Lake Ontario Fishing Info

New York State Record Sheepshead !!! 24 lbs 8 oz (Freshwater drum) Caught by Greg Netto In Chaumont Bay, NY on 06/08/05

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Gearing up-Feb 15th 2007 Fishing Update May 29th 2007 Update August 8th 2007

Brown trout tactics-April 15th 2007 Fishing update June 13th 2007 Update August 16th 2007

Walleye opener-April 29th 2007 Fishing update July 4th 2007 Cut bait & VHS August 23rd 2007

Fishing update-May 24th 2007 Unbelievable Shipping Lanes action July 28th 2007

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Mile Bay Weather Forecast, NY (13693)

Cut Bait & VHS As most of us have heard the latest issue affecting our Lake Ontario fishery is the recent discovery of VHS in various species of fish in our area. The virus, viral hemorrhagic septicemia has taken a toll on a number of fish in our waters including, muskellunge, freshwater drum and round gobies. VHS, similar to human Hemorrhagic Fever, has a very destructive effect on the internal systems of fish and causes internal bleeding and in many cases death. Other Waters in New York State that have tested positive for the disease include, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Niagara River, St Lawrence River and Conesus lake.

There are a number of ways the virus could have found its way into our waters and most explanations are plausible but as far as I know still speculative. As a matter of fact it will be nearly impossible to determine exactly how the virus was first introduced into the area. The only course of action we have right now is to react to the existence of the virus and some how try to prevent other undesirable organisms from entering our ecosystems.

The first know appearance of VHS was in 2005 when it was found in freshwater drum and muskellunge. One of the explanations for its existence is that it may have been introduced through one or more organisms from the ballast tanks of commercial ships moving through the seaway. Just like the zebra muscle the round gobie, a know carrier of the virus, probably hitched a ride on the big boats and found a new home in the Great Lakes. Because the round gobie and VHS made their appearance at approximately the same time it is very easy to blame the shipping industry. According to Dick McDonald, a DEC Fisheries Biologist out of the Watertown office the virus could also have been introduced through contaminated bait fish. Any number of different types of bait fish both dead and alive could have been the source. One possibility would be frozen bait that many anglers in the area have used for years. The freezing process alone will not kill all viral and bacterial organisms and the pacific herring has been tested positive for VHS. Tom Davis from Rhys Davis LTD, said that the herring cut bait that they produce are frozen only and not chemically treated in any way. This provides another possible explanation for the existence of VHS. However, one of the problems with this theory is that the same cut bait has reportedly been used in inland in other states waters with virtually no apparent effect on the ecosystems.

As anglers we need to be aware of the new regulations governing the use of bait fish in New York State. For instance bait fish are classified into 3 categories-uncertified, certified and preserved. Under the preserved category the dead bait must have been preserved by a means other than freezing alone. For a live or dead bait fish to be certified it must be tested for, and found free of VHS and a number of other pathogens listed in regulations. The process starts with the appropriate identification and collection of the species to be tested. This process can only be initiated through the specific agencies listed eg, American Fisheries Society pathologists, fish health inspectors and some veterinarians. Currently there are only 2 labs in the US authorized by NYS and DEC to conduct the tests. The first is Micro Technologies in Richmond Maine and the second at the Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab in the State of Washington. Once certified free of the pathogens the “lot” must be accompanied by the NYS Health Certification Report. The whole process can take 3 weeks and cost $700.00 to $1000.00 per lot.

Bait shop owners may sell certified, uncertified, or preserved bait. However bait cannot be sold as certified if uncertified bait is available in the same shop. Selling uncertified bait comes with severe restrictions. First the retailer must have a DEC permit to get it transported to his shop. Second the bait can not be transported overland by the buyer. So to be able to use the uncertified bait it must be within walking distance of the water in which it will be used and it must have also come from the water where it will be used. To use certified bait the angler must keep the receipt that was issued when it was purchased. The receipt must indicate certification, the name of the seller, date of sale, the species of bait fish and the quantity. After 7 days the bait fish can no longer be used legally and the receipt becomes invalid.

What does all this mean to the average angler and New York State sport fishing? The first thing that comes to mind is the threat to the sport fishing industry by reducing populations either directly or by effecting the food chain that would of course also eventually effect sport fish populations.

Of immediate concern is the obvious lack of our favorite cut bait. Many Lake Ontario salmon anglers are accustomed to pegging “Rhys Davis” cut bait to their bait heads and dragging them behind flashers during the staging or pre-staging periods prior to the mature salmon making their spawning runs up the NY rivers and streams. The lack of the Pacific herring strips produced by Rhys Davis LTD is of course due to the new NYS DEC emergency regulations imposed in the fight against VHS in our ecosystems. Because the herring is frozen and not processed in a way that would assure the elimination of the virus, the bait does not meet the requirements for properly processed bait fish. Therefore under part 10 and part 188 of the New York State DEC emergency regulations this bait can not be transported or sold in NY for use as bait.

After talking to Tom Davis of the Rhys Davis Company, don’t expect them to certify their cut bait any time soon. Tom told me that they won’t test a bait fish that has already been tested positive for VHS. This process would also probably be economically unfeasible because of the cost of testing, add this to the fact that every lot has to be tested and the time that it takes, it just doesn’t make economical sense. Also, it is not practical in most cases to expect a company to change the way they process their product. Meeting New York State’s new regulations would require a complete change in the way Rhys Davis processes their bait. This would require additional chemicals or ingredients and would also require a change in the packaging to include stating the way in which it was processed. Of course comprehensive testing has to be part of the process to determine any change in bait consistency, durability, scent and overall effectiveness.

All is not lost! As anglers we’ve had to adapt to not only the natural cyclic changes but also to the sometimes catastrophic changes caused by introducing an undesirable form of plant or animal life into our aquatic ecosystems.

Although bait shops and distributors have been severely affected by the regulations and in some cases devastated, they do have whole bait and cut bait for sale. Don’t be afraid to try the whole bait. In some parts of the Great Lakes whole bait rigs are the norm and they will work. Anglers will have to purchase whole bait heads to use these baits. Another method would be to cut your own whole bait into cut bait strips and use them with the cut bait teasers that are already part of many anglers tackle boxes. This is not as easy as it sounds however. For one reason or another, the flesh on the Atlantic herring is soft which makes it very difficult to fillet into strips. Cutting the whole bait is a little easier when attempted frozen. The time between harvesting the herring and processing it and also the processing method itself can affect the consistency of the flesh. The Atlantic herring may also have a naturally softer flesh than the Pacific herring. As I said earlier, cut bait is available but there has apparently been a durability issue with bait falling apart after very little time in the water. To increase the durability of the bait, Tom Davis recommends soaking the bait strips in a brine solution. Using a cooler designed for holding a six pack of soda or beer add a quart of water and approximately 2 cups of pickling salt. After all the salt is dissolved into the solution add the bait strips and soak for a couple hours. Place the cooler into a freezer until needed for fishing. The solution should not freeze if the right amount of salt added. If there is too much salt added then all of it will not dissolve. If there wasn’t enough salt the solution will freeze. After fishing place your bait back into the cooler and return it to the freezer. Another method would be to lightly salt herring strips between sheets of wax paper. Allow enough time for the bait to absorb the salt and place in a freezer until needed.

For those salmon anglers who refuse to convert to the new cut bait there is always the flasher/fly, dodger fly combos, J-plugs, and even spoons in the magnum sizes-all still effective in the staging periods.

Our last trip was at the finger off Stoney Point Lighthouse on the 10th of Aug. We caught 1 nice king running 333' of wire on a mag dispsey with a NK 28 in the purple slash pattern. There has been some good catches of lakers on the SW end of the finger in 115' to 120' of water. We did hear of a few more kings taken in the trench, including a couple with pronounce kypes-a definite sign of staging!

Although we haven't been out to the shipping lanes since the 27th we had reports of much slower action. The finger off Stoney Point continues to produce a few salmon and there were reports of a couple kings caught in the trench. Also some great lake trout action can be found along and just off the finger. Still no significant reports of walleye.

Some charter captains have stated that they have never seen it so good in the shipping lanes!!! The king salmon bite continues to be as hot as it gets. On our last trip to the wall in the lanes we limited out on king salmon by 10:15 AM. Of the 6 kings we hauled in 5 were in the 22-28lb range and one was a skipper that we released. The hottest bait was a purple delmation Northern King spoon in the NK 28 size fished with 105' of cable out. We caught half of the fish on our GLP mooneye spoons in the silver/ladderback and silver/glo colors. The best temps were found at 105 to 115' and we fished the 110-120 contour on the wall. GPS speed was 2.2 to 2.3 MPH. On thursday the 26th we only caught 1 skipper and quit at 9:00 AM due to 6 foot waves. We did get reports of limits on thursday. We had one report that a GPS speed of over 3.0 MPH had to be maintained to get a down speed in the 2.2 MPH range-due to heavy wind and strong currents on the wall.

On the last trip to the lanes (July 5th) we went 3 for 4 on kings. The hot spoons were Black/glo/silver and black/silver ladderback with small flashers 60" ahead of the spoons. One king came on an Atomik misery fly 20" behind a flasher. All 3 kings were 22-25 lbs. We stuck to the 115' contour and ran 95-105' of cable. Our boat speed was 2.3 to 2.4 MPH. On the 16th I went out solo to the small wall off Stoney Point lighthouse and went 1 for 3, boxing a 24 lb king. This king came on the black/silver ladderback behind a 9" flasher. The depths an speed was the same pattern that we used on the last trip to the lanes. Both walls have provided great King action during the last couple weeks.

The salmon have arrived at the shipping lanes! For the last 2 weeks the action has been outstanding with a number of limits reported. Unlike last year there have been more "jacks" taken but the overall harvest seems to be as good as it was last summer-so far. Flasher fly combos as well as pure spoon patterns are working well. The consistent spoon color has been Black/silver. The depths that are working seem to be at the 100-125' contour on the wall with 75-95' of cable out. Don't be afraid to get away from the flow of traffic to sample the deeper water next to the wall.

We don't have much to report this week except our trip to the shipping lanes today. I went out in my neighbors boat and we set up a spoon and flasher/fly pattern. After about an hour on a west troll along the wall we hooked up on and boxed a 20 LB king. The salmon came on a green flasher with an Atomik misery fly. We had one more rod bounce and that was it for the day. We saw tons of bait on the east end of the wall and nothing on the west end. We heard that Bill Saiff III limited out on lake trout in the lanes last week. Check out his web site for some great updated fishing info

There were reports of good pike action on the 25th and 26th. Very little walleye action was reported. We picked up one 8 pound walleye off the head of Pillar Point fishing with shallow stick baits in 60 feet of water. Based on smallmouth action we are looking at another great bass season. No reports were available for Sunday and Monday the 27th and 28th. This morning Lake Ontario is mirror calm again and we are looking at another high pressure system.

The walleye fishing was slow Monday the 22nd and yesterday the 23rd. With a high pressure system Monday morning conditions more more favorable for a blue bird. The morning started with a frost here on Point Peninsula. The wind was still and the water was mirror calm. Fishing was tough for us and those charters that were fishing the area with a few fish caught later in the day with wind conditions increasing in the afternoon. . Although we don't have a report for Tuesday, on Wednesday the conditions were nearly identical as they were on on Monday with few fish caught. Water temps were consistent at around 54 degrees early in the week, probably warming up significantly with air temps near 80 yesterday the 23rd. We don't have any info on Black River Bay at this time. Also we don't have a brown trout update.

The walleye fishing in Chaumont Bay was nothing short of fantastic this week with a number of limits reported. From what we heard the bite was slow to start this year but unlike last year it has picked up tremendously. Early in the week we started getting reports of some good catches with a number of limits caught in the last 2-3 days. There was a pattern to the bite as it progressed throughout the morning during the last 3 days but anglers seemed to have their own hot lure types and colors. What this means is that the fish were not too particular in what they wanted to eat-although you won't convince the anglers. For us the pattern was blue/silver/orange thundersticks in the 4" size. This is one step down in the sizes that we usually use. As the boat numbers increased the sonar marks started to move down in the water column. When this happened we went to deep diving stick baits and stinger spoons with drop weights in the 1-2 ounce sizes. Although we this worked for us, the shallow stick baits continued to produce fish. Big catches of northern pike, and smallmouth bass (opens 3rd Saturday in June) were reported and the brown trout action was also good.

Opening day of the NYS walleye season is Saturday the 5th of May. I haven't heard for sure but I believe we can safely say that the water temps reached that magic 42-43 degrees and the females have spawned and moved out into the bays. Our water temps around Chamount Bay, and Black River Bay areas hovered around the 40 degree mark for a few days before we hit the 60's and 70's for air temps. These long awaited higher temps probably brought the water temperature up to the mark needed to trigger the spawn. What this means for those anglers that will be on the water on opening day is that our focus will be in and near Black River bay-at least for the most part.

In the big waters like we have here on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, walleyes are as much pelagic as they are structure oriented. Post spawn walleyes will be looking for schools of bait fish to feed their voracious appetites. This doesn't mean the walleyes are not structure oriented. Many anglers swear by trolling over humps, shoals and other structure. Others will look for a specific water depth to run their baits. Whatever approach you choose a good place to start would be Black River Bay.

There is no secret when it comes to baits. Most anglers will use some form of stick baits in the 4 to 4.5" sizes. For which stick bait to use you will find a wide range of preferences. Each angler has his or her favorite brand and any of the big names like; Storm Thundersticks, Smithwick, Rebel, Bomber, Rapala, Reef Runner will work. Good color choices include, black/chrome, blue/chrome, black/chrome/orange, blue/chrome/orange, perch patterns etc. A hot new bait on the market for this year is the "MADFLASH" produced by Storm Thunderstick.

Whether you run the big boards or the in-lines try running 2-3 baits off each side of the boat. If you have enough licensed anglers on board you can try 4 lines on each board or run a couple spoons shallow off the riggers and 100-125' back for that occasional brown trout. Separate the spread by at least 50' and make the outer lines your longer leads (distance of the bait behind the boat). Bring the inner lines in closer as you come in toward the boat. For instance, your outer lines may be set back to 275', with the middle line at 200' and the inner line at 125'. This makes it a little easier for a fish hooked up on the outer lines to clear the inner lines without tangling. This is another area where anglers disagree. The distances mentioned here are an example only, some may go out to 275' or more and some start at less than 200' for the outer line. Experiment! and do what works for you.

Well its mid April and the brown trout bite should be hot and heavy. However, winter's grip on the northeast has been relentless and with another winter snow storm pounding us, the brown trout fishing will be delayed for many anglers.

We did get some reports of a good bite a week ago but the action will slow down a lot until the current nor'easter blows through. The forcasters are calling for a slight improvement in temps with some form of precip continuing for the next few days. Who said it was spring?

For early spring browns its a good idea to try fishing near one of the numerous creeks, or rivers that flow into Lake Ontario. The water temps from spring run-off are usually a couple degrees warmer than the Lake water. This attracts bait fish and of course the trout and salmon follow them into the shallows. Also, steelhead are making their spring spawning run. Some of the hottest fishing sometimes occurs after a warm rain sometimes producing a silt plume on the shoreline right at the mouth of the creek. This stained water flows down the lake shore either with the current or wind. This increase in action may is due to the warmer water, increased flow of nutrients and food and provide a great visually defined area that anglers can zero in on when trolling or casting. Mixed bags of steelhead, lake trout, cohos, kings, and the occasional atlantic salmon are common this time of year.

Downsize! For early spring browns anglers normally go with smaller baits. Try spoons and stick baits in the 2.5" to 3.5" range. Any of the stick baits like, Rapala, Thunderstick, Smithwick, and Challenger will work as well as Stinger, NK, Cleo, and Blade-runner spoons. Favorite colors include, blue/chrome/orange, black/chrome/orange, blue/chrome, orange, green/chrome, etc. The Michigan Stinger spoons in the emerald shiner and alwive pattern have been hot patterns in the past. You will get as many favorites as there are anglers but the choices that we have listed will get you started.

If you are trolling, using planer boards will help put more fish in the boat when your targeting browns. Long-lining directly behind the boat will work but this limits the number of lines you can run and you will see more results with the boards due to the spooky nature of brown trout. We run at least 3 lines off the big boards on each side of the boat spacing the baits at least 50' apart. Don't miss the action in close to shore. We sometimes run the boards right into 5' of water, depending on conditions. Also most of our baits are running in the top 10' of the water column in 5' to 40' of water depth.

For shore-bound anglers try casting a blue/chrome cleo off one the many piers or jetties adjacent to creeks and rivers along the lake shore. Sodus Point, Fair Haven, Selkirk Shores are great choices. For those that want to wade off shore a little, put on the waders and try casting off Maxwell creek in Sodus Point. Shore anglers should also take advantage of that discolored plume!

The start of another season on Lake Ontario is just around the corner. We are in our spring transition here in Central and Northern New York. The ice fishermen are still braving the receding ice on the bays and we are still seeing the occasional steelhead fisherman on some of the Lake Ontario tributaries. The sights and sounds of spring are abundant with the red wing black birds singing and our mallards and Canada Geese coming home. To the serious anglers and those suffering from cabin fever this means only one thing-its almost time.

If you are like us, its time to replace all the lost or worn tackle and change the line on the reels-how about getting the boat in for a pre-season check. These are all great ways to deal with the late winter effects of cabin fever but remember, treat the disease and not the symptoms. You have to get out of the house sportsmen and women!

Try going to one of the many Sports shows in NY. The first one of the season is the Northeastern Sport Show in Syracuse at the end of January, followed by the Central NY Boat Show both held at the fairgrounds in Syracuse. The next event for outdoor enthusiasts is the Rochester Sport show in early March and the Buffalo Show (Hamburg Fairgrounds) a few days later. In the Watertown area we have the Expo and Outdoor Show at the end of March and the Clayton Boat Show in mid April.

For those who need to wait until ice out the first fishing of the season is the bullhead run. All of the bays off Lake Ontario offer excellent early spring bullhead fishing. This is a great time to get out of the house and take the kids fishing. Action can be non-stop at times and this certainly helps when introducing a youngster to the fishing experience.

April 1st is special in NY for 2 reasons-one, it’s “all fools day” and two, it’s the opening day of statewide trout season. NY offers some of the best stream trout fishing in the Northeast. With the Lake Ontario steelhead fishing winding down anglers can turn to the endless streams such as tributaries of the Finger Lakes or streams in the Catskills or Adirondacks. Don’t forget about the NYS DEC stocking program. Those pellet fed hatchery fish may be easy to catch but it offers action and they are the tastiest fish swimming in NY. Remember these fish are raised to be released and caught and don’t have a high winter survival rate anyway.

Look for our next update in a couple weeks. We will be talking Lake Ontario Brown trout tactics.

Great Lakes Planers

Eastern Lake Ontario Fishing Info

Lake Ontario Fishing Info