Niagara Region Angling Updates

[Spiel]

Fishing Line

July 10, 2008

Will Elliott / buffalonews.com

 

 

Lake Erie

 

Pick a port and head to deeper waters for walleyes in goodly numbers from Barcelona to Sturgeon Point.

 

Cattaraugus Creek remains the focal point for perch, but walleye trollers can head east or west of the creek for ’eye activity in warming waters. Surface temperatures, above 70 degrees at sunrise in most open-water areas, have pushed both bait and walleye schools deeper and sent ’eyes to varying depths.

 

“You can find them everywhere in the water column,” said charter captain Bob Rustowicz, who has been heading east toward Evangola State Park and doing well over depths of 80 feet or less.

 

The Barcelona bite continues and trollers out of Dunkirk Harbor have similar successes with rigs set from 20 to 80 feet down over depths of less than 100 feet.

 

Spoons and stickbaits (body baits, plugs, hardbaits) all can catch ’eyes, but worm harnesses get the most mention in all kinds of conditions: sunny, cloudy, choppy, calm, and winds from every direction.

 

Closer to shore, drifters at the head of the Niagara River can limit out on walleyes drifting open currents on either the New York or Ontario side of the lake as it heads into the river. Lighter tackle, including spinners and leaders, works better in these shallow, clear waters. First light is best, but this river-drift bite usually continues throughout the day.

 

Bass have gone deeper, but the good bite continues. When waves get too rugged on open waters, a drift or slow troll around the outer harbor gaps can be big for smallies. Crayfish, leeches and minnows all work well, despite frequent round goby intrusions.

 

Perch schools do a Pogo stick-yoyo run off Cattaraugus Creek. Last week 70-foot depths were the rage. This week, when waves subside, most boaters set up over 55 feet and shallower for the ringback run. “[boaters] average about 20 to 25 fish a day right now, which is a good number to keep and clean,” said Rick Miller at Miller’s Bait & Tackle in Irving.

 

Niagara River

 

The pike bite is still on as grass (weed) masses expand. Shore casters at the foot of Ferry and Ontario streets see a mixed bag of bass and yellow perch. Sliver (white) bass schools have shown mostly around Skull Island.

 

Suspended grass/weed “moss” has lessened in the lower river and both casters and drifters do well on bass with either leeches or bass chubs.

 

Lake Ontario

 

That river bass bite extends out over the Niagara Bar and can be good throughout the day. Both live bait and vertical jigs work well on these bronzebacks.

 

Most of the open-water trolling action occurs on either side of Olcott Harbor. Some boaters head to 300-foot depths and run shallow lines for kings and steelies, but some near-shore chuggers keep trolling speeds above 3 mph and get hits from an occasional coho among the kings and steelies. No solid reports of brown trout have come in yet.