BSmaster

I didn't mention line. A lot of people go with braid when using a wacky rig. I use 4 or 6lb mono. I thought about running a leader off braid, but decided against it for casting accuracy. I will be casting to a spot - not an area. I don't want braid because I feel the fish will see it and I don't like the way it floats. Why would this be a dilemma is because I am fishing heavy underwater weed structure as well as lili pads. Average bass are caught easily, but everytime I get a lunker, it wraps me around a weed structure and pops off. Why 4 or 6 lb. I am doing some serious distance casting. I usually fish with a beatle spin (BS in my BS Master name) until I hear a feeding largemouth. It sounds much different than the small fish eating insects. This is when I determine how close I am and where I need to be to be in casting range if not already. I pick up my other pole and always (100%) get a strike from a bass that has made its presence known by feeding. I think everyone understands structure and how fish like openings so I won't go into that. I fish the drop and kinda walk the dog with the worm if it doesn't get hit right away. I don't feel the fish until I set the hook. I watch the line. The worm will sink so line will take off, however, it always falls at a steady rate. When the bass hits it, it accellerates. Fish on! So watch your line and let the bass do all the work. Biggest tip I can tell you is keep your boats off the bass. I watched this happen last year. I was hammering bass all morning last year and guys were complaining about not getting anything and then I started watching them fish and saw them run their boats thru the hot spots. This is bad. keep casting distance away from them. This time of year, the fish are still on inland structure. Keep the boats out deep and fish inwards. Dock fishing, don't step on the dock until you have cast out along it a few times. Good luck everybody. I am going to be working on some new presentations for bass this year. Hopefully I will come up with a new goto lure/presentation.

Videos are definitely entertaining. If they get any better you will be on outdoor channel. REEL Stories with Nick Overacker - Saturdays at 10am.

I like to use a range. Smaller worms (~4") for smaller fish with smaller hooks (4s, 6s). Larger or more aggressive fish, I use larger worms (~6") and larger hooks (1/0s, 2s). Hook size is important because the fish are hitting on the drop, so if they feel it and don't like it will have time to spit it before you feel them on, hence - no hook set. Goto small and the hook could miss everything - hence no hook set/ I have caught smallies on Wacky rigs, but I usually reserve them for largemouths. Therefore, I recommend a size 2 hook with a larger worm. My goto is green pumpkin. I have a few variations, but the package that says grn pmpkn is the one that is lightest. I do not fish crystal clear or turbid water so this color works best for me. Find a pond with a lot of bass and this is a great way to get someone into fishing. Easy to cast, retrieve, and the bass do most of the work. I am putting together a fishing lesson just for teaching youngsters how to do this so they can see how easy it is to catch fish like the pros. This post reminds me of that I need to get working on it.

I second that. I already have a dorm fridge sitting idle. I can get the eggs out of the soda fridge too. Excellent idea! THANKS!

panfisher, that is where my 10lber came from. (I catch more from the other river-Lindley) We fished hard all day and kept moving. It is the only eye we caught that day. We did have a pretty good time catching smallies while we were trying. The biggest secret to that stream is finding them and in a biting mood. The state record for a long time was held in Chemung river. A lot of that gets lost nowadays with all of the pics coming from eastern basin of Lake O and Lake Erie. Now, I believe the PA and NY records are in Alleghany resevoir and that fishery stands to get even better after the Reservation puts in their walleye hatchery. My point being that is that Southern tier has a lot to offer, albeit challenging river walleye fishing. The west delware branch, the upper susquehanna river shed and the upper alleghany river shed, and even the Genny (below Belmont Dam). Some of it better than others and access is limited, but the fish are there. I am not big into trolling so fishing the rivers vs the lakes is more appealing to me. Trollers probably feel the opposite. Either way, the fish are there and the challenge is catching them. Best way to do that is understand them and that is sometimes harder than it seems. It is still good times no matter how you look at it.

The DEC closes fishing in many streams with finite choking points to all fishing during walleye's closed season to enable them to spawn. They add new places every year. I am sure that they won't close the ones in LO. Can you imagine the uproar from the Steelhead fisherman if they closed Oswego for 6 weeks? I can keep 5 walleye over 15 inches from Chemung river in Corning. If I travel upstream to PA, I can keep 6 walleye over 15in. If I go north I can only keep three (usually 18in). I have never kept a days limit before. Like I said before, fishing them in Corning is challenging. I am happy to get one. Not many people fish them here because of that. I don't foresee the DEC or PFBC changing anything. Best thing for them to change would be a slot limit but I don't see that happening anytime too soon. Another thing for them to help walleye numbers would be to let up on Tigers/musky stocking but that would be another can of worms (doubt it). I really don't see an issue for immediate attention. big walleye get big for a reason. I'm impressed that Landshark caught 34 over 10lbs. I think it is admirable that he released them (how many did you keep?). I know people that do the same thing down in the southern tier. But they didn't always. I personally, will be releasing the cows and keeping the eaters AND I will also refuse to judge anyone who is following the rules outlined in the regulation guide. I don't even know what is upsetting me about this discussion. Perhaps Its this concept of sportsman - The fly guy hates the spey guy who hates the pinning guy who hates the bottom bouncing guy who just wants to be left alone so he can catch a (any) fish to impress his loved ones. Its like the self righteousness that stirs up every fall in the streams. This is why I prefer to fish away from everyone. If you catch a walleye over 10lbs and let it go unharmed - good for you. Thank you. If you catch a walleye over 10lbs and eat it - your choice, but we told you it wouldn't taste as good. Next time consider letting it go. I Thank you. Someone may even call you a role model.

I would support a slot limit. Bass, walleye, pike I looked into a trip to Canada this spring, but it looked as though the fishing restrictions were more strict than NY so I bailed. Even historically rich fisheries can be damaged. Their advice was to take a picture (some measurements) of the trophy and get a replica. My response was, I'll keep my money in NY. It can be challenging catching walleye out of the rivers near Corning, but I can do it for a lot less investment of time and money. Just my two cents.

I did not cast a vote but my opinion flatly put is let them go unless you are going to mount it. I caught a 30in 10lb walleye this past December. I was so excited. The biggest I caught before that was 2ft. I kept the fish thinking I was going to have it mounted and then changed my mind later. I decided to hold out for a 14lber. I got three good meals out of her but my overall impression is that she didn't taste nearly as good as the 2-3lbers that I normally eat. My lasting impression was when filletting her and seeing the large volume of eggs that she was carrying. I let them go now. I want to find someone that I can trust to do repos so when I catch the big one for the wall... I can let her go too. To me it seems you let that one go too so you have more eaters for the future. With all that being said. It is up to each person to decide what they want to do. Everybody makes some impact on the fishery and should be responsible for that, however, if rules are followed, who is promoted to judge to cast opinions on someone else. BTW, last month while striper fishing, the big females went back. We kept the 30 and under for meat.

sounds like fun to me. Nice post.

I eat them and they are fun to catch. Many a time I have been fishn smallies and a huge wack on my bait gets me all excited only to find it is a rocky. IMO: They fillet the easiest of all the sunfish and they also seem to give thicker filets too. some people treat them like pumpkinseeds like they are some neusance . I like them.

I fished Chaumont bay once a few years back and it was just a stop on the way back from St. Lawrence. I wished I had spent all three days there. It is a beautiful bay. I know it is unlikely that I will make it back there for spring (post spawn) but I am thinking September/October when the water starts coooling rapidly and the fish start feeding heavily would be a good time to return. I would love to fish for walleye and pike, switch over to bronzebacks, then maybe take my pinning gear and chase some Kings. A fantasy - maybe. I always have said my best fishing trip is the one I have the night before in my sleep. 1st step is getting my wife to let me go for a few days. I will definitely post, hopefully something valuable... Tugger

Not an easy pic to tell but I would say that the shape of the body from the dorsal back is definitely more sunny like. Smallies that length, unless stunted severely, would have a more gradual body slope to the tail. In fact, they probably look more like a chub at that length. Fish id for Rockies isn't a common problem. I would take Xingtau's word on it.

I'll take the heat. I mostly (almost always) buy mine now. With a ceramic hip and lower back pains, it is just easier on my body. However, as a younger gent, I would have toured a park or cemetary just before dawn after a day of rain. Sometimes with the right rain, you can get them after daybreak and they are still moving. These are the best places and don't tell your friends. You can keep them in a fridge or bury a styrofoam container and place it in the ground (no direct sun). I dig my trout worms still but getting crawlers usually happens at the local Wally world. I heard some people talking about this at work last week and they were talking two methods which I have never done. The first is placing an electric charge in the ground. And the second was pouring bleach on the ground. I guess both methods make them rush out onto the surface. The scientist in me was curious, however, I am a long way from trying it. When I was a kid and we had the dog days of summer, I would spy on robbins and when I saw one pick up a big crawler, I would rush it so it would be spooked and drop it. Kids have the most fun.

I was going to suggest golden shiners but I never fished for muskies in this lake. The lake I grew up on did not have alewives but had golden shiners and they were definitely musky candy. Are you trolling? 3 rods, use a perch, a golden shiner, and a alewive presentation.

I caught a drum in Seneca lake a few years ago. It is the only one I ever caught. I never saw one before and it spooked me when it came up. The only way I could describe it to another fisherman was that it looked like a black bass mated with a carp. I have heard of people catching them in most of the tributaries and through out the ditch. I hear a lot get caught around Buffalo too. Person I work with grew up by Lake champlain and she claims that they are easy to catch on crayfish. They use to catch them to make jewelry. If you are catch and releasing, probably the pier at the Genny is a good place for pictures. I would not eat one from there unless I was skin and bones starving - smoked or otherwise. Real cray fish or tubes is how I would attack them with light weight on the bottom. I have fished over them with bobbers (I saw them) and they never bothered with the bait and the trout, salmon, bass, walleyes, were taking. If I catch another one, I will keep it for the jewelry and I am curious what it tastes like. To be honest with you, I don't think you should put a lot of effort into it. You will probably hook a 7lb bronzeback trying - get a picture of that. BTW I know about striper fishing

Nice fish! Awesome Pic! Well done.

Wow! The grill must have been busy that year. Mako on the grill is fantastic!

internet can get you started. I chose to charter. I believe charters a great way to sharpen the learning curve, and also rewards the guys who spend countless hours fine tuning their skills. Kinda like taking a college class only you don't fall asleep.

The Bulls in Conesus act more like Cats. I caught some 14 inchers this spring. Very aggressive and a lot of fat. I ate a couple last night for dinner - very tasty too! It is funny that they are following lures. Channels can be caught trolling. Next time those bulls run after your lures, throw a few green pumpkin (with or without flake) soft baits at them. I have had them be aggressive with me before while bass fishing and they short strike but they definitely strike.

I am just trying to break 30# at this point. These 25lbers are nice but a 30# or better is my goal. Check out this article: http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/scale-sh ... Protection This is a big cow.

Saugherties, NY 5-15-12 Caught on live herring... Some on chunk... 3 of us caught about 12 in 2 days. Rained almost every minute. Still an awesome time. I recommend it. Think of a large mouth, but bigger, and if you ever had a steel head run you out 30yds or more, that is striper fishing!

Where is your bosox cap?

Congrats! Very nice report. I Like conesus. Beautiful lake to fish.

I don't understand... We blame the county? How about we blame the criminal? I get the anger and frustration. But direct it toward the right area. I can almost with a 100% guarantee that you were not victimized by a true fisherman. Except for the ocassional pissing match (see other thread "how long will this last") fisherman respect each other. I think you are looking to find someone who is going to fence this stuff and not someone who is going to use it. Burnt Hills looks like a nice area to live in. How is the fishing there? Probably as good as it is in Corning. You went to Lake O for the same reason I do. I am truly sorry for your experience but don't take it out on the people in this forum. Charter Boat captains in Oswego should be weary of this as well. The guy was happy on the water but is going to tell hundreds of people how bad the town is. Not your legal repsonsibility, however, it could affect client business. It should be a priority of yours to curtail this.