From the Desk of the Publisher
Happy New Year. As I peer into my crystal ball that Santa brought me for Christmas, It appears that I am viewing the 2004 fishing season and this is what I see. The winter steelhead fishing will hold steady for all the tribs. Anglers should take advantage of any warming trends and hit their favorite streams as they open up.
With the mild fall we have just experienced, Lake Ontario salmon and trout continued to feed and we should see good size fish to start off the spring lake fishing. The experts say that we are in for another heavy snowfall this winter, but the crystal ball is cloudy on this one. Could be all the snow, I guess. We will have to wait for Spring.
It also shows a lot of people flocking to Lake Ontario to take advantage of this wonderful body of water. I see more Bass and Walleye fisherman. I see increasing numbers of offshore anglers and I see a lot of happy faces. Let's see if this crystal ball is for real. Only time will tell.
A New Year
The Show issue is always exciting for me. Not only do we print additional copies and travel to shows across the Northeast to meet our readers and distribute magazines, the show issue also kicks off a new year and new opportunities.
No one knows what lies ahead. From our health to our finances, life is uncertain. What we do know is that Lake Ontario, right now, today is ripe for the picking. Take advantage of what we have. It is here and it isn't going anywhere. Check out Gerry Bresadola's article on page?? and you will see what I mean. With sound management and some luck, Lake Ontario will continue to offer some of the best freshwater fishing in the world.
Happy New Year,
Good Fishing, and
God Bless America
The LOO Truck!
As promised, we are bringing you some of the highlights of our new rig, courtesy of Shapiro Motors in Oswego. This issue I want to talk about comfort.
First, I have just come off another super busy wet Fall fishing season, with clients getting in and out with muddy waders and Korkers. Then I switched to hunting gear in December, and of course took the wife Christmas shopping. Let's just say, I have been in and out of this truck a lot! In fact I logged just over 8,000 miles in less than five months. Everyone that rode in this rig had good things to say about the interior. It is the comfort considerations that make the Dodge Ram outshine it's competitors.
Dodge went to great lengths to make the big Ram as luxurious and comfortable as possible. Our truck has the full complement of comfort features including leather seats and remote keyless entry. This truck does set high off the ground and may pose a problem for someone with short legs. We added a set of chrome steps and the problem was solved. So once you are in, this is much like being behind the wheel of a luxury sedan, except the seating position is higher. Speaking of the seats, they are fully adjustable with a great lumbar support and heat on the leather interior models. Once you position the seat where you want it, you can now adjust the pedals to fit your legs. Yes, the pedals move up and down. Other truck makes could learn a lot by studying the Ram's interior layout.
All controls are readily at hand, even including the oft-misplaced cigarette lighter. The instruments are black-on-white, which is the very best setup for visibility both day and night, with or without sunglasses. Good sunvisors with extenders. The center console has two huge storage compartments so big and deep that it can accommodate my laptop computer! The middle seat just folds down and there is one located in the backrest. Simply flip that up and the other one is located in the seat itself. Tons of storage! Remote radio and CD controls are located on the steering wheel so there is no reaching to change the station. Our rig has an infinity sound system that is ultra sharp and will blow you out of the cab if that is how you like to listen to your favorite tunes
The doors open wide, even the rear ones. The rear seat is nicely inclined for passenger comfort and the seat backs can flip down to use the area for cargo. It's a 60-40 arrangement and three-point belts are at all seating positions.
The interior lighting is excellent at night with two reading lights and a central dome light.
I guess that about sums up the inside of this truck. The bottom line is.... It is a pleasure to drive. Next issue we will look at the engine and suspension.
Remember, if you want to look at any of the Dodge, Jeep or Chrysler lines, contact Todd at Shapiro Motors in Oswego at 315-343--6194.