Fishing Report / Niagara Region

[Spiel]

May 14, 2009

Will Elliott / www.buffalonews.com

 

 

Lake Ontario

 

It happens nearly every fishing contest. Results of the Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Derby never include fish non-entrants may have caught. For New Jersey angler Carl Brueger, the top prize of $12,500 was just a pleasant fantasy. While fishing mainly for lake trout along the Niagara Bar on a charter with Capt. Lloyd Schrack of Ameri-Can Fishing Charters on Friday, Brueger hooked into a big fish Schrack thought to be a king salmon. When the fish finally was brought close enough to net, the forked tail clearly identified it as a laker. None aboard this booked charter had entered the LOC Derby, but if they had, the trout would not only have taken the Lake Trout Division but also the Grand Prize for the heaviest entry. Brueger’s fish weighed in at 32 pounds, 11 ounces. The Grand Prize winner was a 24.5-pound salmon Thomas Mitchell of Burlington, Vt., caught during the derby. For winners in all divisions, go to loc.org. Both lake trout and king (Chinook) salmon continue as hot targets for drifters and trollers close to the Lake Ontario shoreline. Stick (body) baits trolled early mornings close to shore or spoons and dodger/fly rigs run deeper and later in the morning and day do the trick for a mix of browns, steelies and the odd school of coho salmon along the shoreline at 50-to 125-foot depths. For kings, Wilson-to-Niagara Bar waters draw the most boats and highest king count. In shore, Wilson, Olcott and Oak Orchard harbor waters all draw a good mix of perch, some crappie and the big boys: northern pike and bass. Perch have been the most consistent for schooling and sizes.

 

Niagara River

 

Despite steadily warming waters, steelhead trout still hold in good numbers along lower river drifts. Shore casters have begun seeing more and better perch catches along the Lewiston access sites. Larger ringbacks have shown this past week.

 

Pier access

 

Word from the New York Power Authority has it that work on expanding the parking area at the base of the Robert Moses Niagara Power Project will begin Monday. Access to the fishing pier will remain open during the project but the only parking available will be at the top of the hill.

 

Lake Erie

 

Perch prospects have widened for days when anglers can get boats on Erie’s open waters. Best schooling and catches come from deeper waters, but more spots have been added to the options. Seneca Shoals’ outer edges showed good perch numbers at 42 feet this past week. The Sturgeon Point to Evangola State Park depths continue to produce, but anglers out of Cattaraugus Creek have had good-to-better boat runs directly off Cattaraugus Creek at depths of 48 feet. The walleye bite just isn’t right. Jerry Olejniczak at Penrod Bait & Tackle looks for a slight rise in water temperatures before the night ’eyes open. Best daytime fishing fun has been the bass bite close to Buffalo. Boaters find nice-sized bass along the breakwaters and around shallower sections of rock reefs off the power windmills.

[smokin joe]

This is why I believe it's always in the best interest of the charter company to get a boat ticket for the derbies