Sweet Caroline

As disclaimer I’m not a biologist or fisheries manager nor a licensed captain. I took some fisheries classes in college as electives and my memories of salmon fishing in Lake Ontario go back some 35 years. During my peak I likely fished the tribs and lake combined 100 + days a year for many years. In the past five years I haven’t trib fished at all and get out in the lake 25 or so times during the April-Sept season. Ok, now that I have said my disclaimer here are my thoughts/theories: Returns & Staging Salmon: 1. Worse than normal returns this year likely due to poor pen conditions in 2016 as Gambler stated. That said, staging salmon fishing on the west end has been declining for many years. I pier fished 5 solid years in the mid-late 90s and never recall landing more than 2 or 3 fish in hours of fishing. Piers were lined up some nights but nobody was going home with their limit. My guess is it is even worse now. If you are comparing returns to the peak in the 80s there simply are far less salmon stocked today than there was then. 2. In tribs where returns are solely sustained with stocking, staging and upstream migrations are delayed 3-4 weeks later than when salmon were first stocked in the 70s and 80s. My earliest memories are fishing for staging salmon around the Genny in 30-40 fow as early as mid August with combat fishing peaking Labor Day to mid September. By mid 90s it was mid to late Sept. No idea what it is now because after Labor Day I switch to trout fishing for browns fishing away from major tribs or Steelie fishing offshore and still usually catch matures in the mix not even targeting them. My guess is that the reason for later returns is early returning fish have been selected out because they went belly up before making it to the hatchery. Many probably remember all the floaters in the western tribs years back in Sept. Many of those fish that ran early never made it full cycle. 3. Natural reproduction seems to be more of a factor these days as our salmon have evolved to our conditions. I have worked in the Fishers/Victor area for many years and regularly walk the banks of Irondequoit creek in the fall. In the upper portions of the stream where I believe natural reproduction occurs, the heaviest concentrations of bedded up spawning salmon does not occur until after Nov 1st all the way to Thanksgiving. These fishing likely didn’t even begin staging until late Sept and first entered the actual stream well in to Oct. 4. Back to this year. Constant changing winds likely have scattered stagers causing fish too trickle in rather than stage in any great numbers. Daily reports from the DSR on the salmon river haven’t reported any major run, yet the river is full of salmon top to bottom. A good morning run in the DSR this year has been less than a couple hundred fish when usually there has been at least one major run by now of hundreds and hundreds of fish in a morning. Could still be coming I guess but my theory is that with constantly changing lake conditions fish don’t stage in great numbers as when conditions are stable. As a side note, there are reports of tons of Coho this year in the Salmon river. Where the heck were they in the lake all year! 5. In reality pen rearing is only extending the season another 2-3 weeks and at a time of year when salmon are least desirable. I had good fishing for matures right through Labor Day this year and the past few years and then usually switch to trout tactics as I mentioned. Likely the matures I’m catching offshore still around Labor Day are late migrating east end returns. This is coming from a purely recreational standpoint and I understand the concern of those that are in this for business. That said I would much rather have the fantastic spring and summer fishing experienced on the west end when kings are in their prime then the combat fishing on the east end for declining salmon. In years past we accepted that if you want good salmon fishing in early spring you had to move west and many charters did, still do. We may have to accept that is you want good fishing for salmon at the end of the season you have to move east, but it seems far less captains are willing to do that. 6. My guess is there will still be a ton of salmon at the lower falls in a month. Every year I go down there and it is still absolutely amazing at the numbers of fish. Fish simply don’t seem to stage like they used to. Same with Oak. Not sure about Burt or further west. Other Observations: 1. Vince likely is seeing loads of bait as he is in some of the most productive waters of the whole lake. As long as there are alewife in the lake that will inhabit the Niagara shoreline. Same with the Sandy guys. The structure and currents between Devils Nose and Braddocks will always hold bait, regardless of what is going on in the rest of the lake. I can’t say fishing out of I-Bay that I have seen any noticeable amounts of bait the past couple years. 2. Salmon seem to be more spread out all season starting in the Spring. I fished the Niagara region for 20 years in May but the last year few years I’ve saved the time and gas and do just as well out of Rochester then when I fished Niagara. I’m sure the fishing is still phenomenal down there but haven’t felt the need to make the trip with all the good fishing here. I recall good salmon fishing east near Sodus and Oswego not occurring until July or so back in the day. Now they are getting them in decent numbers throughout the entire season. 3. I believe the bait population is lower then what is used to be which is causing a reduced size in our salmon but better catch rates. Too much of a correlation with what is happening/happened in Lake Michigan. For awhile catch rates skyrocketed but salmon size was way down. Bait analysis showed a declining abundance much like ours does now. A few years ago they drastically reduced stocking numbers and salmon size shot right back up as they are regularly catching fish 30 to almost 40lbs the last couple of years. I believe the catch rates have decreased though. Not saying we need to drastically reduce stocking like Michigan, but if we want to maintain a trophy fishery with the 30lb plus potential we have to be mindful of the bait trawl data and stocking numbers. My two cents

Fished slightly east of Irondequoit. Bite started in 250 fow and got better as went out. Made it out to 400 fow. Various spin docs on wire and copper produced and had a few bites on meat down 105. No matures though although we did have a couple rips that seemed like big fish and I know a couple boats scored a mature or two out there but nothing like last week.

Pinned cheaters with rubber bands. 6 ft leads, use good swivels. Haven’t stacked in 15 years

Because of high summer water temps most LO tribs rule out any salmonids natural reproduction that’s YOY have to spend at least one summer in the tribs. You likely will not see any significant natural reproduction of Steelhead, Atlantic’s, Coho in LO because once trib temps increase above 60 or so degrees there is almost 100 % mortality of the juveniles in the tribs. Chinooks yoy on the other hand migrate out before lethal trib temps become a problem and are best suited for LO natural reproduction. My guess is that Chinook naturally reproduce in more LO tribs then many think.

Start at the 22-23 bar and go all the way out to the 27 if you have to. Matures were out there all last week and as of Sat. Be safe.

I’m for status quo until we have a couple years in a row of decent alewife production. The few times I’ve ventured past 400 fow this year I’ve caught both 1 and 2 year old salmon. There seems to be a good crop to support the next couple of years. Given the cool Spring we had this year and the delayed spawn we are at a real risk of having another year of poor production with the 2019 alewife. A cold winter or even a normal winter could be devastating to this years alewife crop as the fish likely will be younger and smaller than normal going in to this winter. I see less risk in stocking a few less salmon possibly that the lake can sustain than stocking more. Worst case if there is miscalculation and we stock too less, instead of catching 10-20 salmon in a morning we catch 5-10 with a real chance at a 30 plus lb fish. It is also is likely that stocking less salmon won’t have a negative impact on catch rates at all if the bait population is lower. If salmon fishing is slow, lake trout will take a beating which will also have a positive impact on alewife. You would have a hard time convincing me that any increase in stocking right now is justifiable. My two cents

Just me or does this sound pretty bleak? Cold spring this year already a bad sign for yoy alewife survival in to 2020 unless winter is abnormally warm. Thinking we take a page from Lake Michigan’s book. Those guys seem pretty happy this year with 30 plus lb fish common once again.

Irondequoit creek gets fairly strong runs of kings every year. I don’t believe kings have been stocked there in a long time. Could be strays from the Genny I guess but it makes me wonder. The creek does support a resident brown trout population all year

Sold

Sale pending

Pm me

Chris I used the Bert’s mount for tracks to attach to rod holders so they work with tracks

Sure. Cash only

Yes, they are available. I don’t believe the base fits Bert s tracks as is. There is a pedestal you can buy that fits the tracks and attach the rod holders to that if that is what you mean. That’s how I had them set up on my boat with tracks. Hope that helps

Has there been any preliminary data released on the bait trawls this year? Good/bad, too early to tell?

$250. Cash only. Rochester area. PM if interested

I would like 8 of each