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In the mid winter months in New York, it is easy to get cabin fever. Not being able to fish since October is depressing.  April cannot come soon enough.

This time however can be used to prepare for the upcoming fishing season. There are a few things you can do to help get you on the water as soon as the ice melts

Rod maintenance:  Every year I remove all the line from my trolling reels...

With the 2013 fishing season approaching, the main question most anglers are wondering: “Is there going to be enough water to get their boat in the water?”

With an extremely mild winter in 2011-2012, the season began with already below normal water levels. Average snow fall for the Rochester, NY area is 99.5” Last winter only dumped 59.9” of snow.  This past summer produced low amounts of rain and by mid September, most boats were pulled because of the lack of water in the marinas and creeks. My season was cut short because of damage done to the hull of my boat. There were areas of the creek that were only a few inches deep which made it difficult to navigate to the lake to fish.  In the picture attached, I am standing at the end of the boat ramp. This is normally around 4’ deep...

Editor's note: This blog installment comes from Fishhound pro staffer Capt. Lou Borrelli.

In August 2011, the New York State DEC increased the allowable number of fishing rods per person from 2 to 3 (on the Great Lakes). The change was beneficial to anglers and captains, because it allowed us to run more rods with fewer people on deck. 

Prior to the rules change, anglers on the Great Lakes needed to use cheaters, instead of an additional rod, to increase the number of lures in the water. Now, cheaters are often more of an option – but an important one, especially for boats with fewer anglers and/or equipment.

In this article, I'll explain how to rig a fixed cheater. By fixed, I mean a cheater that's held in place at a...

Editor's note: This blog installment comes from Fishhound pro staffer Capt. Lou Borrelli and is the final part of a 4-part series. Links to parts 1, 2 and 3 can be found at the end of the story.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to take my father, age 82, and my 8-year-old son fishing. When it was my son's turn to reel in a fish, he tried with all his might but it was a little too much to handle, so he turned and asked his Papa to help him out.

To see them both share the pole and fight the fish together was a memorable sight. They talked and worked together to get the 20-pound king salmon to boatside. When we netted it, the excitement in their voices was priceless. They  both laughed and talked about how much fun...