Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
This coming weekend is the start of the Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Trout and Salmon derby, set to kick off June 30 and run through July 29. The summer contest runs for a month, offering up $29,000 in cash prizes. Included in the mix is a $10,000 Grand Prize for the largest salmon and $1,750 in weekly prizes – $1,000 for salmon and $250 each for lake trout, brown trout and rainbow/steelhead … every week. If you are going to be fishing in Lake Ontario the next month, it’s worth rolling the dice and taking a chance. Last year it was Sandra Brown from Pennsylvania fishing the Niagara Bar during the LOTSA in-club tournaments who walked away with the big prize. Find out more at www.loc.org. Fishing for salmon and trout continues to be good off the ports of Wilson, Olcott and Point Breeze. While east winds have put a bit of a damper on the comfort end of things, it hasn’t seemed to affect the fishing that much. For Capt. Joe Gallo of Two Bulls Sportfishing out of Wilson, he’s seen consistent fishing right in front of his home port 40 to 80 feet down over 100 to 160 feet of water. He also caught fish in 250 to 300 feet of water, running a couple of afternoon trips with Capt. Alan Sauerland of Instigator Charters. Spoons, flasher-flies and cut bait on twinkie rigs all produced fish. On Monday afternoon they were 14 for 18 on salmon and trout in 4 hours of fishing. They had 30 bites Sunday afternoon. Capt. Mike Johannes of On the Rocks Charters caught a limit on Sunday for his customers hitting those same waters and running primarily a spoon program of Green Hulk and Geezer spoons. He was hitting some fish up high using sliders off his riggers and 100-foot and 200-foot copper line set-ups. The lake is a good place to be with the forecasted heat wave starting this weekend. Cooler water temperatures will serve as a natural air conditioner.
In the Erie Canal, the 28th Annual Stephen Harrington Erie Canal Fishing Derby will be starting July 4 and run through July 15. All of the details can be found at www.eriecanalderby.com. This year’s event will remember its founder who passed away last fall. As far as the Niagara River is concerned, there are still a few trout hanging around the river. Devil’s Hole in the lower river has produced a few steelies and the upper river has a few trout hanging around, too. Capt. Joe Czyrny of Anglers Obsession Charters hit a brown trout this week while drifting a worm harness in the upper river. For the most part, though, it’s been bass and walleye. Live bait like minnows, shiners and worm harnesses is a good approach. Tubes, drop shot rigs and body baits will catch fish, too. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls was in his canoe this week working the waters around Cayuga Island and actually caught a walleye in Cayuga Creek. Some nice largemouth in the main river around the island, too. He’s still hitting an occasional pike but they are starting to scatter.
Gander Outdoors will be holding a grand opening on Saturday, June 30 starting at 9 a.m. The store is located at 880 Young Street, Tonawanda. The NYS Summer Classic statewide tournament starts July 1. Check out www.nyssummerclassic.com. And if you missed the Summer Bash kids fishing contest on Hyde Park Lake in Niagara Falls last Saturday, you really didn’t. With the rain issues, that event was rescheduled for Sept. 22 in conjunction with National Hunting and Fishing Day and another free fishing day.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario Report
According to Capt. Andy Bliss of Chasin Tail Adventures:
Salmon fishing out of Oswego has been nothing short of incredible!! Kings of all sizes are being caught from 100-350 feet of water. They are biting just about anything you present to them – spoons, flies, meat. So just run what you have confidence in and enjoy the spectacular fishing!
Oswego River Report
The flow has been up and down some over the last few days running between 1,000cfs and 4,500cfs. This morning it is flowing at 1,750cfs. Look for walleye with large stickbaits the suggested bait. Bass are biting on crayfish and live minnows and sheepshead are taking crayfish and night crawlers.
Notice: The bridge to Leto Island is closed, and there are mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) zones on the river. For more information, visit our website at visitoswegocounty.com and click on the Fishing Report along the top bar on the home page.
Pulaski Area and Salmon River Report:
According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle:
The trout and salmon fishing is off the chart on Lake Ontario. Look for trout in 15-20 feet of water with spoons being the choice of bait. Salmon are very active in 120-160 feet of water taking spoons, flies and flashers. There is also a bass bite with live minnows and crawfish working well.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Another perfect spring day yesterday. We had three anglers fish the greater part of the morning having reported moderate success in the middle section of the run landing several smallmouth bass ranging in size with one around 18 inches. The river remains low and clear with a water temperature early this morning at 65 F. The release at the dam remains at 185 CFS with a reported flow of 231 CFS at the Pineville gauge.
Oneida Lake Report:
Walleye are active in 15-30 feet of water and along the drop-offs with worm harnesses, blade-style baits and bucktail jigs working well. The bass bite can be found in more shallow water and along the shoals using plastics and crankbaits. The pickerel bite has also been active.
Sandy Pond report:
Anglers are continuing to pick up a few walleye along with some perch and bass. Stickbaits, crankbaits, jigs, small minnows and nightcrawlers are working well.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
Beautiful weather has been on the region for the last few weeks and the anglers have been enjoying it!
The eastern Finger Lakes are fishing well for the light tackle angler. Trout remain somewhat shallow but many are retreating to depths in the big lakes.
Once I can’t catch them on traditional fly and spinning tackle, I abandon the trout and chase the bass and pike! Fly fishing the warm water fish of the lakes is a blast and adds a new dimension to the game.
Pike in the North Country, bass and muskies in the Finger Lakes and Smallies everywhere have my attention for the next few weeks.
Stream fly fishing in Central New York is excellent thanks to recent rains and cold evening temperatures. Dry fly fishing is very good on local streams and rivers.
But as the days progress and daytime temperatures begin to climb, it becomes time to leave the creeks alone and let the trout chill out.
Tailwater fisheries will fish well through July and August.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The 4th weekend will be very hot, however that won’t bother the salmon. Hot on the land is ok. It’ll be cool on the water and the winds are predicted to be calm.
The bite continues. Straight out from Sodus Bay the kings have been hitting in 125 fow. Mag spoons with dark spots have worked well for charter captains.
Off the wire back 250 feet has been a typical set-up, with kings between 10 and 25 pounds coming to the net. Flasher flies have also worked. Fifty feet down on the riggers is also catching big kings.
Bays
The largemouth bass coming from Sodus Bay have been in the 6-pound class and smallies are being caught near the channel. Pike are between the islands.
With holiday boat traffic, the bays in Wayne County will be crowded and fishing will be a challenge…unless you hit the water at 5 am.
There are plenty of ramps and parking spaces for fishing Sodus and Port Bays. The best spot on Port Bay is the south end DEC ramp.
Perch are being caught near the channel at Port Bay, although most have left the bays and are in Lake Ontario.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. www.waynecountytourism.com.
Erie Canal
Last weekend there was a bass contest on the canal near Widewaters and the largemouths were hitting spinner baits and Zoom rubber. The weedline is usually on the south side of the canal. That’s where the action is, and you are out of the way of recreational boats traveling the canal.