Greater Niagara Region
Frank Campbell
After the week ended on a good note, the weekend brought in more unfortunate weather as northerly winds continued to move water – and fish – around the lake. The more stable water is out deep if you are looking for a derby-winning salmon, but if we see some more stable weather patterns, the mature kings should be returning closer to port.
In the 9th Annual Reelin’ for a Cure tournament last Friday, Matt LeClair and his Oh Baby’s Ladies won the contest with a six-fish tournament limit of 6 salmon that weighed in at 120.80 pounds. Ten points per fish were added for a final score of 180.80 points. That was tough to beat. The team ran northeast to 600-plus feet of water off Golden Hill State Park. The team ran a simple five rod spread with two riggers, two dipsies and a copper rod. The baits of choice were mostly spoons with one meat rig mixed in. At 9 a.m. the boxed their 6th mature salmon and felt a sense of relief knowing they had a competitive box. Runner-up was Capt. Rob Westcott and his Legacy’s Ladies. They also ran northeast and ended up in 500-plus feet of water, 11 miles offshore of 30 Mile Point. They ran 300- and 400-foot copper rods, and 222-foot and 255-foot divers. However, their best rod was on a 99-foot rigger. Fish flashers, A-Tom-Mik meat rigs and rigged cutbait helped them to take second place with 164.02 points. You will need to do some exploring to find your target fish. Fish N’ Chicks with Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Thrillseeker placed third with 161.74 points.
Lower Niagara River action has been decent for both bass and walleye. The Niagara Bar can be good if the north winds allow for it, but it has pushed most of the smaller boats into the more protected lower section. Capt. Joe Marra of Niagara Rainbow Charters took out 95-year-old George Smutko of Youngstown and his son Kurt from North Carolina recently and they enjoyed a banner day of bass, walleyes, and even a trophy “sheepshead” for Kurt. Worm harnesses for walleye, crabs for bass were the baits of choice. Capt. Dave Scipione of Lewiston had Gary Menz of Lewiston out hitting the bar for brown trout with Menz’s grandson, 13-year-old Lyle Menz Kullman of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After boating 5 nice brown trout using DW green glow frog and rodfather spoons until the wind kicked up. Near the green can, young Lyle hit a 10.5-pound walleye for a personal best. It was released to fight another day. Capt. Connor Cinelli of Grand Island has been mainly fishing the lower river of late. He is still focused on walleye out on the Niagara Bar at the green buoy with harnesses, although the north winds the past few days have made it difficult to get out there. As a result, he’s been in the main river. He has had good luck bass fishing the Cliffs and Stella drifts with golden shiners and crabs.
The Fall Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby started out with a BANG when Dan Blackmore of Orford, New Hampshire reeled in a 31-pound, 5-ounce salmon to take over the opening day lead for the $25,000 Grand Prize. It’s still not too late to register. The derby concludes on Labor Day. There is a total cash payout of over $71,000 dollars! Other early leaders include Brad Pieffer of Pennsylvania with a 13-pound, 4-ounce brown trout out of Wilson and Corey Cleveland of Holley with a 13-pound 2-ounce steelhead out of Point Breeze. The leading walleye is from the Niagara Bar, a 9-pound, 1-ounce fish reeled in by Joe Augustyniak of Niagara Falls.
In the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby, there are some impressive fish on the board. Sign up on the Fishing Chaos App on your smartphone. Kids can fish for free! There are seven different fish species categories for adults and kids. It all ends Sunday at 6 p.m. For more information call Frank Campbell at 282-8992 Ext. 303.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Everything is deep. Straight out from Sodus you need to be in 400 to 700 fow. The kings are biting spoons…Moonshines, Stingers, and Warriors. All are UV.
Currently it’s another blow, keeping most charters in port. This one is a north gusting at 16mph.’When it calms go to the 24 or 25 bar.
The LOC Fall Derby started Friday, August 16th. The Grand Prize is $25,000 in cash, with $71,425 in guaranteed cash payout available. There is also $1100 in Daily Cash. Register online at loc.org or at weigh in stations listed on website.
First place currently is a Wayne County salmon weighing 26.10 pounds. Grand Prize is a “whooper” weighing 31.01caught near Pulaski.
$25,000 is a lot of cash, so sign up!
Bays
Bay fishing has been a largemouth bass catch. The bluegills, sunnies and perch are very scattered and difficult to find. You need to plan on spending many hours searching for panfish on Port and Sodus Bays.
The bass tournament anglers are catching many lunker bass. Use Senko rigs and fish under docks and near the weedlines.
Erie Canal
Canal fishing has been better than the bays. Hardly any wind blows you off the water.
The largemouth bass are on the southside of the canal, especially at Widewaters. Catfish are near Swifts Landing in Palmyra.
There are numerous locations to fish the canal waters from the shore, Cast out near the locks for a variety of fish. Locations from the shore are adjacent to Route 31.
Launch sites for Port Bay: Barrier bar road at the north end of West Port Bay Road and the south end DEC site. The north barrier bar road is very bumpy. Take it slow.
Bait for fishing is available on the south end of Sodus at Davenports and Bay Bridge Sport Shop.
On Port Bay Jarvis Bait Farm is open on Brown Road. The signs are on East Port Bay Road at the junction of Brown Road.
Toadz Bait is near the end of West Port Bay Road.
Notable Freshwater Fishing Regulation Changes
The following list offers a summary of the most notable fishing regulation changes resulting from the adopted rulemakings described above.
- New statewide regulation for rainbow trout, brown trout, and splake in lakes and ponds. The season will now be open year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size, with a “no more than two longer than 12 inches” harvest rule.
- Statewide Atlantic salmon regulations will now allow for a year-round open season.
- Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York unless specifically prohibited with the exception of Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties where previous rules remain.
- New specific dates replaced floating dates for statewide season openers to include:
- May 1 – Walleye, Northern Pike, Pickerel, and Tiger Muskellunge.
- June 1 – Muskellunge. (Note that in 2022, DEC will allow for the fishing of muskellunge beginning the last Saturday in May to accommodate previously planned fishing trips);and
- June 15 – Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
- A five-fish daily walleye limit in Oneida Lake.
- A new regulation to limit the growth of the walleye population in Skaneateles Lake. No daily possession limit; 12-inch minimum size limit, open year-round.
- The statewide sunfish daily harvest limit has been reduced from 50 to 25 fish: and
- The statewide minimum size limit for crappie has been increased from nine inches to ten inches.
Orleans County
Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator Ron Bierstine:
The weather, wind and subsequent Lake Ontario conditions has been changeable lately, especially the inside water. Fishing pressure out of Point Breeze lately seems quite manageable – any given day finds a few rec boats out and then a nearly full parking lot for the weekends. Charters are busily running – many seeing the high point of their season. Do check their schedules though, you might find a cancellation or half day available. Look for likely increasing trolling traffic now that the big money Fall LOC Derby has started and as we head toward the Labor Day holiday. Bit of a cool down right now after more rains this past weekend and beginning of the week. North winds yesterday and NW winds today with a small craft advisory keeping prudent mariners in port. Near shore water temps could possibly cool down making for more hospitable conditions for staging fish. A few offshore fish are showing signs of darkening but Kings still seem to be feeding regularly. A few pier casters look to be awaiting that first jarring strike of the late summer/early fall period.
Because of the changeable conditions, most trollers have been headed offshore to the 600 fow range. But Capt. Matt A. of Finnatic Charters has hung in on the “ledge” to the east trying for a derby brown or King. He’s boating a few good brown trout each outing waiting to crack the 10 lb mark. He took some browns working J-plugs for salmon.
Capt. Rick Hajecki of Crazy Yankee Sportfishing has been offshore around 8 miles at the 30 line working 65 – 90 ft down mostly on a spoon program. Check out his YouTube channel for more info.
Capt. Bob Stevens of Sunrise II Charters has seen some smaller mature fish and is thinking the latest wind could bring some of those first run fish around closer to the Oak. He’ll be back after them with the hopefully good stretch of stable weather ahead of us through this weekend.
There’s still plenty of good open Lake days ahead so come on out to the Orleans County waters and make your memories for some of the biggest fish of the season. Take the good weather when you can get it and look forward to the wade and cast and drift tributary season soon to be upon us too!
Oswego County
Fishing in Oswego County has been a wild ride lately. Salmon have been spread from 130-750’ of water with no big concentrations any one place. Big southeast winds then helped spread the fish out even more.
Lake Ontario – Oswego
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
Brown trout have been the species of choice this past weekend. High southeast winds kept most anglers from venturing offshore. Overall, 60-120’ has been best.
But the temperatures have been getting colder, with the heavy northern and northeastern weather. The ideal column for Monday and Tuesday was 55* down 25’.
But we expect to “start from scratch” once the wind lets up.
Lake Ontario – Mexico
Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
After chasing browns and salmon, most angler are targeting lake trout for consistent action
Tight lines everyone!
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
• Click Here of the 10 day Forecast
• Click Here for the Current CFS at Pineville
There have been reports of a few fish already being caught. The temperatures are still warm, but cold weather this week should help bring the water temps down.
Note that big rain has brought near flood levels to the Salmon River. Please consider the CFS and use extreme caution if you’re looking for early salmon.
Free Oswego Fishing Guide
The updated Oswego County Fishing and Hunting Guide is now available online and in print. The guide features a new cover and an expanded listing of fishing guides and charters.
The 67-page guide includes a detailed overview of fishing opportunities on eastern Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, the Oswego and Salmon rivers and a variety of other tributaries, as well as the more than 40,000 acres of public lands available for hunting.