Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The moss in the Niagara River is starting to subside according to reports from Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston. As a result, the walleye fishing is starting to pick up, especially on the Niagara Bar at the mouth of the river. Worm harnesses have been the bait of choice using hammered copper blades with red beads. Bass action is also starting to pick up. Tube jigs are the lure that seems to be working best with what moss is left in the river, both above and below Niagara Falls. In the upper river, bass, walleye and musky have been cooperating for some anglers. Add Ned rigs, worm harnesses and crayfish to the list of preferred baits and lures. The Erie Canal Fishing Derby is officially over. Read this week’s outdoor column to check out where and how the big fish were caught.
One of the hot spots on Lake Ontario this week has been the Niagara Bar off the mouth of the river. Fishing 50 to 80 feet down over 90 to 200 feet of water was producing plenty of mature king salmon. John Van Hoff hit a 29-pound king on Sunday with flasher-fly on the Bar, one of many mature kings he caught the day after the LOTSA contests. On Monday, it was Doug Parker of Lockport that caught a 29-pound, 9-ounce Bar king to take over the lead for the Grand Prize in the Summer Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby, also with a flasher and fly. Capt. Joe Gallo of Two Bulls Charters reports that he teamed up with Capt. Alan Sauerland for the LOTSA contests and they produced over 50 bites over two days of fishing. They fished in over 300 feet of water, a few miles west of their home port using flasher-fly and meat programs. On Sunday they moved into shallower water in front of their home port and it paid off with a 17 for 24 king salmon day with a dozen salmon up to 25 pounds. Capt. Mike Johannes of On the Rocks had the catch of the week with a 31-1/2-pound salmon caught out of Wilson, but the customers didn’t get into the derby. The LOC event ends on Sunday. Out of Olcott, Capt. Tim Sylvester of Tough Duty ran out to 300-plus feet of water to hit an early spoon bite on Tuesday. Magnum spoons off the riggers were the way to go, 50 to 80 feet beneath the surface. His best depth was 75 feet down.
In the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association’s Curt Meddaugh contest on Friday, Hooked Up led by Dustin Petersen of Indiana, Pennsylvania took top honors when they weighed in 3 king salmon totaling nearly 68 pounds. For the Saturday big fish contest, Joe Yaeger of Amherst and his savvy Salmonella team weighed the big fish for the day, a 27 ½ pound Niagara Bar king salmon. Marty Polovick of Lockport and his 4 Poles Team won the 3-2-3 contest, the best 3 fish over 2 days, with over 80 pounds of salmon. He beat the runnerup, Kyle Hovak and the Mean Machine team by just .01 of a pound. Next derby up on Lake O. is the Orleans County Rotary Derby set for August 3-18. James Nix, Jr. of Amherst was the lucky angler as the 29th Annual Steve Harrington Memorial Erie Canal Fishing Derby comes to an official close. Nix, who was in the final drawing by virtue of his first-place win in the pike division, was selected at the awards ceremony last Sunday to receive the Grand Prize of a boat, motor and trailer from Brobeil Marine in Buffalo. What made it even more exciting for him is that this was his first derby ever, encouraged to join by a previous grand prize winner, Keegan Walczak. Keegan was in that same drawing for the boat package this time around, too. However, it was Nix who came out on top. Rebecca Thering of Appleton won the Kids Division Grand Prize, a new kayak. Check out eriecanalderby.com for final results.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning.
Notice: Due to high water levels, a local state of emergency order for a “No Wake Zone” has been established for boats 1,000 feet from the Lake Ontario shoreline and tributaries. All motorized boats within 1,000 feet of the shoreline and within these waterways must operate at idle speed.
Lake Ontario/Oswego River Report
Notice: Wright’s Landing Marina is open. Harborfest begins Thursday night and runs through Sunday so you will see increased boat activity in the area.
According to Cold Steel Sportfishing Charters:
It took a little longer to find them Tuesday morning but when we did the bite was on. Pautzke bait and A-TOM-MIK meat rigs are a deadly match. The biggest fish came on a Michigan Stinger flasher and an A-TOM-MIK Holly fly.
According to Capt. Andy Grisenthwaite of Broad Horizons Charters:
Fishing out of Oswego has remained steady with salmon and steelhead being taken anywhere from 120 FOW out to the depths. I’ve been running mostly spoons and flasher/flies but meat rigs get their bites also.
According to Oz Angling Tackle:
The river flow began to drop on Monday into Tuesday. This morning it is flowing at 4,300 cfs. Temperatures moderated and the humidity dropped making for much more comfortable fishing conditions this week. Anglers were taking advantage of this searching for walleye, smallmouth bass, sheepshead and bluegills. Night crawlers, crayfish and stickbaits are working well. One young five-year-old angler reeled in an impressive Drum this week. We absolutely love to see kids taking a liking to the awesome sport of fishing.
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.
Salmon River Report:
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
A half dozen anglers took advantage of the conditions yesterday with bearable heat. Reports from these anglers indicated a rather successful day. Each was able to bring a few fish to hand, some upwards of 10. The release from the dam is scheduled to remain at 185 cfs until midnight tonight.
Oneida Lake Report:
been good in shallow water and in the deeper depths. Worm harnesses, blade baits and trolling stickbaits are suggested applications. Bass can be found in 5-15 feet of water and anglers are also finding an active perch bite.
Sandy Pond Report:
Activity is quiet on the pond. Due to Lake Ontario’s high water level, the DEC North Sandy Pond boat launch is closed.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
The 16th edition of the Sodus Pro-Am was last weekend, and although Sunday was a challenge with Lake Ontario waves…the fishing was fantastic.
Teams that fished close to Sodus were catching kings with spoons and meat-rigs. The water temps on the surface were running 72 degrees with 45 to 50 degrees down 40 to 60 feet.
The Am team winner, “Roll With It” caught one king off 300 feet of copper. It was quite an ordeal as the fish took out 872 feet of line. That kind of reeling is for the young anglers.
Check out the live feed Facebook page for the final leaderboard.
Remember, the LOC Summer Derby continues through July 28. All the info is at loc.org.
Currently, a 29-pound king caught in Niagara County leads the contest.
The largest BT’s on the leaderboard are from Hughes’ Marina Wayne County.
The awards ceremony is this Sunday at Captain Jack’ Tavern, Sodus Point, starting at 3 pm.
Bays
Wayne County still has a no-wake condition. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office declared a State of Emergency on Sodus Bay, East Bay, Port Bay and Blind Sodus Bay effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday May 11.
SODUS BAY – IDLE SPEED ONLY CAUSING NO WAKE WITHIN 1000 FEET of shore.
PORT BAY, EAST BAY and BLIND SODUS BAY – IDLE SPEED ONLY CAUSING NO WAKE.
Bass anglers were holding a contest at Sodus Bay. Most boats were launching from the ramp at Margaretta Road. (Route 14 neat to Arney’s Marina.
The largemouths are everywhere and with the heatwave warming the water temps, they are on the bite.
Use plastic Senko worms, spinner baits, or throw out jigs. Target the weedlines.
Check out the rest of the Wayne County Tourism web page for the locations and hours of local bait and tackle shops. waynecountytourism.com.
Erie Canal
The kayak anglers that fish Widewaters every Sunday are catching some nice bass.
The canal has always been a secret hot spot for five to six-pound largemouths.