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Sunday, December 10, 2006OSR #3-2006 Merry Christmas
As the Holidays approach, it is certainly appropriate to wish you a great holiday season. However, from me, in my anti politically correct temperament, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. I hope 2007 will bring you happiness and a bountiful year of fishing adventure.
Speaking of fishing adventure, the 2007 season is only about four months away. In the next few months, what happens out in the lake from a weather standpoint will have a major impact on fishing for years to come. Mild temperatures will result in warmer water and that helps the survival of baitfish such as the alewife. A bumper crop of alewives would suit me just fine and I am sure Mr. Chinook would smile smartly as he thunders into that balled up school of tasty little fish. The longer the lake stays on the warm side, the better it is for the alewife to prepare for the cold winter weather that will surely arrive, sooner or later. Nature can be kind or she can be brutal, usually we get a dose of both.
Recently, I reported that there were millions of naturally spawned Chinooks swimming in the Salmon River. I have noticed comments from some that these natural fish will add big numbers to the Chinook population. Not so fast I say, since we do not know for certain just how many naturals make it to adult hood. Perhaps there are many and perhaps there are only a few. To obtain a definitive answer we need to count wild fish or stocked fish, one or the other. In the future we may develop technology to tell the difference between the two; however, today that technology is definitely in the embryonic stages.
At present the only scientific way to determine valid numbers, is to fin clip the recently born fish and count them when they return to the tributary streams as adults. Until you do this, it doesn’t matter how many wild fish you think there are, it only matters if you somehow scientifically arrive at their numbers. It is impossible to count wild fish, however, technology exists that would allow us to automatically fin clip thousands of stocked fish. This would provide a huge amount of data that would allow fishery managers to project scientifically valid results. Then and only then will we know the effects of wild fish production.
By the way, that technology now exists in the form of a state of the art fish marking system which will cost about 6 to 7 hundred thousand smakaroos. It would be money well spent, especially, when you consider the wasteful pork barrel projects that our country endures.
NYS is hoping to purchase such a system which can be used to the benefit of all types of angling pleasures not just those of the Chinook salmon. If we get this device the entire NYS angling community wins, and we all know how nice it is to win.
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:48:29 AMTop.
Show All » 2006 » Archives
Wednesday, November 22, 2006OSR #2-2006 A Really Important Advisory
This is to let you know that I will not be participating in the Springfield Sportsmen's Outdoor Show in February 2007. My bride, my two dogs and I will be in Florida and I have no desire to return to the North until it warms up a bit. Can you blame me?
I hope you will go and enjoy the show and perhaps you can help dispel the unfounded rumor that I have retired. As soon as word got out that I would not be exhibiting at the show, it seems that a competitor started the retirement rumor. They even had my boat for sale. This is nothing more than wishful thinking by a buffoon or two. Most professional captains at the show will tell you that I am still fishing; however, a couple of the "in need of bookings" guys need to be corrected.
I will continue to exhibit at The Great Northeast Sport show in Albany, NY, March 16, 17, and 18, 2007. It will have warmed up a bit by then, I hope.
Charter fishing is not only for the young, it is also for the young at heart. Since I have been lucky enough to have taken part in quite a few birthday parties, young at heart becomes more and more important. Charter fishing is still my passion and my many years spent on the water is why you can call me "CAPTAIN EXPERIENCE," or if you prefer, "CAPTAIN NOT RETIRED!" See you on the water in 2007.
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:46:40 AMTop.
Show All » 2006 » Archives
Tuesday, November 14, 2006OSR #1-2006
My docks are out of the water, the lake house is winterized and the Dixie Dandy is in dry dock till April 2007. Generally, by the time my fishing season winds down in late September, I am ready for the winter break. The feeling usually lasts for a few days and like clockwork, the fishing hormones kick in and I begin to anticipate the upcoming season and the new fishing puzzle that will surely unfold.
I recently completed an article for "Lake Ontario Outdoors" magazine which will be available in January. The article is about the explosion of wild Chinooks being spawned in the Salmon River. A combination of events has occurred, making this wild reproduction an annual affair. Scientists estimate 4 to 5 million wild ones are born each year. For more on this read the article in the next issue of Lake Ontario Outdoors.
The first winter meeting of the Lake Ontario stake holder’s group, conducted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be held in early December. As a selected member of this group of about 20 individuals, I will once again be participating in discussions which will cover possible fishing regulation changes, stocking issues, cormorant control and other pertinent issues. You can bet there will be plenty of new issues to contemplate. I consider it a privilege to be a part of this group of concerned and dedicated Lake Ontario "citizens."
Do you remember the Hooker Chemical Love Canal pollution fiasco that occurred in the Niagara Falls area of New York State over 25 years ago? Finally, a settlement with the current Hooker owner Occidental Petroleum has been reached. The NYS Bureau of Fisheries will receive a cash settlement of twelve million dollars to be used for Lake Ontario and the Niagara and St. Lawrence River fishery programs. Starting in January 2007 a series of public meetings will be held to garner information on how to best use the money. This money is earmarked for the Lake Ontario watershed area only and is not to be used for other non Lake Ontario recreational fishery programs.
The complicated, always changing Lake Ontario ecosystem has to do battle with the elements of nature and the situations created by man. So far the system has done quite well but one never knows what the future holds. Sound management is essential. You might say we are in good hands with New York STATE.
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:44:50 AMTop.
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Tuesday, March 7, 2006Here it Comes!
Do you hear it? Hear what!---- I hear it coming,,,,, and though it started with a whimper, it is beginning to rumble. The wave flows and grows and soon the 2006 fishing season will be upon us. That is great news for us fishermen, but perhaps only ho-hum news if your passion is curling or golf. It is fabulous news if your chosen sport is fishing on Lake Ontario waters. I fish a lot, you might fish only once in a while but because I fish a lot and because of my devotion to trolling on Lake Ontario waters, you benefit when you fish with me.
Simply put, we have experience, we have experience and finally, we have experience. Did I say we have experience? Ok I will back off, but I want you to know that when you join me on a trip, I will do all possible to insure a productive outing and a darn good time, every time.
Preparations for the 06 season have already begun. Boat prep is underway with bottom painting, cleaning and worn cushions repaired as necessary. Broken rods have been replaced, reels refurbed and several brand spanking new rod/reel setups are ready to go. For me it is a great time, it’s like a new beginning every year. Damn, I love the feeling and it is a rejuvenating experience. There is that word again, experience.
Here is the kicker, every year the lake serves up a surprise or two. What will it be this year, will there be plenty of bait or will it be scarce. I’m betting on lots of bait. Will salmon show up in May in the Eastern Basin or will they move in later, I’m betting on a May invasion as changes in the water column have altered fish movement. For sure there will be surprises but fishing should once again be great.
With the winter generally on the mild side you can usually expect a good supply of plump baitfish to lure the predators to warm inshore waters. When those predators arrive on the playing field our fishing battlewagon will be waiting. Catching should be real good.. We are ready for the games to begin. Hope you will join us.
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:42:25 AMTop.
Show All » 2006 » Archives
Thursday, January 5, 2006To Fish or not to Fish
You travel for several hours, check into a motel, perhaps grab a bite to eat, and then hit the hay in anticipation of an early morning trout and salmon trip aboard the Dixie Dandy. It is probably still dark when you show up at the marina, full of enthusiasm and excited about the upcoming day on the water. As you approach the boat, there I stand ready to curb your excitement with the report the weather is bad, the winds are too high’ and we probably will not be able to fish this morning.
Trust me when I say that I really dislike being the messenger of bad news, however, a fish, no fish determination will always be based on safety first, then the ability to catch fish in current weather conditions, and finally will the existing conditions get worse or let up as the day rolls on. Generally we will wait out the weather for a time to try and get the trip completed if at all possible. Sometimes the winds subside and we can venture out, however often times the “blow” lasts for the entire day. Try as we might, we just cannot provide you with the trip you deserve.
When you book for two days this gives us some flexibility in that if we do not fish one day we can fish the next. Sometimes when we are fishing on day one and we learn that the next day’s weather patterns will be prohibitive, we can stay out longer if you desire. Simply put a two day trip gives us some flexibility. I realize that not everyone can do this so we really try very hard to fish if it is possible.
On some days, whether we fish or not is totally up to you. These are the days when the boat can definitely handle the seas; however our customers for the day may not be up to toughing out the rough conditions. Generally a fish no fish decision is up to the Captain. If the captain says we will fish then we will fish. I do not assume the role of dictator when weather is “iffy”. I will explain what conditions on the open lake will be like , and sometimes venture out to open water to let you decide if you want to fish or not. You see, if want you to become a valued customer, and fishing has to be an enjoyable experience. After all, we can fish another day. That is how I run my business and it has proven to be an acceptable practice. I have built my business based on customers who return year in year out. If I take you out in heavy seas, where you get bounced around until the dreaded sea sick felling grabs you in the belly, well I don’t expect you will be back.
Anyhow that’s how I do it! Seems to work for me.
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:41:46 AMTop.
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