Gill-T

Wade and cast stickbaits at night off any ditch or flowing water entering the lake.

Nice work boys.

With huge smelt numbers this year expect the big girls to be on the bottom. Keeping one worm harness line on a rigger just off bottom is always a good idea.

Trilene XT for main line that would be placed in a release repeatedly. Trilene XL for leaders off rigger rods, or leadcore because I think it might help the action of spoons to have a limper line.

It would seem based on price Rule would be best but I keep reading poor reports on various sites regarding the Rule automatics. Seems like such a simple mechanism but MAN is it an important one.

King Salmon vs Walleye.........really Howie? You will be back.....you'll be back.

Need opinions on bilge pumps as I will replacing both of mine this season. 23' boat. Thanks.

Very difficult to get out rust stains esp. on old fiberglass. Magic eraser with starbrite rust remover spray will help a lot.

The bigger size was a staple for Kings in the 80's.

Minnows on 3-way rigs.

I had enough of winter. With boat launches still locked in ice I decided to cure what ails us all by booking a drift trip. We were greeted with 15 degree air temp with a stiff 15 mph N wind all morning. Despite the cool temps, the sun was shining and the sights, sounds and smells of being on the water for the first outing of the year kept us smiling (or we froze in that position). Today was a grind day, but we managed a mixed bag of steelhead, brown trout and walleye. And so it begins.... another year of fishing. If you are thinking about trying a drift trip and are worried about the run being almost done.....I would say it is just getting started. Do it. Very reasonable cost. Vince has a nice 22' boat with high gunnels (safer for tall fishermen) and he will work hard to put you on fish. Capt. Vince Pierleoni 585-615-1197

There are all kinds of divers down below the peace bridge dragging up mussels from the bottom. In speaking to a bird watcher down at the water, the gentleman stated there is a huge die-off in Dunkirk harbor. I don't believe the power plant is operational so no open water. One of the interesting things that can be witnessed now is a large group of Bald Eagles picking off the weak starving birds sitting on the ice at Dunkirk. Ice fishermen are confirming a huge die-off of Gizzard Shad, but at the same time a huge population of large smelt are being caught thru the ice on Erie. The food web appears to be evolving year to year.

Last time I checked the launch was open but the docks are not in.

BJ day? .....and steak afterward??? Where is this event taking place?

Hawkeye beat me to it by one minute!...........what he said.

Agree with others, there is a movement of the food chain upward at night. Kings will often make inshore feeding movements under the cover of darkness. Start in closer.....say 40' and start setting high lines of leadcore or surface line so by the time you hit your intended zone you are fully set up or you may discover the early bite is close to shore in the process.

If you keep walking past the end of the paved sidewalk and onto the cement breakwall, you are out in the lake. May to June fishing out there. During the summer "kids" like to hang out there so......take something with you esp. if you go alone.

Yep, small ones 50' back on inside board lines.

Big Weenie glow beads......don't leave home without them.

Very secretive fishery down there. Very few take advantage of the species available above and below the peace bridge. Access is via Ferry St./ Rich Products Way across the canal and park. The break wall has a 90 degree bend in the seawall which creates an eddy. During the 80's the eddy was filled with sheaphead, rock bass and silver bass. Most don't realize the great trout fishery that exist there from now thru April. Lake Trout up to 15lbs, rainbows, browns and Walleye can be caught in the eddy. I was down there on Sat. morning fishing for Lakers. The game is a jig w/gulp or minnow, three-way rigs (3 oz pyramid sinker) with a small spinner/floater harness and minnow, skein under a float, and stickbaits at night for walleyes. Fish the eddy for trout. Fish along the wall dragging a stickbait at night or walk the pier upstream towards Buffalo (take a gun or knife) and fish off the wall out in the lake for Walleyes thru June at night. Typically the fishery is better with ice coverage on Erie as the Emerald Shiners head for the only open water. However, I did not see any bait on Saturday which has me scratching my head. The Lakers that were caught were skinny. Weird year. With good ice coverage years, top walleyes in the Southtowns tournaments are often caught by shore casters above the Peace Bridge.