much longer than you would suspect. Check the tire pressure before you start out for the day, and/or as soon as you come off the lake at the end of the day, and you will get accurate readings. I have a battery jump-box that I carry in my boat. It has a built-in compressor, so I can top the tires off right there. It can be a life saver.

Should work on any 12V battery.

I know what you mean about small town banks. I grew up in a small town...at that time the population was 997 in the town...maybe 2800 total in the township. The local band was Tioga State Bank, with branches in Candor NY (my hometown), and Spencer NY (about 15 miles away, population of maybe 1000 in town and 3000 in the township). You could walk in and talk to the bank president at any time during business hours. When I was ready to buy my first car that I needed a loan for, I spoke to Ted...bank president...and he said go pick it out and have them give me a call and I will approve the loan. You can come in afterwards to do the paperwork. Now, I will not even deal with that bank, as they are about useless, and are very impersonal. I had banked with them for over 30 years, and still no one in the office could remember my name. Times change I guess.

I do my banking at a Credit Union. If there is a problem with my debit card, they replace it immediately and refund any false charges, also immediately. Love being a Credit Union member!

x-rap or Husky Jerk for me. Size 7, Size 9 seem to work the best. Depending on line they can run from 2' down to 6'.