Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Lake Ontario has three different fishing derbies going on this weekend. The Orleans County Rotary Derby has been going on for 2 weeks, ending this Sunday, August 19 and Niagara County is part of it. On Friday, August 17, the Fall Lake Ontario Counties or LOC Derby started up for 18 days, offering contestants a chance to earn $25,000 for the largest salmon. Finally, the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby is set for August 18 to 26 in Erie, Niagara and Orleans counties. Cash prizes for the adults, merchandise prizes for the kids. If you were to catch a big salmon or trout, and you were entered in all three contests, you could conceivably win all three competitions. For the LOC Derby, find out more information at www.loc.org. Species categories include salmon, brown trout and rainbow/steelhead trout. For the fish odyssey, check out www.fishodyssey.net. Species categories include salmon, smallmouth bass, lake trout, walleye, carp and brown/rainbow trout. Kids can fish in a special youth division for free. The leading fish in the Orleans County contest is currently a 29-pound, 14-ounce king salmon reeled in by Joseph Miller of Harrisburg, Pa. Top rainbow trout is a 12 pounder caught by Dan Heglin of Gardner, Mass. Big brown is 14 pounds, 13 ounces, weighed in by Michael Grager of Lyndonville. Brian Gambell of Hilton is still leading the lake trout division with a 17 pound, 12 ounce fish. The Orleans derby ends Sunday.
The bite has been good offshore since the big east blow on Friday according to Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters. There are fish spread out from 300 to 450 feet of water off Wilson and Olcott. The hot spot has been changing every day. Start shallow and go north till you start getting bites according to Yablonsky. He has been using a mix of spoons and flasher-fly combinations. He hasn’t had to run any meat yet. As things settle back in, look for staging fish off the creek and river mouths. Target the area out front of Wilson and Olcott for mature kings in 50 to 150 feet of water. J-Plugs, magnum spoons, flasher-flies and cut bait were all working on kings. Don’t forget about the Niagara Bar for staging fish, too, as we advance later into the summer. Some salmon have been seen porpoising in the lake.
Capt. Arnie Jonathan of AJ’s Guide Service says that the walleye fishing in the lower river has been good the past week. Leeches fished off three-way rigs has been effective. Some anglers prefer the old standby, a Yellow Sally fly, spinner and a worm fished off a three-way rig. Standard worm harnesses will also work, but you will catch other species of fish, too, when using live bait like sheepshead. Smallmouth bass action has been good for crab drifters. The NYPA fishing platform is still producing a mix of fish. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls caught 6 bass and a couple big sheepshead the last time out using a small white tube that he super-glues to a small jig head. While standing on the platform looking down, you will see muskies, gar pike, carp, bass, suckers and more.
The 5th Annual End of Summer Free Kids Fishing Derby will take place on August 25 at Widewaters Marina in Lockport. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and fishing will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario Report
According to Capt. Andy Bliss of Chasin’ Tail Adventures:
The fishing on Lake Ontario has been great. You can find salmon from 120-700 feet. They are everywhere with the best concentrations in 250-500 feet of water. Most salmon are being caught on A-TOM-MIK flies and meat rigs. Chrome in the sun and whites early and late in the day. Brown trout can be found in 60-90 feet of water and they are very active as well. Good luck to all fishing the LOC derby!
Oswego River Report
Although Oswego did not receive the heavy rain that other areas did on Tuesday, the regional rainfall does affect the Oswego River flow. This morning it is up to 7,000cfs. Anglers are finding bass, sheepshead and catfish with behind the hotels the suggested areas to try with this flow.
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. The Oswego Fire Department offers loaner life jackets at no charge through its “Loaner for Life” program. For more information contact the fire station, 35 E. Cayuga St., at 315-343-2161.
Pulaski Area and Salmon River Report:
Pulaski Area:
According to the Woody’s Tackle:
The good fishing continues on the lake. Brown trout are very active in 50-80 feet of water. The salmon bite is continuing in the deeper water, 350-500 feet. Flies/flashers, spoons, and cut bait are all working well. There have been reports of two salmon being taken in the Salmon River in the last day or so. There were a couple other sightings but no real influx as yet.
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
The season became official yesterday with an angler that was able to bring a couple of salmon to hand. That angler left at noon and another set of anglers reported having seen a salmon as well. Looking at the picture of one of the salmon that was landed, I would not say that the fish was fresh. My thinking is that the high water bump that we received from the rain Tuesday encouraged a few fish that had been hanging out in the estuary to poke their noses into our run.
Oneida Lake Report:
There continues to be a walleye bite on the lake although a bit slower as typically happens this time of year. Trolling seems to be the best application as there does not seem to be as much action jigging. It is likely that fish are beginning to feed on gizzard shad. Look for a bass bite along the shoals and weed beds.
Sandy Pond report:
The pond is typically quiet this time of year.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
“Bout Time” from Fair Haven has a very detailed report from this past weekend, posted on the LOU board. They were probably close to Wayne County waters, so we’ll use it. Here it is…. Fished 530 -11 Saturday morning with a crew from camp.
We ended the day 9 – 13. We hit 3 fish in tight (100-120’) first thing in the morning then things dried up.
I pushed out to deeper waters and we hit them solid from 270-350’. We had constant action with 3 doubles and multiple singles
Every rod fired in my spread.
Riggers down 65/78/88/90.
Dipsys set on “1” out 220/240/260/270
Dipsy on a “3” out 300/315/330
And 450 copper
Green Jean, Carbon 14, Die Hard spoons
Meat rigs behind green dot Spin Doctors, green Echips, and golden boy flashers
Green dot paddles with hammer and stud flies.
A great report.
Pop-up thunderstorms are predicted all week so keep an eye on your radar. It just rained 4 inches from storms that came from the south east.
Don’t forget the LOC Derby which starts this Friday August 17 and runs until Monday, September 3rd. Prize structure and information is at loc.org If you are fishing during that time frame, make sure you register.
Bays
Largemouths are being caught in all Wayne County bays. Just target the weedlines, which are everywhere. Use strong leaders because you’ll be pulling them from heavy cover.
During a bass tournament on Sodus Bay the largemouths came from the south end of the bay.
If you don’t own a boat, you can rent them from Bay Bridge Sport Shop.
There have been a few smallmouths caught in Lake Ontario straight out from Port Bay. They have been hitting 3- inch shad Power Bait.
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
Canal fishing has been excellent, however with today’s flooding and predicted run-off, be aware of a strong current.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism and Capt. John Oravec of Tightlines Charters
It is the “high season” off the Oak for Lake Ontario salmonid sportfishing and the fleet is crushing quality silver fish in many areas! Fishermen, Fisherwomen and especially Fisherkids are seeing ACTION from 200-550 ft of water, running spoon programs 45 to 75 ft. down.
The big northeast winds early Thursday rolled cold water onto the ledges raising the thermocline to 30 ft inside of the 100 ft hump. Capt Mike Grager and son Jason made a great read hitting a 14# + football brown which is leading the Albion Rotary Derby in the Brown Trout division!
A couple tips from CJO: upcoming #1 strategy this week is to try and fan out setting up off Johnson Creek or Shadigee westbound or the “Little Flats” to Bald Eagle Harbor to the east. There is a river off good fishing, water flowing past Orleans County. The fleet is here because yes, fish concentrations are wonderful but also Orleans County merchants offer services like lodging, tackle, dining and marina support, boat ramps for the complete fishing trip package, not to mention a savvy fleet of charter boats!