Sluggo / NY

Duane.. I'd like to, but I have weekend coverage at work so I better stick around town! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

As usual.. I gave "my" river a shot on opening day. Again.. as usual.. the fishing was not good. I find it hard to believe that they vacate so quickly after the spawn, but they sure don't appear to be around! I picked up one 21"er.. some shorts.. and a 20# channel cat (my arms are still sore). The little boat's put away and the big one's in the garage getting rigged. Off to the bigger waters pretty soon! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

I had visions of being on either Ontario or Oneida, but the big boat's not out of storage yet. I'll probably check the Susky for any post spawners that stuck around. Big boat will be out next week though! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Comeon Mike.. Don't you have any Big ones to show us?

Here's a 13#4oz.er I got on our local river a couple of years ago. I fish Erie, Ontario and Quinte and still haven't beat it! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Walt.. Good to see you again! Glad you had a good time on "my" river. I snuck back down for the final day but couldn't get on my favorite spot. Who said fishing isn't a "full contact" sport? I did pick up a few decent fish and dropped a hog back in. Now it's time to get the chores done around the house.. plus a little fishing in between. See you on Erie! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

I want to thank you all for your prayers and expressions of sympathy. This loss is tougher than most I've been through. I know we can't pick our in-laws.. they come with the deal, but I was blessed with not only a sweetheart for a mother-in-law, but a father-in-law who turned out to be one of my best friends. We hunted and fished together and were always at each other's beckon call.. although it was usually me being beckoned . I'm really going to miss the old guy. Thanks again, Sluggo (Chris)

I was just hooking the boat up this morning when we got a call telling us that my father-in-law had taken a turn for the worse in a Rochester hospital. He passed away while we were enroute. My son will be arriving tomorrow morning from Iraq for his Grandpa's funeral.. so.. needless to say.. I probably won't be fishing for a few days! I honestly don't know what the river's like right now, but there's got to be ice flowing and it had to come up and get muddy. If I do get a chance to at least drive by.. I'll post my findings. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

With the recent cold snap.. we picked up a lot of ice on the river. I'm planning on hitting it tomorrow.. hopefully before everything upstream breaks loose! I know it's supposed to be nice on Saturday, but I'm not so sure that the river will be! Too warm too fast may make it pretty bad down there until it has a chance to flush through. It usually only takes a day or two. I know there's not much time left, but you guys planning a long haul down may want to hold off. I'll post the conditions tomorrow evening, but I'm betting it won't be pretty! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris) ps.. I just talked with a couple of guys who just came off. They did OK, but not great. The water's still pretty off-color from the last batch of runoff.

Or the white Silverado.. the one with a bunch of other boats following it!

WOW.. With this many guys coming why don't we plan a tailgate party at the launch? I've got a portable deep-fryer so we could do shore-lunch walleye! Of course, with this many people, we'll probably need to keep the big girls as well. As we all know, they don't taste as good as the smaller ones.. but I've got this secret marinade (same one I use on baby bald eagles) that makes them taste great! Who's bringing the beer? See you all there... Sluggo (Chris)

Fishdick.. (nice name by the way).. I don't usually respond to replies like yours, but I'm in a good mood today! Company? I love company! I know most of the guys who fish down there and we have a ball playing "bumper boats"! Blowing my horn? I've been fishing the river for around fifty years.. my horn blowing days are long over. The truth is.. I'm just a helpful person by nature. I enjoy sharing info and tips and seeing others do well! All those limits? I've never had any walleye get freezer burn! We had last Wednesday's limit on Thursday.. and Sunday's limit last night. They were delicious, I might add! As for your Grandkids.. they'll do fine! The river fishing has never been better! Prior to the spawners moving up-river, it's nothing to go down and catch a hundred under-sized walleye in an outing. Personally, I think that most of the guys are pretty concientious about letting most of the girls go back. I try to keep only males.. or females over 13 pounds ! If you see me down there in my silver Sea-Nymph (2 black motors on it).. swing by and say "Hi"! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Drove by the river Sunday morning after my coffe, fully expecting to see it completely iced in after the previous few nights of single digits. It was pretty iced up, but I saw a boat out there... had to give it a try. With very little water to fish.. it didn't take long to search for the walleyes. After two hours I was about to hang it up and was just drifting back down to the launch when I nailed a nice eater. Motored back up and got another on the next drift! Then I beached the boat on the ice and pitched a jig to this small spot where they must have been stacked like firewood! I caught about twenty nice walleyes in about twenty casts.. kept five nice eater males.. dropped the females (including about a six pouder) back in.. and went home very happy! God.. I love my river! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

After being iced off for about two months.. I finally found some 'WET" water yesterday. It was a bit brutal out there in the boat, and there wasn't much open water to fish.. but I had it all to myself! I did get a limit of nice eater-sized walleyes, and I sure feel like I earned them! Hopefully I'll be out again soon.. boy.. I needed that fix! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Happy Birthday Mike! I'll buy you a soda next time I meet up with you down on "my" river Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Thanks for the link! Some pretty neat stuff on there. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

I've been tying up some trolling flies for the upcoming season but I'm not happy with the outcome. Being a walleye guy.. I tie hundreds of worm harnesses, but the snell knot I use on them doesn't work very well on big treble hooks. It makes them hang at an angle. Not sure if the fish really care, but curious as to how you guys tie the hook on your trolling rigs. Thanks..and Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Welcome aboard from a fellow walleye nut. I also mainly hit Erie for those monster eyes.. usually out of Barcelona or Dunkirk. Stick around.. lots of great info. and entertainment here! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

I learned something new last season about "right of way". We mostly troll eastern Lake Erie out of Barcelona, NY.. so boat traffic is generally not an issue, but.. we had a large sailboat come out of the harbor towards us as we we trolling. We were a good 2 miles out and the sailboat had plenty of time to manuever either well ahead of or behind us but chose to head straight at us! As he closed in he came on the radio demanding we give him the right of way! I politely reponded asking why he had decided not to change heading with all the time he had.. he merely came back with "I have the right of way"! The Coast Guard had been monitoring and came on.. telling him that because he was the more manueverable vessel.. we had the right of way! Actually, I assumed that he did have the right of way.. although he's an arrogant idiot.. but I guess that sometimes sailboats don't! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Thanks for the feedback! Maybe we'll see you up there.. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Although I troll almost exclusively for walleye, I'm seriously planning on targeting salmon a few times this coming season. I know the popular areas, but since I have free lodging (brother in law's) near the mouth of the St. Lawrence, I'm just curious if anyone knows how far you'd have to run to get to salmon waters? Thanks and Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Ray.. That was a good one! You constantly come up with some beauties.. but I'm still laughing over that one! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Just read this in the morning paper.. Not Good! Beginning of end for N.Y. walleyes Word has come down from Albany that, due to the current year state budget shortfall, required VHS testing must be paid for by each cooperator for each batch of stocking. The testing is required for any fish stocking in state waters, just as baitfish require testing and certification. The cost for VHS testing is $800-$1,000. This will effectively end many of the walleye cooperator stockings, wasting a lot of volunteer time and money. It's a shame because the walleye fingerling cooperator program is a great model of private/public participation. When VHS is finally detected in Oneida Lake (the source of the state's brood stock), which it will due to the Canal System, walleye stocking in the state will effectively done.

Walt.. yep.. you're getting old! I hit the Susky here last weekend in the torrential rains and high winds. It's still slim pickin's, but getting a bit better each trip. I'm hoping this cold snap will get it going! I'll be down there this coming week and will post a report! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

Great fish Mike! Welcome to the "13" club.. now we've really got our work cut out for us! I spent Sat. in the pouring rain on the river.. and Sun. in the gale force wind! Not much competition for spots down there! Still slow, but pickin' away at them. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)