Awesome John glad you guys got to em.   Spent today working on the tractor, although there will be no hay baled anytime soon.

You 're the man John! That little guy will have fond memories of that day on the lake with his dad and you And I bet the feeling is mutual for dad and you

Trying not to start a great "what is it?" debate but the hook looks like a homemade boat hook to tend lines dockside. 
The algae does look a bit nasty.

Thanks troutbum, it is a homemade bouey picker upper. sometimes Ill chuck out colored boueys when I mark large groups of fish then I can continue my troll and go over them a few more times without messing with the electronics. Problem is cant reach the water to well and the hook and stick make up for my short arms. As for the alge bloom happens every year, oneida lake is one of the cleanest fresh water bodies in ny. Tuna if ya get free come on up and catch some eyes with me, I got some great new music for fathers day, a few cold ones, a good time is guranteed to be had!

John you took my second thought regarding the boat hook before I had a chance to post any additional comments.  The hook is way too small to serve as a gaff and I do not believe the instrument is sharp enough to serve in that capacity.
It appears to be the perfect size hook to pick up homemade markers made with 1 gallon windshield washer buoys.

Hey all, managed to get out this morning with a buddy. It was lighting and pouring last 15 minutes of the ride to the marina. Stopped while I was dumping 10 gallons in the tank, and never started again. Managed a limit and tossed 20 back, it was his first time out on the lake. Largest was 19 and the algae bloom is gone lake was really clear for as bad as it was last sunday, still alot of junk floating around.


There shing away from the perch color and starting to hit a shad color.

Awsome John.    Chance of T storms, this heat ,and my nephew being out of town has kept me in.  The heat saps me bad and the air on my tow rig has decided it does not want to work .   I need to take it to the dealer as it is still under warranty and see what they say.     Only about 3 weeks till my Quebec trip and countin down and trying to decide what I want to take.   There will be 3 of us in a wide 16 foot boat.   Not too bad,  but we decided any year may be the last year we can do something together  as they are both pushing 70 and one is not in the best health.  I am going with the father of my first ever girlfriend as we have remained  very good friends throughout the years and he is the one who turned me on to fishing in my teenage years.  It will be our 15th or so trip up there. 

Pretty sweet stuff John.. Glad to see some good fishing adventures >>Really hope to get up there for some of that with you guys..
I was just working on the upload from my relief long weekend.. Not nearly as pretty as those Oneida eyes but I managed 2 small blue fish on the line in minimal effort.. I called clamming "catching" but the wife kept saying we don't catch them.. ummm seems fun ..
 
So here was home for 4 days:
A lot of effort for just a bed.. A boat would be nice :)

 
Happy Independence Day:
Fireworks were awesome and everywhere for 4 nights..

Traffic after sucked ;(
 
Nice blue water right at our foot steps : Fish Here ?

Well no fishing here as it's well respected by boaters and folks enjoying the day..
 
Here was my clamming home base.. Tunes ,brews , blue water and good eats :)

 
Not bad for relaxing and "catching" food..

 
 
 

HT- Good to hear and see that you had a great time. 
As I told my wife on the ride home from RI last week if I was to move out of NY that is where I would like to go. 

Hearing and seeing reports of monstrous Kings being taken out on Lake O.  A 38 lbs+ fish was taken off Oswego this week and a 36.5 lbs fish leads the LOC Tourny.  If this is any indication of what is in store this fall I'll be needing heavier tippet to battle these brutes. 

 Oops, tried to post the LOC webpage but it didn't work. 

 
Hey guys, I stopped in to see how people are doing, looks like everyone  is  getting through this bizarre summer as best they can. I had a good start to the spring, getting this 31 lb. carp on my 6 wt.  and a black leech- got a 21" smallie on the same fly 100 yds. away from the backwater the carp was from,  in the main Hudson, the same morning.  The bow was 21"  on a sz. 22 midge on my 1 wt. I've also done  very well with stripers on the coast and backpacking for brookies in Vt.   I thought I was starting to make up for the dismal, no,  abyssmal!, winter steelhead season I had, but the weather has turned that around a bit.  Bass bugging has been good.
Next weekend I'll head back to the coast for some night surf . I won't get much salmon in this year, but might go early, as we're spending a good part of Sept. backpacking  up the Kern River in the Sierra into one of the premier spots for big wild bows outside of Alaska.  
      Being just an average shmuck with little local info, the SR is getting tough to fish for me. Between the crowds, starting to head in at 4 am ,  and the trying to guess  water/weather in advance to plan trips,
it's starting to get to be a chore.  Fortunately,  I had a few great days last year to act as a stimulator. Probably the largest salmon I'll ever land, a day of near  constant hook-ups with Jack, a great day with 3 fan  getting smackdowns on his plugs; put a shiny gloss on the bad food, loud crowds, azzhats, and bad release timing that dimmed the season otherwise.  I'll lament the loss of the S. Barrel, as I liked it for the challenge of  one hand spey casting in the trees, knowing the snags and best drifts and pulling fish pretty regular out of it, despite it not being the "best" of places.   My experience is nothing compared to those of you who've invested lots of time and money  and made the choices that keep you on the river for decades.
So, I ain't whining- it is what it tis, my choices may be different.  I'll stop back when the season is going again. Hope everyone has good times and stays healthy. Have a great time in all your adventures with friends and family.
 
Charlie

Charlie,  Good to hear all is well.  You do realize that the SR is like a giant magnet.  As much as we hate all that goes on during "silly season" we are drawn to that river like a moth to a flame.  Enjoy the remainder of the Summer. 

pretty ironic that a carp would bring 2 ships passing in the night..
great pic's Charlie as I did indulge into your public photobucket pictures.. Great to see Nancy and you enjoying the time spent outdoors ..
 
Carp was on my mind for my limited time and space on friday.. You know the place out back the house.. Just haven't had the time until now to upload the pic's and by no means is it to be an up-1 as
Tb will attest..
A phatty by home standards of the local crik, a solid 15 pounder came to shore.. Water way still to muddy to sight fish with a fly so for me , the tug was the drug, that day anyway..
4'6" ultra light rod. 4lb string and fly wrapped with bread..
5 screaming runs, 3 x s thought lost to roots , 15 mins later and he was bound by the BIG salmon net..


 
 
 
 

This might be a season of very good water flows and resulting good fishing.If the urge gets you Charlie you know where I'll be end of Sept first of Oct.