Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
On May 6, Morgan Fonzi of Gasport reeled in a big white bass from the lower Niagara River that weighed 3 pounds, 8 ounces while fishing with his dad, Capt. Joe Fonzi of Gasport. Little did they realize they were holding onto a new record catch. The previous record was a 3-pound, 6-ounce fish caught by Robert Hilton from Furnace Brook in Westchester County, a tributary of the Hudson River, back in 1992.
The father-son duo was just out fishing in the lower Niagara River last week (May 5), not targeting any specific species and catching a mix of trout and smallmouth bass. They started catching white bass and they decided to stick with them, ending up with around 25 nice-sized fish. Included in their catch was a 3-pound, 10-ounce white bass, what locals refer to as a silver bass. They look like a small striped bass, swimming up the Niagara River every May to spawn. The first record ended up on the cleaning table.
The next day they went after white bass specifically and found the bigger ones were holding deeper. The most effective bait was a 5/8-ounce Steelshad blade bait in a gold color and that was the bait Morgan was using to reel in the record catch. The rest is history. Congrats Morgan!
Good numbers of steelhead are still in the river and bass are not as active as they should be with the cooler temperatures, but still active none the less. From shore, the Mike and Mike show (Mike Rzucidlo and Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls) was still going on despite some turbid conditions last weekend. Casting spinners and jigs, they managed to catch steelhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass, and silver (white) bass from shore. Boaters off the mouth of the river near the fort can take smallmouth bass in close or salmon and lake trout a bit deeper using 3-way rigs and MagLips or Kwikfish. At least, when the winds cooperate. Light winds today saw good numbers of small boaters targeting kings around the green buoy marker. In the upper Niagara River, some bass and walleye are being reported, along with some perch.
The spring salmon bite continues to be particularly good for trolling anglers from the Niagara Bar to Olcott according to reports in Lake Ontario. Josh Dunkelberger of Olcott reports they were 3 for 6 on kings using a GRC lemon fly with a lemon ice spin doctor in front of Olcott. They also had six on UV Blue Dolphin and NBK spoons 45 to 65 feet down over 60 to 120 feet on the riggers, 112 to 125 feet back on the divers set at 3.5. Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors says action in front of Olcott has been super from 60 feet of water to 90 feet of water with chartreuse and black magnum spoons. Quite a few kings in the 20 to 25-pound range have been caught. There are good numbers of fish with some lake trout mixed in. Check out the new 24-hour bait, lures, and everything else machine at their Olcott shop due to social distancing concerns.
Out of Wilson to the Niagara Bar, Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Youngstown reports pretty much the same program in 50 to 100 feet of water with magnum spoons, kings and lakers. Color does not seem to matter on the spoon. A few fish are being caught on flasher-flies up and down the lake, too.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Surface temps off Rochester today are 40 degrees, and the wind continues to blow. Currently, it’s cranking out of the north-west.
The good news is the relentless wind is supposed to settle down.
There is also good news that we might have an early king bite like last year. They are showing-up along the entire lake and Wayne County anglers were catching salmon near Bear Creek in Ontario.
The spring routine has been the usual spoons…glow blue and black. The browns were close to shore in 10 feet of water over the weekend. Naturally, that will change if you get out tomorrow. Look for the temperature breaks and try to mark fish.
You can fish east or west out of Sodus and if the stained water remains, try trolling in and out of the mudlines.
Bays
Some anglers were catching bullhead off Bay Bridge; however, the water is still too cold.
Crappies are still being caught in the shallow water of Port Bay. They like anything bright and will hit small jigs tipped with spikes. You can use your ice fishing jigs.
The pike and walleye season is now opened. Fish around the three islands on Sodus Bay. You can either troll or jig the shallow water on the east side of the bay.
Anglers are catching pike on the north end of Sodus Bay. Troll from the LeRoy Island Bridge south and stay in four to five feet of water. The pike will be in the weeds and will hit spoons. Or cast spinner baits towards the shore.
Erie Canal
Last Sunday some anglers were fishing the north side of the canal near Widewaters and the Port Gibson Bridge. Fishing was slow, probably because of the colder water temps.
Currently the canal is closed for boat traffic. You can keep informed from the NYS Canal web.
You can still fish from shore at pull-off sites along Route 31.
Boat Launches Opened
Privately-owned marinas, boat launches, and many other recreational marine locations are now opened.
The official statement from New York State is made in conjunction with similar ones from the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut, is the latest change to the guidance from Empire State Development on what is and isn’t affected by the governor’s Executive Order 202, which ordered employers to reduce the number of employees working at individual locations to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The guidance regarding privately-owned marinas, boatyards and recreational marine manufacturers allows for operations and boat repair/maintenance so long as the facilities ‘adhere to strict social distancing and sanitization protocols.’ However, watercraft cannot be used for charters or rentals, and any restaurant facilities there must remain take-out or delivery only.
Safety Precautions from DEC
While enjoying the outdoors, please continue to follow the CDC/New York State Department of Health guidelines (leaves DEC’s website) for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19:
- Try to keep at least six (6) feet of distance between you and others.
- Avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, and kissing.
- Wash hands often or use a hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
- Avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as doorknobs, handrails, and playground equipment.
When fishing, DEC recommends avoiding busy waters and following the guidelines on DEC’s website about fishing responsibly in New York State. If an angler arrives at a parking lot and there are several cars, they should consider going to another parking lot. If an angler is fishing upstream, they should fish downstream of the other angler or consider fishing another day. Anglers fishing from boats should be able to maintain at least six feet of distance between one another. For more information about the benefits of being outdoors safely and responsibly, go to DEC’s website.
New York State is open for fishing and DEC encourages anglers to recreate locally at a nearby waterbody. New York’s lakes and streams offer great opportunities for fishing in a wide array of settings across the state. Even during the current COVID-19 public health crisis, getting outdoors and connecting with nature while angling in New York’s waters is a great way to help maintain mental and physical health.
Charters and Guides
The “New York State on PAUSE” Executive Order, a 10-point policy to assure uniform safety for everyone during the COVID-19 response, includes a directive that all non-essential businesses statewide must close effective at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, and temporarily bans all non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason.
At this time, fishing guides or charters of any size have been determined to be not essential and are subject to workforce reduction requirements of the Executive Order. The full and updated guidance on which types of businesses are determined essential and other designations associated with the order can be found online. For more info https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026