As a follow-up to our article ”Winterizing Your Boat On Your Own: A Checklist“, avid sailor and fellow Burlington Boatyard member, Eliot Beck has compiled a quick guide focused solely on winterizing your sailboat…

• Make sure to get any water & other liquids that may freeze out of the boat, and find ways to let air circulate.  If covered, make sure there are vents (even if shrink-wrapping, you can provide venting).
• Gas tanks should be filled to prevent as much air in the tank as possible. Alternatively, you could make sure the tanks are thoroughly drained & left totally dry.  Keep in mind however, more often than not the method you chose depends on the fuel system.

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Three hundred of the best ice fishermen in the US will square off on Lake Bomoseen this March, as Vermont hosts one of eight North American Ice Fishing Circuit qualifying events held across the nation’s ice belt. Taking place March 6^th -8^th , 2009 at the Bomoseen State Park in Castleton, it will be the first time the NAIFC, or Trap Attacks as they were formally known, will have ever been this far east. 

This will be the final qualifying event of the 2009 season, giving 150 two-man teams their chance to catch their way to the World Championships. Outside of being a hard-core hard-water tourney, the NAIFC is responsible for producing some of the most advanced ice fishing techniques in the sport. It here where many anglers compete for the fish, but work together to share, develop and test new ideas so as to educate each other and better the sport overall. 

“As a competitor in Silver Lake, NY last year, I would have to say this was the most enjoyable and educational tournaments I have ever attended on the ice.” said Fair Haven native Shawn Hayes, an avid fisherman and member of the Champlain Crappie Crew. “With minimal equipment, basic strategies, short money and a little luck anyone can compete.” 

Some suggested equipment in addition to tackle would be GPS, portable fishing shelter and some form of transportation such as an ATV or snowmobile. 

Boundaries are set on the water which mark the areas to be fished, as well as makes a level playing field for all competing. Enhancing this concept of a fair, balanced and safe beginning to the day, officials allow all anglers a head start to their spots, and maintain that everyone begins and ends their fishing at the same time. This philosophy maintained by officials and participants is a testament to this being about the anglers and their skills, rather who has the most sponsors and faster means of getting set up. 

Tournament Director Mike McNett remarked, “We don’t want these events to be intimidating for beginning competitors. We are also very watchful of any potential cheating as well. There is no favoritism, and it comes down to the skill and knowledge of each competitor.” 

An attractive characteristic about this tournament in particular is that it is relaxed and educational. Top teams will never refuse the chance to help out beginners and impart some helpful tips to use not only for the day, but take with them in their ice fishing experiences. Also, the pros will spend time contributing to the community while in town, as they spend time doing in-school seminars at the local schools, Kids Ice Camp on the lake, and teaching local volunteers tactics and tips about the sport. 

McNett spoke to this in saying, “The most important aspect of the event is the education element. The seminars, classroom visits, and the Kids Ice Camp are the highlight of every event. This is for the communities we visit and for the future of our sport.” 

To sum up all of the exciting aspects of the NAIFC, here is a quick checklist of events, dates and important information: 

• In-school seminars will be held on Friday, March 6th at Rutland Public Schools.
• Friday evening seminar at the Holiday Inn Rutland/Killington conducted by Scott Brauer of Maki Plastics. Scott makes some of the worlds finest hand poured, ‘Made in America’ micro fishing baits.
• Saturday, March 7th from 10am – 2:00pm, the On Ice Kids Ice Camp will take place, where children and their families will fish and visit with the Pros. Free drinks and food provided for the children. 
• Saturday evening will be team registration and rules meeting at the Holiday Inn Rutland/Killington starting at 6:00pm.
• Sunday will be the actual tournament with teams showing up as early as 6:30am. The official start will be at 7:30 and fishing will begin at 8:00am, ending at 1:00pm.
• The Sunday Tournament will be immediately followed by weigh ins and the awards ceremonies. Food and drinks will be available.
• The event in its entirety will be televised and aired on the Sportsman Channel. It will be titled, “ICEMEN TV”.
• Special Lodging Reservations: 800-462-4810  

Many local hard-water anglers are calling this the most exciting fishing event ever seen in the Rutland area. NAIFC staff, volunteers, sponsors and anglers hope to see the local community members take some time over the three days to come out and take part in the excitement.

For more information about the NAIFC, visit www.NAIFC.org , or contact Shawn Hayes at fishwhisperer66@hotmail.com. Feel free to also leave comments on this article below, here on the Burlington Boatyard Blog.

As a follow up to our original article, “9^th Annual LCI Bass Open: Recap and Coverage” – and after many hours of editing footage - we finally have a full length feature of this year’s LCI Bass Open. Our newest video is dedicated to all the anglers, volunteers and sponsors that participated this year. See you all next year and hope you enjoy the film!

- Jimmy

As a follow up to the article titled, “Storing Your Boat For the Winter: Almost That Time of Year Again…”, I wanted to put together a few suggestions for those out there who plan to store their boat themselves this winter. While it is relatively easy to do this, especially as you repeat it year in and year out, I figured I would throw out some useful tips that will be able to get your boat all set for its “vacation” as well as reduce the chance that you will run into problems upon returning it to water next season:

• Unless you are a mechanic or you have much experience working with boat engines, you may want to research taking it to a service shop or sending an email on our “Ask the Tech” service so that you will be confident your motor will be fully prepped and serviced for the upcoming months.

• The Ethanol Debate!! Yes, it is a hot topic in the boating world now-a-days because in the past, it was almost always acceptable to store your gas tank full and with the appropriate amount of stabilizer in it, and that would ensure a safe storage and start-up for the next season. Well, since our friend Ethanol has jumped into the mix, many have found that its ability to attract moisture will cause start-up issues the next time you try to get the engine running. What has been found to be best is to completely drain your tank, and then bring them to be cleaned appropriately before you put your boat back in the water next. 

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Last Saturday was the final day of the Wal-Mart FLW Series pro bass tournament on Lake Champlain, and myself and Nick couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to meet some great anglers, event staff and experience the atmosphere that surrounds such a big time event in the angling community.

We headed out of Burlington on Friday night, via the Ferry at Grand Isle, and crashed in Plattsburgh. When we arrived at the America’s Best Value Inn (hey, there was no availability at the Ritz!) we parked next to the BP Tahoe trailing a wrapped Ranger boat, followed by many more pickups – all pulling nice rigs. That set the tone for what the final day of the tournament would bring.

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There are many factors that come into play when it’s time to store your boat for the winter or when you are taking a season off (yeah right!). How convenient is the spot? How much will it cost? When will you be able to get to it next season? I’m sure you all thought about this before buying the boat, but it is a reoccurring situation that every boater has to think through as each season comes and goes.

For those with larger boats or who just want to drop it off, wave and say, “See ya next season!”, a reliable option is always the marina route. Winter storage and service packages allow you to let your boat head on in for some much deserved R&R, as their techs will check out anything and everything you ask. While this option does require you to fork over some dough, you can be confident that the proper care and maintenance will prep your boat for another great season come spring.

Moving on from the big guys with their 32′ Cabin Cruisers, you may be the owner of a smaller vessel, like a fishing boat or nice size bow rider, and want to take on the storage process yourself. And to you I say go for it! This is by far the least expensive way to keep your boat cared for and stored effectively if the size is manageable and you have the space. Also, in New England you never know what you are going to get weather-wise, so should there be a few warm days popping up in November or winter ends early, you will be able to access your boat right away by grabbing it out of the side yard or pulling it out of the garage and getting on your way.

If choosing the self-storage route, and you haven’t had prior experience with winterizing your engine, you can search the Burlington Boatyard Marina & Service sections to contact a local shop that could help guide you in the process. Also, check out our free “Ask The Tech” service, where your questions will be answered by Jeff DePaul of Jeff’s Boat Repair in Williston.

While there’s still some time left before calling it quits, properly storing your vessel is a vital part of its maintenance and I hope whichever method you chose makes for a convenient and relaxing off season for you and your boat.

Feel free to comment on this piece below, or use our forum to ask your own questions or help out others that may need some insight on other boating issues.

-Guy

The 9^th Annual LCI Bass Open was yet again another well run and exciting day for all anglers, staff and volunteers involved. There were 120 participants that took to the water in sixty bass boats, and Burlington Boatyard was there to cover the day’s events, launch to weigh-in.

At 4:30am, myself and Jimmy arrived at the Malletts Bay boat launch to start filming what seemed to be an endless line of pick-up trucks trailering their bass slayers down to the water and quickly going through check-in to get situated. As they manned their boats, many guys were setting up their ten or so rods, taking a coffee break every few minutes, only to get right back at it making sure all gear was in check and ready to reel in the winning fish.

As launch time drew near, we hopped on a pontoon boat provided by Jim Salter of Vermont Home & Marine, with James Ehlers of LCI to get footage of the teams taking off as their numbers were called out. Past the no wake zone, the guys were sure to “showboat” a bit and display what their rigs could do, which stirred cheers and jeers from those still in the launch.

After a long six hours on shore, it was 2pm and time to prepare for the return of the anglers. The LCI staff and volunteers had the weigh station all set up, everyone in place, and myself, Jimmy and Nick took the pontoon out on the water to check return times and collect the numbered tags of the teams as they returned. Finally, when all the participants had lined up with their bag of bass and continued sharing stories of their day, we had our winners and the check presentation followed. This year’s 2008 LCI Bass Open champs were J.J. Judd and Mark Hickory, who are members of the Green Mountain State Bassmasters. We had the chance to interview them and we thank them for their time. You can see the coverage in our video.

Overall it was a great day for everyone involved, and we were proud to be a sponsor as it allowed us to meet some really great people as well as get some awesome footage for a complete video that will be released soon!

Congrats again to J.J. and Mark on their win, and a special thanks to all the anglers that came out this year to make the LCI Bass Open another great day of celebrating fishing.

Please feel free to comment on this post below!

-Guy

As many of you know, we are blessed to have an outstanding bass fishery here on Lake Champlain. From the monster largemouth hiding among the weed beds of the extreme northern and southern ends of the lake to the chunky smallies that make the rocky flats and shoals of the watershed their feeding grounds, there is hardly a nook or cranny on this lake where a bass fisherman can’t find a worthy lunker. Last week the LCI successfully held their 9th annual bass fishing tournament, an event that’s open to any angler from the novice fishermen to the seasoned expert. BurlingtonBoatyard.com representatives volunteered their time at the LCI weigh-in and thoroughly covered the event with interviews that can be seen on this site shortly.

Next week it’s the big dogs turn with one of the largest professional tournaments of the year taking place in Plattsburgh September 10 – 13. In fact, the pros are already out buzzing around the lake in their fancy wrapped boats pre-fishing for bass. They are also mingling with the locals at a number of community events leading up to the tournament.

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This Sunday, come out and catch all the action at Malletts Bay in Colchester at the 9^th Annual LCI Bass Open.   See some of the top two person angling teams battle it out for first place and the guaranteed $3,000 grand prize.  All boats must be in the water by 5:30 am and tournament hours are from 7:00 am till 3:oo pm.  Pre-fishing is allowed up until Midnight on Saturday, August 30^th.  If you haven’t already registered and you want to get in on all the action, you are still able to register up until 6:00 am, the morning of the tournament, and the fee is $200.00 per team. You can read more about all the specifics here, at the LCI website.

Burlington Boatyard will be at Malletts Bay covering the tournament all day.  Check out BurlingtonBoatyard.com for all of the exclusive highlights and interviews of the 2008 LCI Lake Champlain Bass Open.  Best of luck to all the anglers!

-Jimmy

Today on the front page of the Wall Street Journal there is a story entitled “For Massachusetts Fishermen, A Weighty Debate About Fair Play” which discusses a recent event involving a common baiting technique called “Yo-Yoing”.

The article highlights a gentleman who caught a 57lb Striped bass last fall during the annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby, and while he was under the impression this was the winning fish, his hopes were deflated after the judges opened the Striper to reveal two pounds of lead weights.

The gentleman was not the angler to have caused the presence of these weights, but rather it was the work of those seeking out the fish on prior attempts with this technique of yo-yoing, where the bait fish is filled with a single lead sinker, enabling it to rest on the ocean bottom and move in the same way that would cause a Striper to go for the kill. As those who have been Striper fishing before may know, often times the line may break when trying to land the fish, or more commonly the fish will make off with the bait, leaving just the hook behind. Beyond the fact of causing “fake weigh-ins” for derby results, the issue has raised much attention regarding the presence of the lead that could cause harmful consequences for the fish and those that eat them later on. Much controversy surrounds these theories, amongst anglers, general public, and state health and wildlife associations alike. Some feel the lead leaders are spit out by the fish more often than swallowed, where others feel the lead will contaminate the water, fish and the next angler to reel him in and make a meal of it.

While there is no Striper fishing taking place on Lake Champlain, this is an issue that can cause opinions to be heard by all anglers regardless if it is fresh or salt water locations that they primarily spend time fishing. We would like to know your stance on the practice of “yo-yoing” and others like it, that may or may not increase the chances of catching fish while possibly posing environmental concerns that can occur thereafter.

For the full story, visit the Wall Street Journal article here, and watch the video to see a Massachusetts fisherman give his opinion.

We encourage you to comment on this piece below, as it could provide insight to the many opinions out there regarding fishing practices and health in general.

-Guy