Pictured above: Assemblyman Mike Norris (L), Dr. John Syracuse (C) a Niagara County legislator, and Rick Updegrove, Niagara County Manager show off some of the fish they caught aboard the White Mule with Capt. Bob Cinelli (Forrest Fisher Photo)
Greater Niagara Region
Bill Hilts, Jr.
The 41st Annual Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby ended on a high note as the awards ceremony was held last Sunday at the Olcott Fire Hall. This year, the $3,000 Grand Prize winner was the Lake Trout Division and the lucky angler was Ed Klejdys of North Tonawanda. He earned the right to be in the drawing by weighing in a 21-pound, 6-ounce lake trout caught on the Niagara Bar.
In the Walleye Division, Tony LaRosa of Lewiston was dragging a worm harness along the bottom on the Niagara Bar off the mouth of the Niagara River to reel in an 11 pound, 6 ounce winner. The most interesting thing about his catch is that it came during the solar eclipse. In the Smallmouth Bass Division, there was a tie for first place. Both were 5 pound smallmouth bass from Lake Erie … and they were caught by a husband and wife fishing duo – Dave and Kathy Muir of North Tonawanda. Since Dave’s was weighed in first, that was the tie breaker.
Biggest salmon for the Odyssey was a 34 pound 8 ounce king caught out of Wilson in Lake Ontario by Joe Oakes of Lockport. Oakes also won a special $500 prize for the largest salmon caught by a LOTSA member. Biggest brown or rainbow trout was a 13 pound 9 ounce brown reeled in by Ken Trontel of Sharon, Pa. In the Carp Division, Paul Natiella of South Lima reeled in the winner from the Oak Orchard River using corn – a 30 pound 9 ounce fish. Nice catch!
There is also a Junior Division for kids 15 and under. For the second year in a row, the Grand Prize species category was panfish. And, for the second year in a row, the lucky winner was 6 year old Alyssa McGrath of Niagara Falls. This time it was a 1 pound, 2 ounce Lake Erie perch that did it for her.
Other Junior Division winners were: Megan Walsh of Niagara Falls with a 7 pound, 14 ounce lower river walleye; Abigail McGrath of Niagara Falls (Alyssa’s sister) with a 4 pound, 5 ounce Lake Erie bass; Cole Gallo of E. Amherst with an 8 pound Wilson steelhead; Alex Heath of Sanborn with a 26 pound 3 ounce Niagara Bar king salmon; and Jacob Velesko of Middleport with a 16 pound 6 ounce carp from the Oak Orchard River.
The LOC Derby is still going on through Labor Day and the Grand Prize leader is now a 39 pound, 3 ounce king salmon reeled in by Daniel Klinger of Auburn. Top steelhead is a 16 pound, 9 ounce fish from the Oak, weighed in by Steve Gardinsky of Ohio. Big Brown is a 16 pound, 15 ounce Rochester fish checked in by Anthony DiGiovanni of Rochester. We still have a few days to go. Check out www.loc.org.
Lake Ontario rolled over and there is cold water close to shore. In fact, a nice salmon was caught off the pier in Olcott (west pier) by casting a Moonshine spoon. The east pier should be ready to go by Sept. 15 as they are doing some renovations and clean up from the high water earlier this year. Lots of steelhead around and many fish were caught off Wilson in 150 to 300 feet of water in the top 50 feet. Spoons seem to work the best. For salmon, flasher-fly or flasher-cutbait has been the ticket. The Niagara Bar was tough with the roll-over but it should pick back up by the weekend if past performance is any indication. Lower river bass action has been great on leeches, crabs and shiners. Worm harnesses are working for walleye. Shad raps and Rapalas are producing walleye in the gorge under low light conditions. No word on the NYPA fish platform, but it could be opening soon.
Oswego County
Mary Ellen Barbeau
Lake Ontario report:
According to Capt. Troy Creasy of High Adventure Sportfishing Charters:
Pre-spawn staging salmon account for some of the best fishing as well as some of the toughest. Add in ice out conditions with 40 degree water down 30 feet and it’s hit or miss for sure. We have had plenty of hitting and a few misses but all in all it’s just been an incredible season.
According to Capt. Kevin Davis of Catch the Drift:
Browns, kings, and cohos all in the mix the last couple of days.
Oswego River Report
The water flow has been under 2,000cfs for the last couple of days. This afternoon it is running at 1,480cfs. There are no salmon reported in the river as yet. Anglers are finding some smallmouth bass and sheepshead using crayfish.
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.
Pulaski Area and Salmon River report:
According to the Douglaston Salmon Run:
Water flow at the dam was 185cfs and 265cfs at Pineville on Sunday. Activity was reported on all sections of the river in the afternoon with sightings of groups of fifteen or so fish. Those that stayed later got into some very good action in the middle section with one reporting ten hookups. As was typical this past week, many clients had difficulty bringing fish to hand. I have heard some rumbles of Coho (very bright pink stripe on the side) being seen in the river. The fishing has slowed over the last day or so but a water release this weekend will hopefully bring some action.
Notice: The Salmon River Fish Hatchery building continues to be closed due to construction. The grounds, including picnic area and fish ladder, are still open dawn to dusk. You can reach the hatchery at 315-298-5051, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Oneida Lake Report:
Conditions are about the same on the lake. It does get a little tougher this time of year. Some walleye are being taken in deep water trolling worm harnesses or blade baits. Yellow perch are taking minnows. Anglers are finding some bass as they follow gizzard shad.
Sandy Pond report:
According to Dave Wood of Woody’s Tackle:
Conditions on the pond have become more difficult with the heavy weed growth which is typical at this time of year. Persistent anglers who adapt to these conditions will find some Northern pike and bass.
Eastern Finger Lakes / Central New York Fishing Report
Mike Crawford of upstateguideservice.com
NATIVE BROWNS ON A FLY IN SUMMER-CENTRAL NEW YORK 2017
In Leon Chandlers’ boyhood he fished the same waters that I do today. I imagine him a teen with a fly rod in his hand roll casting a hand-tied callibaetis at dimpling browns. He was most likely fishing a nightcrawler at that age. The reason I fly fish the boyhood home of Leon Chandler is due to geography and proximity. Just coincidental.
But, if not for Leon Chandler I may not fish with a fly rod at all. Leon Chandler was the catalyst of fly fishing and fly fishing products in America. He was a Catskill fly fisherman, Cortland native, and a gentleman who introduced American fly fishing to the modern world in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.
If not for Leon I would not have found spools of Cortland Fly Line, Phleuger Reels, tin boxes of Made In China flies, or fiberglass Shakespeare fly rods in my Dad’s workshop when I was a kid. And if I had not found that stuff I would not be standing in a creek today where Leon Chandler once stood 60 years ago.
The term Technical Fly Fishing encompasses much these days. In the Days of Leon it did as well. When I think of Technical Fly Fishing I think of dry flies and three weight line. In late summer the creeks and streams can often be un-fishable due to high water temperatures. This happens almost anywhere trout exist. A spring and summer marked with heavy rain and below average temperatures, however, can set the stage for excellent fly fishing through July and August. When that happens, light fly rods on small trout streams becomes my favorite game.
CENTRAL NEW YORK FLY FISHING
On summer streams landing native trout with a fly rod can only be done technical. Long handmade leaders with soft tapers and light tippet are carefully tied and greased. Presentation is paramount. The angler approaches the rising trout from many yards downstream. Once in position, the long leader is worked out into the air above the creek, slow and easy, yet precise. The angler must keep the loop of line off the glass surface of the pool, away from the feeding trout, and out of the dense foliage. It is the fly fishing version of the cliche “Threading the needle”.
More than likely the angler will quickly snag on the backcast, pop the little dry off, tie on another and try again. Moving a tight loop, delivering a small fly through 80 feet of brush to rising trout is technical fly fishing. Today. Yesterday. Tomorrow.
A super stealth approach, a soft drop, followed by a long drag free drift, then a smashing take! The trout is brought quickly to net and released. All the while your hoping the other trout in the pool still don’t know you are there! This technical game of “Thread The Needle” fly fishing has not changed too much over the decades and It is just as enjoyable (and technical) today as it was 60 years ago…In The Days Of Leon.
Wayne County Fishing Update
Chris Kenyon
Lake Ontario
Another 34-pound king made the recent LOC leaderboard. This was caught north of Fair Haven Bay. The bite is on and the kings are staging…well somewhat.
They have been in water from 150 to 400, so I guess that’s not staging.
Look for the bait is the advice from most anglers fishing the LOC. Copper out 450 feet is hot with cut bait. Flasher flies are also working off the dipsy divers and spoons off the riggers.
The set-ups haven’t really changed. You just need to pick away and hope for a 35-pound king.
Straight out from Hughes and Sodus Bay is a great starting point.
If you think you have a leading fish, weigh-it at Hughes’ Marina, Bay Bridge Sport Shop, or B-E Fishing in Ontario.
The smallmouth bass are still hitting in 20 to 30 feet of water. Try out from East Bay, just east of Chimney Bluff. Make sure your hook is 30 inches above the sinker. That way you are eliminated the pesky bait stealing gobies.
The bass have been in the 5-pound class and there have been smaller ones, which is a good sign for year of class populations.
Bays
Largemouth bass fishing has been hot on Sodus Bay. Just fish the weedlines, throwing out any rig you have. There have been some smallmouths caught near the Sodus channel using minnows.
There are crappies in Port Bay, however they are small. Some smallmouths are in the Port Bay channel.
As of August 29, the no wake conditions remain on all Wayne County bays, so that will make getting to your preferred location very difficult. The speed limit is 5 mph.
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
There was a bass tournament on the canal this past Sunday. The boats started from Widewaters and worked the shoreline where the canal narrows. The bass were everywhere and they were hitting top-water bait and Zoom worms. Five-pound bass are the norm for the Erie/Barge Canal.
Orleans County
Orleans County Tourism
There is still time to enter the Fall LOC Derby and collect some of the great cash prizes that are up for grabs.
The derby ends on Monday September 4th at 1 PM with the awards ceremony taking place at Captain Jack’s in Sodus Point starting around 3PM.
Hope to see your name on the leader board.
Fishing on Lake Ontario off the shores of Orleans County has been interesting to say the least.
Fish are on the move from close to shore and then off shore depending on the winds of the day.
Lure selection seems to be anybody’s guess but it seems that spoons in the green patterns and flashers in the white patterns are most often mentioned.
With the cooler temperatures of the past few days, salmon are inching closer to shore and preparing for their spawning runs but warmer temperatures could slow that down a bit.
The Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey wrapped up this past Sunday with some great catches posted on the leader board.
What really makes this event so fantastic is the attention payed to the young ladies and gentlemen that participate in this event.
A big “Thank You” to all of the parents that take the time to take these future leaders into the great outdoors and help them experience some of nature at its best.
Perch fishing on the lower stretches of the “Oak” should start picking up very soon as the water temperature of the “Oak” gets to more favorable levels.
On Lake Alice, bass fishing is still good to very good on the upper reaches and Bluegill are still being caught around the Waterport Bridge area.
The Erie Canal is still a good source for all of the warm water species and a great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the family.