panfisher

Canandaigua has great smallmouths in it, all over the lake....!

Have caught channels incidentally fishing for other species in Seneca Lake. Picked them up on Sutton and Miller spoons while trolling for smallies and jack perch in October, trolling 50 to 60ft down over 75 to 90 fow towards the north end, north of the Belhurst Hole....Only caught 2 of them, about 4 to 5 lbs. each. Nice fish and a good surprise, but nothing surprises me in New York waters!!

Say, you said you caught some white bass (silver bass) amongst, with, all those nice perch? I love those things!!! The first time I ever fished Irondiquoit Bay, we nailed bunches of them on small silvery in-line spinners near shore around by the south side of points. They fought like smallmouths and were positively voracious. I have never eaten them, but I do like striped bass, their much bigger cousins... Would you mind telling some more about your getting these babies?? say

Please, please, PLEASE! For all who read this..... If anyone who sees this who think that a bowfin is just another name for a snakehead, you are absolutely mistaken. Get to teaching yourself about the difference between these two completely different and only similar looking species. It's like thinking a rock bass is an oscar!! Or a walleye is in the pike family... There is plenty of literature out there about these two fish, including a recent back issue of New York Outdoor News and the link that "jammer" supplied, as well as the above reply by "shelby lynn" to help....

Good stuff man...Are you guys giving up the open water stuff a little early? Steelies are going strong through november in the big lake (if you can find safe enough conditions to go out in). Yeah, I guess there are other things that can be done....

Gobies are bottom dwellers that live in holes and burrows they excavate into the bottom strata.... Try even using them for bait if you must use live bait, as smallies love to feast on these soft, probably tasty little morsels. You should also try soft plastics with a larger hook size, say, 1/0 or so and a larger sized bait to keep the little fatties from hooking up on your offerings. Good luck and report if any results work...

Post subject: Re: Lake O SmallmouthPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 2:18 pm Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:42 pm Posts: 34 I have read that the downturn in catch rates on the south shore of the big lake was not the deal on the eastern and western side of the lake....folks are doing just fine with the smallies in those areas... irregardless of the gobies, cormorants, global warming and whatever stuff people say. Did you catch what Shaw Grigsby was doing on his cable channel 55 show about 3 or 4 weeks ago, last summer, on the eastern side of the lake? Just like not so old times in this area! Try regular jigs in the usual 10 to 40 fow, but use bigger size bodies... upscale! The idea would be to mimic the gobies themselves, which, it has been found, the smallies will attack to protect their nests and to fatten up on.The thing here is, if you are smallie fishing during the spawn time, the catch and release deal might backfire because as soon as the bass leaves the nest, the gobies will goble the babies and or eggs while you're landing the fish. A downturn in numbers of bass on the south shore is not verified ,though...just harder to catch. Soooo... I'd fish for smallies later in summer, using 1/4 to 3/8 oz. or so with bigger soft bodied grub tails, or better yet, Gulp Alive! large sized gobie baits. Fish them with as big a hook and body available to get through the gobies, because often with smaller baits and jigs we used to use, you'll catch tons of the gobies before the bass can get to it. Good luck! Top

Hey, give it a try... Despite what folks have said, smallies are still all around the lake, but you have to fish with larger baits and lures to keep the gobies off. The bass and everything else, including cormorants are eating up those plump, tasty little dudes (the crayfish are happy about that!!!!!).

Hedges, an eating and dining spot in Webster at 9 mile creek is predominately a spring thing.... Used to catch a nice 14 to 19 inch smallie on every cast with just about anything you threw!!! I even used one of those old fashioned pop can and bottle opener lures and caught 'em on that! Haven't been there in a few years and have heard it isn't the same. I find that hard to believe, but again I can't confirm because I haven't done that in about 7 or 8 years.....

P.S..... Try to keep down speed at about 2.5....

From the southside 'o the lake (U.S.). We fish primarily out of wayne county,NY, near Pultenyville...We have particularly found that anything green ( spin doctor in natural born killer, green and white, all green, mountain dew, etc.) or all white have worked well this season. The fly can be of almost any color. Put the leader into the hole away from the 2 diagonal little "fences" or ''fins" side of the SD tail, and we usually use a 24" to-the-fly leader. Try it if you already aren't and let's hear if it works for ya.....Oh, take the deal from 20 to 40 feet behind whatever it is in front of (rigger weight or dipsey or slide diver). Good luck!

I saw your posting about a week ago and also noticed that no one had answered... I live in New York near Rochester, and I see you are not too far from Toronto or London. I can see that you are near 3 Great Lakes. I would start at any one of those, whichever is the closest! Smallmouth bass, (the smaller but fiestier species), can be caught near shore in 10 to 35 feet of water almost completely around any of the big lakes. Use 1/8 to 1/2 ounce jig heads with any soft plastic bait near the bottom. Because of the gobies, the bigger the bait (4 to 6 inches or so) the less chance of them getting to the bait before the smallmouth (smallies), which can be a very annoying situation. If you don't have a boat, fishing from shore from any kind of accessable pier or dock or jetty into the big lakes during the summer and fall months with the same lures will often bring you very decent largemouths ( the usually bigger of the black bass). I've seen them caught easily with just nightcrawlers from these places. Sometimes, both smallies and bucketmouths will be hangin' together and make themselves avalable to you from these shoreline access areas. The bass fishing for both is sooo prevalent and available all around New York state and this entire eastern North America region in streams, rivers, small ponds to the Great Lakes, it should be easy for you to ask around at many of your local tackle shops or marinas and find any other local to Orangeville bass fishing places. Good luck, and read up anywhere you can on bass and bass fishing... there is and always has been tons of info written about this!!!

Gee.. lots of good fishing in Maine, but, if you are coming to upstate NY, try the east side of the lake O, say, Henderson Harbor, or the Chamout Bay area. You can quickly get to the main lake for salmonids and then go into the bay areas to find shelter for great fishing for warmwater types (largemouths, smallies, walleyes, northerns, et al). Also keep updating the weather patterns, particularly wind speed and directions.

Try flyroding with any surface popper or sponge bug or even trout dry flies anytime in the middle of the night.... especially after midnight if you can hack it. Right in the middle of the lake or pond, where (unless you have a headlamp or some kind of light) you really can't see where you are casting to....Calm warm summer nights are the best, where you can listen and hear the BIG sunnies are feasting on buds at the surface. What a blast!!!!

Bass, bass, bass, smallies, largemouths, anywhere and everywhere in New York State. And always big guys are there, too!!!!

Nobody I know fishes for salmonids after dark in Ontario.... I read an article in some mag sometime in the last year or so about how the fishing was at night for them. Do you know anything about or have experience on this subject?

Well, at least you can still walk.....Really too bad that happened! Maybe you could break with a cane pole and do some panfishing for the really decent perch that are being caught from the Charlotte pier. They are awful tasty! I have been in life threatening and temporarily disabling injury situations more than once in my life and one thing is for sure...You'll get over it and heal up before you know it. Just keep up a good mental attitude (don't let discomfort, boredom or self pity bring your heart and mind down) and your body will fix itself up just fine! Stiff upper lip and get back to fishin' reel soon. Good luck!!

Thanks for the clarification, Fishtails. We're in Wayne county, N.Y. and are entered, as usual, in the LOC derby. Last summer, fishing out of the Genessee River, no more than 3/4 of a mile out from the lighthouse at the Charlotte pier, I nailed a 27.5 lb king which put me in grand prize standing for a couple of days, on the first day of the derby. By week's end, I was off the board! We had lost about a half hour earlier, a twin of his near the back of the boat when he did a 180 and got away. The last 3 years we have done pretty good, boating some 25 to over 30 pounders, including a Double with over 30pounders!! This year, our best has been a 10lb fish near the Niagra Bar in May and a 17 pounder in June near Pultneyville... Plenty of skippy's. Thats why I was so glad to hear of your success on the other side of the lake. Say, is that flea market still in business in Quakertown? My niece and hubby live not to far from there. Great deals there even in seafood. Don't have to respond, but keep up the good fishing. Whatever you are doing (short of going across the lake) keep at it!!!

About the fishing.... We are just fishing guys, as oppossed to guides or charter captains or "pros". We do fish the derbys. I was trying to figure out what you were saying about your test programs in the "ugly" section of your "Whitby" posting when you referred " 10 shots" with a 10% hookup ratio. I am always looking for new angles to make for more fruitful fishing outings, especially this year, when good sized kings are relatively hard to come by. Could you be so kind as to elaborate on what you mean by 10 "shots"?

Thanks for the reply, Fishtails. You know, on the bigger view, police agencies of all stripes and types around the world have and continue to do these kind of things toward folks for millenia. Not all; but enough to make you wonder why taxes are being used to pay for them. Often, it is just one rogue officer, or part of and sometimes even a whole staff. Sometimes politically motivated, but usually it has to do with some sort of social power trip. In years past, I have had only good experience with local police in the Toronto metro area. I guess every good deal has to have a sour side in order to be good! Again, great turnaround to be able to take back some much deserved satisfaction.....

Say, Fishtails.... Whats your response to Fishingjeff's question about the tournament's organizers input or thoughts about the policing incident? You'ld think this kind of stuff would have been worked out before the "games" began. All particpents should be aware of all the rules and regs and jump through hoops before even registering for said events. It doesn't have to be a "in a perfect world" thing... By the way, so that's where all of the big kings are this season! Great job on the rebound from potentially devastating events!!!!

Hey mark.... You did'nt know there was a bait shop off the city pier? I just read your posting today 3:00 p.m. the 15th. No wonder they were "warms" !!!

I'm not sure about Canadice, but from postings right here on LOU, people have been catching some TREMENDOUS 'eyes out of Hemlock. That's right, Hemlock! They seem to have caught them incidently while trolling for samonids in 35 to 50 fow. Also through the ice. We're talking about 10+ pounders! Verrrhy eenteresting....It would definately (to me) be worth checking out some sundown and evening shallow casting or trolling!!

Went to Sodus Bay Monday, May 2; very cool with wind and drizzle out of the northwest. Launching at 3:30 p.m. from the ramp on the west side just north of Arney's Marina.... Went across to just off Eagle Island, started casting and drifting with any kind of minnow bait (various Rapala types, both fat and regular, flatrap, huskyjerk,countdowns, jointed, etc.). We caught 12 nice largemouths, all very chunky,hungry, and hard fighting. We got blown out by cold wind, then went to cover over to the next island, then over to the bay where 3 mile creek comes in. The bass were really hitting, plus a couple of hard pulling 5 to 6 lb. northerns. All of the bass were 1.5 to 3 lbs. Anybody could have cast similar stuff from any dock or pier and caught beauties like these!! We spent about 3.5 hours fishing...

Using your electronics, search for marks in 30 to 80ft; troll with gold or silver spoons or minnow replicas of any sort at those depths. You'll need downriggers or some way to get down there.... Often the fish will be jack perch, with other fish such as smallies or lakers there. This is at the north end, north of Belhurst. This works great in the summer and fall and it did work out here in the early spring for us while looking for lakers, while everyone was packed down by Dresden and other noted perch spawning areas catching spawnwers with traditional bait methods.